Queso Fundido with Chorizo

Since it’s comfort food season, and it’s always cheese season, chorizo queso fundido is on repeat in my house.  It’s best to share with friends, because it’s seriously just a ton of gooey, delicious cheese melted with spicy chorizo, jalapenos, onions, and garlic.  Serve it with homemade pico de gallo, homemade guacamole, or salsa on the side! This recipe is a small batch recipe and makes about four servings.

What is Queso Fundido with Chorizo?

So glad you asked! 🙂 Queso fundido is NOT exactly cheese dip.  It’s a combination of peppers, onions, chorizo, and melted cheese, yes.  But it doesn’t make a dip-able melted cheese, but it makes a scoop-able melted cheese.

Queso Fundido Ingredients

• 8 oz. Mexican Chorizo*
• 1/2 White Onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped Jalapeño
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 8 oz. shredded Chihuahua Cheese**
• 4 oz. shredded White Cheddar Cheese***
• Pico de Gallo for topping

*Look for chorizo that your grocery store makes at the meat counter; it’s usually chunkier, kind of like Italian sausage would be.  It crumbles easily, cooks pretty quickly, and leaves just enough fat behind to soften the onions and jalapeños.

**Chihuahua cheese is a very melty, super flavorful Mexican cheese. If you’ve ever had a really delicious quesadilla at an authentic Mexican restaurant, chances are there is Chihuahua cheese inside of it. Great substitutions for Chihuahua cheese are Oaxaca cheese, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese.

***I love to add Cheddar cheese for additional flavor. Look for a soft medium or sharp cheddar, but avoid any aged cheddar because they won’t melt as well. You could also skip the cheddar and just use four ounces of any of the cheeses I listed above, too!

How to Make Queso Fundido with Chorizo

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Cook the chorizo in a small 8″ or 9″ cast iron pan (or oven safe pan) over medium heat, breaking it apart as it cooks, until browned and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
3. Leave the liquid from the chorizo in the pan. Stir in the chopped onion and jalapeño with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes until they vegetables are super tender.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
5. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in a little over half of shredded cheese, and spread it into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 3/4 of the chorizo over this layer, then top with the remaining cheese.
6. Transfer the pan to the oven, and bake at 400 F for about five minutes, or until the cheese has totally melted. To create a browned, bubbly top, broil the cheese for 2-3 minutes before serving.
7. Top the queso fundido with the remaining chorizo, and carefully serve in the pan it cooked in alongside warmed tortillas, homemade pico de Gallo, guacamole, or salsa.

How to Eat Chorizo Queso Fundido

Toss the chips and grab some warmed tortillas for queso fundido. Since this is essentially a mound of gooey, stringy cheese, chips will just break apart if you use them.  Set out some spoons and warm flour tortillas, so everyone can practice their epic cheese pulls as they scoop the fundido into the tortillas.  Roll the fundido-packed tortillas up like tiny burritos, dip them in some guac or salsa, and get after it. 🙂

This is easily one of my favorite cheesy appetizers of all time. Who knew homemade queso fundido chorizo was so easy and so packed with flavor? It’s almost like a queso cheddar fundido with the two types of cheeses, which I think adds even more flavor. For a more authentic approach, just use your favorite Mexican cheese.

I hope you like this one as much as I do!  I mean, it’s hard to not love spicy chorizo with a sh*tload of cheese, right?  If you get a chance to make this one, be sure to tag me on Instagram!  And as always, reach out to me directly with any questions you may have!

Happy cheese eating. 🙂

xx Sara

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Queso Fundido with Chorizo

Author Sara

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

gooey, melty, scoop-able cheese mixed with spicy chorizo, jalapeños, onions, and garlic. the most delicious cheesy appetizer ever.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

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Equipment

• small cast iron skillet

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 8 ounces Mexican chorizo (casings removed, if using links)
• ▢ 1/2 white onion, finely chopped about 1/2 cup
• ▢ 1/4 jalapeño, finely chopped about 1 tablespoon
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 8 ounces freshly grated Monterey Jack, Oaxaca, or other melty cheese
• ▢ 4 ounces freshly grated white cheddar or more melty cheese!
• ▢ guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Cook chorizo over medium heat in a small cast iron pan (an 8 or 9 inch pan). Crumble as it cooks, breaking it apart into smaller pieces. Transfer cooked chorizo to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fats.
• Let a thin layer of fat from the chorizo remain the the pan. Add onion, jalapeño, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant - about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for another minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Stir a couple handfuls of cheese into the veggies. Spread the veggies and melted cheese across the bottom of the pan, forming the first "layer". Add a layer of crumbled chorizo, then top with remaining cheese. (Reserve a couple of spoonfuls of chorizo to top the fundido when it's done.)
• Bake at 400 F for about five minutes, until cheese has totally melted. Switch the oven to broil for a few minutes if you want the bubbly, browned cheesy top layer.
• Carefully serve the fundido in the cast iron skillet to keep it warm. Top with remaining chorizo, and serve with warm tortillas, spoons for scooping, and guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo if you like!

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