Queso Fundido with Chorizo
It’s one of those things that you look forward to when eating at a steakhouse in Mexico. Your mouth waters just of the anticipation of the little side dishes like the guacamole, tortilla chips, warm flour tortillas, and roasted salsa served in the molcajete. And then it comes out in a little hot iron or clay container, bubbling, steaming, and sometimes flaming: the melted cheese. All that gooey, stringy cheese just waiting to be scooped up onto your tortilla!
But steakhouses aren’t the only place where people eat “Queso Fundido”, it’s also often an important dish in barbecue parties, where the cheese is placed in a small clay or metal skillet to be melted on top of the grill along with some tortillas. This is usually your appetizer while you finish grilling the meat.
Queso Fundido is usually made with Asadero, Mennonite, Manchego or Chihuahua cheeses. These cheeses are hard to find outside of Mexico, and some good substitutes are Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack, Muenster or Oaxaca. This last one can be found now in Latin grocery stores.
The recipes aren’t that different from one region to another. The most common recipe is the one with fried chorizo, but you can also find ones with roasted poblano strips or sliced mushrooms. There is another version that has the chorizo with a mix of tomato, onion, and pepper.
The process to make it is another story. There is a recipe where the cheese is melted directly on a griddle and then scooped onto a plate, another where it’s baked in the oven or placed under the broiler. You can also make it in a small skillet right on top of the stove or on the grill where you make your steaks. The Flaming Cheese or “Queso Flameado” has warm brandy or rum poured on the cheese and lit on fire, and is served at your table while still flaming.
Queso Fundido with Chorizo
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a skillet over medium heat, add the oil if using. Most Mexican chorizos have enough fat and won’t need the vegetable oil. Add the chorizo and cook, stir frequently to cook evenly and avoid it from sticking to the bottom. It’ll take about 6-7 minutes to cook. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Once cooked, remove the excess fat from the skillet or place the cooked chorizo over a paper towel to absorb the fat.
- Place the chorizo in an ovenproof dish, setting aside 2 tablespoons to garnish when ready to serve. I divided the chorizo and cheese into 2 small clay pots, but you can use a large ovenproof dish.
- Place the grated cheese over the chorizo and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Do not overcook or it will have a chewy texture.
- Remove from oven and place over a heatproof surface. Serve warm with salsa and plenty of flour tortillas or tortilla chips.
There is a recipe where the cheese is melted directly on a griddle and then scooped onto a plate, another where it’s baked in the oven or placed under the broiler. You can also make it in a small skillet right on top of the stove or on the grill where you make your steaks.
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 ounces Mexican Chorizo casings removed.
- 12 ounces Monterey or Oaxaca Cheese grated (2 1/2 cups)
- 6 Flour tortillas or
- 12 ounces tortilla chips for serving
- 1 1/2 cup of Roasted Salsa
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a skillet over medium heat, add the oil if using. Most Mexican chorizos have enough fat and won’t need the vegetable oil. Add the chorizo and cook, stir frequently to cook evenly and avoid it from sticking to the bottom. It’ll take about 6-7 minutes to cook.
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Once cooked, remove the excess fat from the skillet or place the cooked chorizo over a paper towel to absorb the fat.
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Place the chorizo in an oven proof dish, setting aside 2 tablespoons to garnish when ready to serve. I divided the chorizo and cheese into 2 small clay pots, but you can use a large oven proof dish.
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Place the grated cheese over the chorizo and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Do not overcook or it will have a chewy texture.
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Remove form oven and place over a heat proof surface. Serve warm with salsa and plenty of flour tortillas or tortilla chips.
• You can use Spanish chorizo if Mexican Chorizo is not available.
• As mentioned above, you can make the Queso Fundido over the stove, grill or even using the microwave and stir frequently.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
Have you tried Queso Fundido at home or at a restaurant?
More recipes:
Cheese and Chorizo Turnovers
Cheese Stuffed Zucchini
Se me ha hecho agua la boca que delicia Mely, gracias por la receta, besitos.
Delicioso Mely!
My husband always orders the shrimp fundidos when we eat out at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It is grilled shrimp with grilled onions and peppers and then the cheese on top. It is absolutely delicious! They serve it with the tortillas but he just eats it off the plate.
Hello Kat,
Love the idea of the grilled shrimp. 🙂
Qué rico, me encanta! En España es muy difícil encontrar queso de Oaxaca y lo sustituimos por gouda. También nos encanta con rajas verdes.
it does look delicious.
LOVE queso fundido! I made some a while back (Rick Bayless version). It had mushrooms in it… just wonderful!
I made homemade queso fundido here in Scotland using locally made queso oaxaqueño and queso fresco. I also used homemade chorizo verde. It's an amazing dish.
I've never made queso fundido, but it something that I love to order as an appetizer. Have never even thought about making it before and your recipe is so simple and delicious looking. Asadero cheese is actually one of my favorite and I am definitely giving your recipe a try! Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe! 🙂
I have never made queso fundido but have had it in restaurants. Yours looks absolutely fantastic. We've used Cacique products before, the chorizo and several others. Good stuff.
Hello, I live in the El Paso-Juarez area. I love queso fundido and thank you for teaching us this recipe. Your blog has helped me make food that I am sure my grandmother would have taught me if she did not pass when I was young. I had a question. Is there any way you may write a blog on how to make authentic chili con queso? I know it has strips of long green chili, onion, and tomato. It is kind of like making queso fundido but the cheese is not as stringy. I do not know what kind of cheese that is used or other ingredients. A recipe on how to make authentic chili con queso would be great. Thanks
In Mexico City, the Queso Fundido is served with mini corn tortillas, outstanding. I have an old recipe that calls for 1/2 and 1/2 Monterey and Oaxaca cheese and has little stronger flavor which stands up better with the chorizo.
Hello Solrac,
Yes, the mini corn tortillas had replaced the tradicional triangular shaped crispy fried tortillas. Some chorizo, depending where you live, had a very strong flavor.
This is a common dish served i. The northern part of Mexico. It is usually made with sauteed onions, rajas of roasted poblano peppers and a little garlic. The cheese we use in Chicago is queso Chihuahua. It is usage served with freshly made flour tortillas.
Made this and tasted OK. The recipe was perfect I think it was the chorizo I bought. I think when making this you have to have a good chorizo.
This was delicious! I loved how easy it was to make too.
Can I use Queso blanco caribeno cheese in this recipe
Hello,
I don't think it will melt the same way.
Queso blanco is good for frying.
There’s a restaurant that served queso flameado and is delicious. Everytime I go to Houston have to have it cause I can’t get flamed cheese anywhere else 😞