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This delicious Mexican cheese is made from cow’s milk and is extremely popular in Mexican, Latin American, and Tex-Mex cuisines. It’s often used in a filling or as a topping for quesadillas, tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.
For all of the other options, you will have to either choose a substitute for flavor or texture. The biggest determining factor for which you will choose is what is available to you and what they cost.
This cheese has a milder salty and milky flavor but is still very rich and creamy. And it has a similar crumbly, semi-soft consistency that fresh Cotija has!
Feta is traditionally salty, which is another reason it’s a fantastic alternative for Cotija. You can even buy flavored options like black pepper feta cheese or herb-infused feta cheese.
Anejo has similar salty flavors to Cotija but with a nutty and almost buttery undertone. You will likely use a little less of this substitute for Cotija cheese to avoid creating a dominant flavor.
Parmesan is the best alternative for flavor. It is incredibly easy to find, and you get loads of options too! You can even buy vegan parmesan cheese!
Grana Padano also has some nutty undertones, similar to that of Anejo. It is a great option, but really only if you can find it.
This is a fantastic texture alternative! This alternative for Cotija is also quite salty and very milky. But again, it’s the texture that really makes this cheese a good option.