Churro recipe is surprisingly easy to make, with the batter just requiring 5 ingredients. It takes just 20 minutes to make and is served with a fabulous chocolate dipping sauce. And did you know Churros are great for making ahead??
Confession: I thought Churro were native to Mexico. So when I was in Mexico last year, I was expecting to be in Churro heaven. Churros, churros, churros everywhere.
But no. I barely saw churro at all. So I was like a Churro Demon on a mission, keeping an eye out for the elusive churros stands. Eyes lighting up and dashing over immediately (whether stuffed full of tacos or not) to get a piping hot churros the moment I spied a cart down an obscure alleyway in the back streets of Mexico City.
So just as tourists here in Australia wonder why there aren’t kangaroos bounding around on the streets of Sydney and koalas snuggled in trees everywhere, I guess I totally missed the Churro memo.
Duh. Churro isn’t native to Mexico. It’s Spanish!
Having said that though, it is actually very popular in the touristy areas of Mexico!!
Well, strictly speaking, the actual origins of Churro isn’t clear and it is very popular in other countries as well, such as Portugal. And actually, there is some Churro in Mexico – but I wouldn’t say it was easy to find!
This Churro recipe is the grand finale for a 3 part Spanish Fiesta I’ve shared this week. It started with an Easy Tapas spread, followed by a show stopping Paella for the main (paella is easy, easy, easy!). And I cannot think of a better way to finish this feast than with Churros!
And if you’re putting on a spread, then we must have a wine with dessert!! So for these Churros, I’m choosing this Sentado Tempranillo, a beautiful Spanish wine that’s smooth and well rounded which I think goes really well with the sweetness and crunch of churro.
I’ve suggested a different wine for each course in my Spanish Fiesta – La Mesa Y Los Amigos for the Tapas, and Mi Casa for the Paella and now this Sentado for dessert. All of these are Spanish Tempranillo red wines which is a variety of grape native to Spain. And they’re all available at Dan Murphy’s!
Besides loving the bright cheerful labels, I think these wines are really great drinking for the price. One of those gems that taste more expensive than they cost. And truth be told, any of them would go well with any of the dishes in my Spanish Fiesta. My pairing suggestions are just what I think works best with each dish. 🙂
Regular readers know that I’m not a fan of deep frying. I reserve deep frying for my very favourite foods.
Churro is right up there at the top of the list. Makes me want to do this ->??
A simple 5 ingredient batter and just over 15 minutes of your time. Homemade churro is a MUST TRY!!! – Nagi x
PS Also, in my churro making frenzy, I discovered that they are fantastic for making ahead! They soften overnight, but crisp up beautifully in the oven. Make ahead notes are in the Churros recipe below!
I am obsessed with Churro!! Churros are great for making ahead because they reheat well in the oven. If you don't have a piping bag, just drop little dollops of dough in the oil and make churros doughnut balls! Recipe video below.
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar) (55g)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 150 g/ 1 cup plain white flour (Note 1)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil or other neutral flavoured oil (not extra virgin olive oil)
- 250 ml / 1 cup boiled water
- 2 cups+ oil , for frying
- 1/2 cup / 100g dark chocolate chips (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml thickened cream (heavy cream)
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Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl, set aside.
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Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add oil and water and mix until just combined - it should be a thick batter, like a wet sticky dough, not thin and watery.
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Transfer dough into a piping bag with a 8mm / 1/3" star tip nozzle (see video). Let cool while oil heats.
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Heat oil over medium high in a wok or small but deep skillet (Note 3), to 170C/340F, or until it takes 20 seconds for a small 1cm / 1/3" cube of bread to turn golden.
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Pipe 15 cm / 6" lengths of dough into the oil, snipping with scissors. Do 3 to 4 per batch, makes 8 to 10 in total.
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Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden, rolling occasionally.
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Remove onto paper towel lined plate to drain. Then roll in sugar. Serve hot with Chocolate Sauce!
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Place in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth.
1. Use plain white all purpose flour, not self raising flour.
2. Make sure you get chocolate chips for cooking, not chocolate confectionary for eating! It melts smoother.
3. Normally I deep fry in a saucepan. But it's too difficult to snip the dough in a saucepan. To minimise oil required, I like using a wok. Otherwise a deep small skillet will also work great!
4. MAKE AHEAD: Do not roll in sugar. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight container (not in fridge). It will go soft. Reheat in 180C/350F oven for 5 minutes or until crisp, then roll in sugar.
5. GENERAL NOTE: Some people have commented about the absence of sugar in the batter. It isn't needed - the coating adds loads of sweetness, not to mention the dipping sauce!
6. This is a recipe by Nigella Lawson that I found online but no longer seems to be available. There is a version on Food Network but the ingredient measurements are slightly different and I found it does not work as well, so I have stuck to the original recipe that I am grateful I printed out to save in my recipe folder!
6. Different Measures in Different Countries - Measuring spoons and cups differ slightly between some countries. The difference is quite small so it does not affect most recipes, but for baking recipes, it usually does matter. For all recipes on my site, where the difference does matter, I very specifically provide different measures depending on where you are located, like for my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. For this Spanish Churros, the measures specified in the ingredients will work whichever country you are in.
If you are in a high altitude or very humid tropical area, you may find the dough is sloppier than what you see in the video. In which case, just adjust by adding a touch more flour. And vice versa if your dough looks too dry.
7. No nutrition today. Because it's deep fried. Don't know how to calculate it, but I do know the calorie count is higher than a celery stick. 😉
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
PS Decided at the last minute to put together a little VIDEO for this Churro recipe so you can see how easy these are to make! 🙂
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Disclosure – This post and the Australia giveaway wine prizes are sponsored by Pinnacle Drinks, the geniuses who discovered and are spreading the love of Spanish wines throughout Australia! Wine and Spanish food lovers of the world such as myself thank you. <3
The paella pan and Paella rice included in the Australian prizes are donated by Maestre Family Food.
The Worldwide Prizes are being provided by me, Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats.
Yum! If you warm up your cream and then stir your chocolate chips in, you are less likely to overheat the chocolate (which results in a grainy, unpleasant texture). In my experience, you can never be too careful with chocolate!
I love this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
These are ridiculously delicious. My kids (and extended nieces/nephews) were in love with the Disneyland version. Ha – No more! Aunty (courtesy of Nagi) makes the best churros around. Can’t ask for more than that – thank you!
Hi Nagi!
Can I use the same oil in the dough that I use for frying?
Also, is a flavourless oil something like Canola or vegetable oil?
Thanks!