Cheesy and gooey Queso Fundido combines melted cheese, chorizo, and peppers in a hot skillet. This restaurant-worthy appetizer is easy to make and done in under 30 minutes! Don’t forget the tortilla chips for dipping!
Queso fundido is one of the best party dishes around! This skillet of hot, melted Mexican cheese with peppers and chorizo is better than fondue and really knows how to get the party started.
This easy appetizer is very flexible. Made with Mexican ingredients like chorizo, Oaxaca cheese, and jalapeños, the flavors can easily be adjusted or replaced with something else. This is a sure-fire recipe to get your guests excited.
All you have to do to make this one-skillet recipe is brown the chorizo, saute the peppers, melt the cheese, then bake it all together! Just like my rajas con crema, it’s a cheesy appetizer recipe that’s ready for eating in under 30 minutes.
What is Queso Fundido?
You may hear a few different names when talking about the origins of queso fundido. Translated to “melted cheese” in Spanish, queso fundido can also be known as queso flameado (“flamed cheese”) or queso choriqueso (“cheese with chorizo”). All of these versions are made with hot melted cheese and make for a delicious appetizer!
This hot and flavorful dish is usually made with grilled peppers folded into the cheese. Served in a hot skillet, it’s a popular Mexican recipe to serve at parties, cookouts, or for an appetizer. It’s sometimes served flambé (when you’re feeling confident) or baked in the oven.
Are Queso fundido and queso the same?
Not exactly. Queso (like this queso blanco) is made with melted cheese that’s thinned out with milk, cream, or other ingredients like cream cheese. Queso fundido is not thinned out, and is traditionally made with Mexican cheeses like Chihuahua or Oaxaca and then mixed with sautéed peppers, onions, and topped with chorizo.
Both make great appetizers, are served with tortilla chips, and are delicious next to a classic margarita.
Queso Fundido Ingredients
- Mexican chorizo: This seasoned pork sausage is a staple in many Mexican recipes. Make sure to use raw and fresh Mexican chorizo and not the Spanish kind. The two are completely different! Learn more about chorizo here. If you have trouble finding it near you, learn how to make your own with my Mexican chorizo recipe.
- Cheese: I used Oaxaca and Monterey Jack cheese, but there are many varieties you can use. Other great alternatives are asadero, mennonite, manchego, or chihuahua cheeses. Feel free to keep it simple and use muenster or mozzarella.
- White onion and jalapeños: To be sauteed and mixed in with the cheese. These add depth to each bite.
- Garnish: Top the hot and melty cheese with diced tomatoes and cilantro. Don’t forget the tortilla chips or warm corn tortillas for dipping!
How to make Queso Fundido with chorizo
- Brown the chorizo: Once your cast-iron skillet is hot, cook the chorizo and crumble it with a wooden spoon. Transfer it to a plate with lined with paper towels once the meat has browned and set aside. Get rid of the excess fat in the skillet, then place the skillet back on the heat.
- Cook the peppers: Saute the onions and jalapeños in some oil until they’re soft, then move them to a small bowl.
- Assemble the queso fundido: Add half of the shredded cheeses to the bottom of your skillet, then the chorizo, onions, and peppers. Finish by layering on the rest of the cheese.
- Bake and serve: Bake the queso fundido until the cheese has completely melted. Remove from the oven and top with diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro, then serve with tortilla chips.
Tips and Substitutions
- Don’t have cast iron? Use a regular baking dish instead. Follow the recipe instructions and then layer the queso fundido in a small baking dish, clay pots, or even a pie plate.
- Can’t find oaxaca cheese? You can use mozzarella, queso asadero, or queso chihuahua instead.
- You can use one or two kinds of cheese. Make the dish using all oaxaca or all monterey jack. I prefer the flavor of half and half, but just one type will also work!
- Mix up the veggies. Make this recipe with a variety of vegetables and chile peppers like poblanos, bell peppers, and mushrooms.
- Not a fan of chorizo? Make your queso fundido recipe with ground chicken, turkey, or beef instead.
- Looking for a vegetarian version? Remove the chorizo all together or replace it with soy chorizo or another plant-based alternative.
- Top the queso fundido with tomatoes or salsa. I love adding a quick pico de gallo on top when serving!
- Make it green. Add in sliced poblano peppers as well as jalapeños, and top the queso fundido with all of the green stuff you can think of, like salsa verde, green onions, and cilantro.
Storing
To store, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat, place the leftovers in a skillet or baking dish. Heat in the oven until warmed through.
Queso Fundido
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded oaxaca cheese
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- 8 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ small white onion, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeds removed and diced
- 1 diced Roma tomato, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
- tortilla chips or warm corn tortillas, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded oaxaca and monterey jack cheeses. Set aside.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and crumble with a spoon, cooking for 5-7 minutes until the sausage has browned.
- Transfer the cooked chorizo to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
- Remove any excess fat left in the skillet from the chorizo and place the skillet back over medium-high heat.
- Add olive oil, onions, and jalapenos. Saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the onions and peppers to a small bowl.
- Assemble the queso fundido by adding ½ of the shredded cheese on the bottom of the skillet, followed by all of the chorizo, onions, and peppers, and then top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake until the cheese has completely melted, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t have cast iron? You can also make this dish in a regular baking dish. Follow the recipe instructions and then layer the queso fundido in a small baking dish or a pie plate.
- Can’t find oaxaca cheese? You can use mozzarella, queso asadero, or queso chihuahua instead.
- Though you can make the dish with all oaxaca or all monterey jack cheese, I prefer the flavor of 1/2 and 1/2.
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