Surullitos de Maiz are a Puerto Rican appetizer that you need in your life ASAP. Fried corn sticks made with cornmeal and cheese are perfect for dipping in an authentic garlic-ketchup dip, or any of your favorite dipping sauces!
Jorge is Puerto Rican, but I am a white girl from Texas. I wish I was well versed and skilled in Puerto Rican recipes…however I am way more likely to whip up a combination of Southern & Tex-Mex foods. Ever since I wrote about going to Puerto Rico, I get tons of emails from readers asking for easy Puerto Rican recipes. In the past, I have shared a few recipes here and there…but only one (Pan Fried Plantains) was a true Puerto Rican dish.
The last time Jorge & I headed down to PR, our first stop was to visit his adorable Abuela, Esther. She is a wonderful cook and is always whipping up something delicious! This trip our plates were filled with pork, rice & beans, Surullitos and Guava Pudding Cake.
I am not going to lie, the Guava Pudding Cake was too die for…but these little fried cornmeal sticks won my heart! Something about the slightly sweet flavors and garlic-y ketchup had me swooning. I knew I had to make them for a fun treat once we got back home to Florida.
The flavors of these little fried darlings is hard to describe… It is kind of like Polenta, but better (back off Italians!). The outside is beautifully crispy, while the inside stays soft and moist -for lack of a better word. While they make take a few minutes to roll each one, they are actually very easy to make. Plus I am sure kids would really enjoy helping with the rolling part…if you can find a few to help!
Surullitos (Puerto Rican Cheese Corn Sticks)
Surullitos de Maiz are a Puerto Rican appetizer that you need in your life ASAP. Fried corn sticks made with cornmeal and cheese are perfect for dipping in an authentic garlic-ketchup dip, or any of your favorite dipping sauces!
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cup of extremely fine cornmeal
- 4 oz Edam or Gouda cheese, shredded
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in salt, sugar and cornmeal. Return to heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the dough does not stick to the pot.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Let sit for 5 minutes -or until you are able to handle the heat- and roll 1 tablespoon balls of dough into cigar shapes.
- In a large deep skillet, heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees. Cook Surullitos 4-6 at a time, making sure not to crowd the pan, until lightly golden brown. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and serve immeidately.
- Sauce: Mix together ketchup, mayo and garlic. Serve with fresh hot Surullitos.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 515Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 41gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 275mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 5g
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These babies are the most delicious corn sticks ever !!! My mom use to make them for us growing up ; everyone should try these before they kick the bucket!
Where’s that GUAVA PUDDING CAKE recipe!!!
The dang cheese sticks are incredible – thanks! I’d love some variation to the Mass Real Guayaba we love so much.
Even though some of the questions are old, I could not hold myself and not answer a couple. Sorullitos or sorullos (no, I did not misspelled the name) are done with what we Puertorricans call “Dutch cheese” typically edam cheese. This cheese is almost king at the island, served with appetizers, hot chocolate, etc. Same thing for “queso de papa” (potato cheese, which is really sharp cheddar cheese). Local cheeses like “queso blanco” or “queso de hoja” (white cheese and leaf cheese) are typically enjoyed with crackers and/or guava paste, and “queso de freír” (frying cheese) is well…fried and served as an appetizer all by itself.
Arepas is a completely different thing, and though other countries have arepas, my understanding is that they are different to the ones from Puerto Rico. Arepas in PR are known as either “arepas” is the eastern part of the archipelago, or as “domplines” (from the word dumpling) in the south, consist of fried dough patties known in some Carribean islands as johnnycakes. My favorite ones are the ones made with coconut milk like the ones done in the island of Vieques.
Something to keep in mind always, when talking about food from Latin America and the Carribean, is that names for food items as well as the dialects are so different from country to country and even from regions in the same country. Maybe somewhere else in the world what is known in Puerto Rico as sorullos is known as arepas.
You need to try it with hot chocolate in the evening, or with scramble eggs or tortilla. Also eat it with a sandwich with pastrami, Swiss cheese, mustard and cabagge
Mine came out lumpy??
I just started following you…my blog is platanosmangoes.com you will also find many recipes like carne guisada, etc…
I found you blog and I really like it. I make these for parties..much fun…
@Laura As soon as I saw these I thought of arepas too! I am from Miami so I’ve had many but it’s hard to find a good picture of what I’m talking about on Google since there are so many different kinds.
@Jessica I’m not allowed to deep fry in my house since I almost burned the house down once trying to make donuts. Can these be baked?
Thank you for your recipie fast and simple loved it. Surullitos were very good will make it again!!