Queso Fundido

Queso fundido is a true cheese-lover’s dream. Can you imagine anything more tempting than a skillet filled with bubbling hot cheese and spicy chorizo topped with fresh cilantro and green onions served with tortilla chips? I sure can’t!

This is one dish that my guys will go for almost every time they see it on a menu. It’s not hard to understand why when you realize it’s basically a skillet filled with melted cheese and browned chorizo!

There’s a little more to it than that, of course. You want to choose the most melty-stretchy cheese possible for the recipe.

queso fundido in a skillet with a bowl of tortilla chips

What is Queso Fundido?

Our preference is to use freshly grated queso quesadilla cheese. If you have a difficult time finding queso quesadilla cheese in the grocery store, you might be able to find “quesadilla melting cheese” which comes already shredded in a bag.

It’s typically a blend of jack, chihuahua, and oaxaca cheeses. If you can’t find either of those, you can definitely grab some jack cheese and some chihuahua and/or oaxaca cheeses and grate them yourself. Either option will work fine here.

It is important to note that this dip is best made immediately before serving. It will not be as lovely when reheated, so this recipe is not a great candidate for making in large amounts as planned leftovers.

Queso Fundido Recipe

To make this glorious dip, you’ll need the following ingredients:

chorizo
queso quesadilla cheese
optional, but tasty: cilantro and green onions

The best skillet to use for the job is -in my opinion- a cast iron skillet or heavy stainless steel frying pan. The reason for this is that it is moves seamlessly between the cook top where you’re browning your chorizo and the oven where you’ll be melting the cheese.

And the heaviness of the pan is a bonus here, too. It retains the heat and keeps your dip at a good temperature for eating longer than a lighter, thinner pan.

grated queso quesadilla over a skillet of browned chorizo for queso fundido

Queso Fundido con Chorizo

To make your cheese dip “con chorizo” (with chorizo), begin by preheating the oven to 400°F.

In an oven proof, heavy skillet, cook the chorizo over medium-high heat. Stir to break it apart as it cooks.

Cooked chorizo will still appear a bit wet, but will be browned. Remove from the stove.

Shred or crumble the cheese. Sprinkle the cheese over the meat in the pan and place in the oven. Bake for 6-10 minutes, until completely melted and bubbling.

Sprinkle with cilantro and/or green onions before serving with tortilla chips.

Looking for a great accompaniment to your cheese dip? Wet your whistle in style with these Ruby Red Grapefruit Margaritas or Cranberry Margaritas.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In an oven proof, heavy skillet, cook the chorizo over medium-high heat. Stir to break it apart as it cooks. Cooked chorizo will still appear a bit wet, but will be browned. Remove from the stove.
Shred or crumble the cheese. Sprinkle the cheese over the meat in the pan and place in the oven. Bake for 6-10 minutes, until completely melted and bubbling.
Sprinkle with cilantro and/or green onions before serving with tortilla chips.

If you have a difficult time finding queso quesadilla cheese in the grocery store, you might be able to find “quesadilla melting cheese” which comes already shredded in a bag. It’s typically a blend of jack, chihuahua, and oaxaca cheeses. Either option will work fine here.