The Budget Burrata Hack That's Too Good to Keep to Yourself
In the cheese world, there’s really nothing better than burrata. Mozzarella’s delicate, creamy cousin is firm on the outside and luxuriously oozy on the inside and plays well with pretty much everything. Use it for topping pizzas, add it to pastas, or tear it into pieces and toss with a salad.
Slicing into the cow's milk cheese is an event in and of itself. If you've ever ordered burrata at a restaurant you know the thrill when your knife pierces the ball of cheese, and the creamy curds (aka stracciatella) spill all over the plate.
But none of this deliciousness is possible if you can't find burrata or the pricey cheese is out of your budget. Thankfully, the internet has an answer, courtesy of MacKenzie Smith, a food blogger, cheese expert, chef, cookbook author and two-time Food Network cooking competition champ. Her genius 3-ingredient copycat burrata looks just like the real thing, but would it taste as good? There was only one way to find out.
Related: Our 30 Best Burrata Recipes
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What Is the Burrata Hack?
Smith's love of cheese knows no bounds (she even wrote the book on grilled cheese). For years she's shared incredible cheese plates, picture-perfect mac and cheese, and tons of other dairy delights. And thanks to her deep knowledge of cheese she was able to reverse engineer burrata.
She starts by ripping a ball of fresh mozzarella into shreds, pours some heavy cream on top, then sprinkles it with a little salt. She stirs it up and lets it sit for about 30 minutes. That's it! Burrata taste on a string cheese budget.
The result is an impossibly lush, spreadable, stracciatella-esque cheese made in your very own kitchen rivaling those pretty balls of burrata at the specialty market.
"While this isn't technically stracciatella, aka burrata innards, it is really really close...and it is absolutely delicious," says Smith in her Instagram and TikTok posts.
The Ingredients for the Burrata Hack
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
The easy burrata hack involves only three ingredients: a ball of mozzarella, heavy cream and a pinch of salt.
As with most recipes, the quality of the ingredients matters. I bought my ingredients from Trader Joe's, which is usually pretty decent quality, but had I gotten a super high-quality mozzarella and cream, this probably would have been even better (and although the manufacturer may vary depending on the area of the country you live in, Reddit users speculate that the TJ's mozzarella may be the same as BelGioioso's).
How to Try the Burrata Hack
Smith dives right into the burrata hack by ripping up a ball of fresh mozzarella into shreds, adding in some heavy cream (I used about half a cup), sprinkling on a bit of salt, then giving it a toss and letting the whole thing sit and absorb for about 30 minutes.
The ball of mozzarella should be finely shredded and you can do this with your hands, so no fancy equipment is required; just a bowl. Fun fact: stracciatella means "little rags" so think of that when you're ripping it up into pieces.
Related: 31 Types of Cheese To Add to Your Next Charcuterie Board
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
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Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
My Honest Thoughts About the Burrata Hack
I chose to spread my burrata mixture on lightly toasted sourdough, with a simple drizzle of olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper and flaky Maldon salt. It was heavenly. You know food that's so good you need to stop, smile and sigh before taking another bite? This is that. There's just something about burrata—its creamy, light, salty curds lazily flowing over whatever you place it on is truly one of life's little pleasures.
This recipe hack was virtually indistinguishable from a regular ball of burrata in taste. The only thing missing is the dramatic reveal when you cut into an actual ball of burrata. But I digress. This is one snack that should be eaten all the time, and with this hack you'll be able to enjoy burrata whenever you feel like it.
What to Serve With Burrata
I went simple with toast + cheese, but you've got so many options here. Dollop your burrata innards on homemade pizza or pasta or add it to a "girl dinner"—the most recent TikTok take on a snack plate.
If you want to get a little fancy, I saw one Redditor create a burrata hack dinner consisting of burrata ravioli with arrabbiata sauce. On the simpler side of the spectrum there's nothing better than tomatoes, fresh basil and lightly toasted ciabatta or sourdough alongside this sophisticated cheese. Just add a drizzle of olive oil, some flaky salt and black pepper.
Next: Giada de Laurentiis' Romesco Pasta Salad with Burrata Is the Summer Meal We Could Eat Every Night