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HomeKitchen Tips

Cotija Cheese 101

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By: IsabelPosted: 4/15/19

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclaimer.

This popular salty and crumbly cheese is used in many Mexican recipes to enhance savory dishes. Try it on tacos, enchiladas, tostadas and soups!

Crumbled cotija cheese on a gray stone plate.

If you like a good salty, crumbly cheese, then you’re going to love the popular Mexican cotija cheese! I use it all the time in my recipes and it’s one of my favorites.

What is cotija cheese?

Cotija is a Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk that’s salty in flavor and crumbly in texture. Named after the town of Cotija in the state of Michoacan, cotija cheese comes in two different types – fresh and aged (or añejo).

Though both types are relatively salty, the fresh version is soft while the aged version is much harder, similar to Parmesan.

Crumbled cotija cheese on a table with other ingredients used to make Mexican street corn.

Cotija cheese in Mexican cooking

Cotija cheese doesn’t melt, so it’s often used in Mexican cooking as more of a “finishing” cheese to enhance the flavor of dishes like beans, tacos, enchiladas and tostadas.

Here are some popular recipes featuring cotija cheese:

  • Easy Refried Beans
  • Chicken Tinga Tacos
  • Mexican Street Corn
  • Migas Recipe

Because of it’s popularity, cotija cheese can be found in many large grocery store chains and smaller hispanic specialty grocers here in the U.S.

Substitute for Cotija Cheese

A good substitute for fresh cotija cheese is Feta.

A good substitute for aged cotija cheese is Parmesan or Romano.

Crumbled cotija cheese on a slice of avocado toast with a fried egg.

Whats your favorite way of using cotija cheese? I’d love to hear in the comments section below!

You may also like…

  • Oaxaca cheese on plate.
    Oaxaca Cheese 101
  • These Mexican Chorizo Cotija Stuffed Pretzel Bites are the ultimate irresistible appetizer and salty snack for your next party and get-together.
    Chorizo Cotija Stuffed Pretzel Bites
  • Taco soup in a bowl topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.
    Taco Soup Recipe
  • Made with sautéed vegetables, a cilantro parsley chimichurri spread and lots of melted cheese, this Mexican Fajita Grilled Cheese will leave you full and oh so happy. (vegetarian)
    Mexican Fajita Grilled Cheese
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Recipe Rating:




  1. Kathy Chriqui says

    Posted on 5/9 at 2:33 pm

    Is animal rennet used in making cotija cheese? Or, is vegetable enzymes used? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 5/9 at 4:04 pm

      Hi Katy! We aren’t sure about that since different brands can use different ingredients. We recommend double checking the ingredients on the label or contacting the brand directly if this is a dietary concern.

      Reply
  2. Carole says

    Posted on 3/8 at 5:49 pm

    Does it contain rennet?

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 3/10 at 2:42 pm

      Hi Carole! We aren’t really sure since ingredients can differ between different brands. We recommend checking the ingredients list on the labels or contacting the brand directly.

      Reply
  3. Fran says

    Posted on 9/15 at 8:42 pm

    Does Cotija cheese contain GARLIC.

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 1/20 at 12:15 pm

      Hello Fran, in general it does not! However we suggest double checking the ingredients list on the packaging to make sure.

      Reply
  4. Ed Engoron says

    Posted on 8/9 at 7:44 pm

    I am looking for a source of Cotija for my client who makes RTE salads. This would be one 6 ingredients in this salad. These salad are package in two facilities–one in the Detroit are and one in Seattle.

    Reply
  5. Valerie Jean Betts Holliday says

    Posted on 5/26 at 1:32 pm

    I can’t wait to try this cheese in my salad!

    Reply
  6. Pat says

    Posted on 3/22 at 1:39 am

    I just discovered this cheese and I love it. I put it in my tacos, scrambled eggs, on a hot dog, in a salad. I think it can go on everything.

    Reply
  7. megs says

    Posted on 2/7 at 1:13 am

    hey! i just made your flan recipe and its coming out amazing, its chilling in the fridge right now, so im super excited. a lot of your recipes look so good, but i live in a city where there’s almost no mexican selection in the store and I don’t know what to do? have you ever had this problem? how should i go ab getting the ingredients i need?

    Reply
    • Morgan @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 3/15 at 1:38 pm

      Hi! I’m sorry to hear that! I’d recommend searching for Mexican grocery stores in your area. If there aren’t any, you can try different food delivery services. You can also check out Isabel’s Shop page (https://www.isabeleats.com/shop/mexican-ingredients/) for shelf-stable ingredients like dried chiles. There she links to products you can find on Amazon which will usually ship anywhere. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  8. Kim says

    Posted on 11/25 at 9:12 pm

    My oldest son reminded me of these old, but traditional recepies on your site.

    Our Christmas will be full of good memories. I forget the recepies. Thanks for reminder.

    Reply

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A first-generation Mexican American who loves to cook! Here at Isabel Eats, you’ll find a mix of all your favorite authentic Mexican recipes with a twist!

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