What to use instead of queso fresco
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Salty crumble that softens but does not melt
It is an acid-set fresh cheese, so its protein network has already been broken up and it cannot flow back together the way a rennet-set melting cheese does. On hot enchiladas it goes soft and stays in crumbs.
Feta, rinsed and soaked 10 minutes in waterRan out
1:1 by weight
Still far saltier after rinsing, with a sheep-milk tang. Cut the salt elsewhere in the dish or it goes over.
CotijaRan out
use 2/3 as much
Drier, harder and much saltier. It grates rather than crumbles and it tastes aged, so it finishes a dish instead of sitting inside it.
Farmer's cheese or dry curd cottage cheeseRan out
1:1, plus 1/4 tsp salt per 4 oz
Milkier and blander, so the salt you add is doing all the work. Measure it rather than guessing.
Ricotta salataRan out
1:1
Firmer and a shade sharper, and it holds its shape better on something straight out of the oven.
Firm tofu crumbled with salt and limePlant-based
8 oz tofu + 3/4 tsp salt + 1 tsp lime juice per 8 oz queso fresco
The texture is right and there is no dairy tang, so the lime is standing in for the acidity the cheese would have brought.
What doesn't work: Shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella on enchiladas. Both are built to melt, so instead of a scatter of fresh salty crumbs you get a blanket, and the dish loses every bit of contrast between the sauce and the topping.
Mild fresh cheese for stuffing or spreading (arepas, gorditas, papas a la huancaina)
Here you want something that softens under heat, holds together inside a filling, and tastes of little beyond milk and salt so the rest of the dish comes through.
Paneer, crumbled or coarsely gratedRan out
1:1, plus 1/2 tsp salt per 8 oz
Firmer and completely unsalted, so it needs seasoning, and it stays squeaky where queso fresco turns creamy.
Halloumi, rinsed and crumbledRan out
1:1
Much saltier and it browns rather than melting, which is a bonus if you are frying the arepa.
Fresh mozzarella, torn and drainedRan out
1:1
It will melt and run, so use it where a stringy filling is welcome and not where you wanted distinct crumbs.
Cream cheese thinned with milk, for a huancaina-style sauceRan out
4 oz cream cheese + 2 tbsp milk per 4 oz queso fresco
Richer and tangier, and it sets considerably thicker as it cools. Blend it warm or it stays lumpy.
What doesn't work: Cottage cheese straight from the tub. The curds are sitting in cream and whey, so the filling turns watery in the pan and the arepa or gordita splits along the seam as that liquid steams out.