How to make Spanish churros crisp on the outside and soft inside without them bursting in the fryer
Homemade Churros: The Easy Recipe for Perfect Results
Many people give up on making churros at home because they fear the dough might burst when it meets hot oil or that the final result will be a too greasy and heavy pastry.
Often the difficulty lies in finding the right consistency: a batter that is too soft will not hold the ridged shape, while one that is too stiff becomes hard to pipe through a pastry bag.
This recipe fixes the issue thanks to a base-cooking technique that ensures a stable structure and lasting crunch, delivering a dry and safe fry.
Spiral-shaped or straight, dusted with cinnamon and sugar or dunked in chocolate, pulled from a greasy paper bag on the street — churros, in all their creative variants, will remain one of our favorite sweets.
That’s why I decided to try making them and after testing several recipes I finally feel satisfied.
You don’t have to be afraid of making churros at home — they’re really easy, it was mostly the idea that scared me too.
In reality they’re easier than krapfen or doughnuts; the important thing is to have a sturdy pastry bag with a large star tip (I found mine on Amazon!).
The basic churros dough is very similar to choux pastry used for cream puffs, but unlike those they are elongated and, of course, fried.
Try them and they’ll become addictive!!!!! At the bottom of the recipe you’ll also find instructions for baking and — last but not least — the recipe for the legendary cinnamon-flavored chocolate ganache to dip them in.
Easy churros recipe to make them at home
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: about 20 churros
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients for 20 churros
- 1 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Water
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 2 pcs Eggs (whole)
- pinch Salt
- to taste Granulated sugar (for dusting)
- cups Peanut oil (for frying (about 34 fl oz))
- 1/3 cup Heavy cream
- 3.5 oz Dark chocolate
How to prepare Spanish churros crisp on the outside and soft inside
In a small saucepan, pour the water, the butter cut into pieces, the sugar and the pinch of salt. Bring everything to a boil over medium heat, making sure the butter is completely melted.
As soon as the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a compact ball forms and detaches from the sides of the pan. Return to the heat for one minute, continuing to stir until you see a thin white film on the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the first egg and work the mixture with electric beaters or a spoon until fully absorbed. Only then add the second egg, continuing to mix until you obtain a smooth, thick and homogeneous paste.
Put the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (essential to create the ridges that make churros crispy). On squares of parchment paper or directly over the pan (if you have good control), pipe sticks about 4–4 3/4 in long.
Heat plenty of peanut oil to about 347–356°F. Immerse a few pieces at a time so as not to lower the temperature. If you used parchment paper, you can immerse the churro with the paper: it will detach by itself after a few seconds and you can remove it with tongs.
Fry the churros until they are evenly golden on all sides. Drain them with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to remove excess oil, but only for a few moments.
While still very hot, roll the churros in a mix of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. The heat will allow the sugar to adhere perfectly to the surface.
STORAGE
Churros, like all fried foods, should be eaten just after frying. I do NOT recommend keeping them in the fridge, they would become soggy.
Recipe Variations
Cocoa Churros: Replace 30 g of flour with 30 g of unsweetened cocoa powder for a super indulgent version.
Savory Version: Omit the sugar in the dough and the final coating. Serve them with a cheese sauce or cold cuts for an original appetizer.
Filled Churros: If you use a very large star tip, once fried you can pierce them in the center with a skewer and fill them with a spreadable cream or salted caramel using a pastry bag with a narrow nozzle.
Useful Tips
The Star Tip: Do not use smooth tips. The grooves created by the star tip increase the surface exposed to the oil, guaranteeing that typical crunch and preventing the internal steam from making the pastry burst.
Oil Temperature: If you don’t have a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden skewer: if it sizzles immediately creating lots of small bubbles, the oil is ready.
Chocolate Sauce: For the perfect accompaniment, melt the dark chocolate with a splash of hot cream or milk until you obtain a fluid cream to dip the churros while still hot.
EGG should be at room temperature.
PEANUT OIL use peanut oil because, compared to other oils, it has a high smoke point.
OIL TEMPERATURE should be between 338°F and 347°F; otherwise, if it is too high they burn externally and remain raw inside while if too low they take a long time to cook and become saturated with oil.
GRANULATED SUGAR roll the churros in the sugar while still hot, otherwise it won’t stick well.
AT THE TABLE WITH TEA ON INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/atavolacontea_/?hl=it
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