A blend of spicy jalapeños, aromatic onions, and garlic are combined with a medley of cheeses and chorizo in this simple-to-make Mexican Choriqueso. Perfect for any gathering, this flavor-packed queso fundido is served hot and bubbling, and makes a great appetizer with crispy corn tortilla chips or warm tortillas.
Growing up, the aroma of slightly charred corn tortillas filled with gooey, melted cheese and zesty jalapeño salsa was a favorite evening snack. My mom's simple yet satisfying queso fundido was always a special treat.
As an adult, I discovered a more complex version of this beloved dish – choriqueso. It became my husband's and mine favorite appetizer to order at Mexican restaurants.
Now, I love to recreate this dish at home and serve it as an appetizer or side dish with dishes like carne asada or tacos dorados de frijoles.
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What is Chorizo Queso Fundido ?
Queso fundido literally translates to "melted cheese" or "molten cheese" in English. The dish is a staple Mexican appetizer featuring melted cheese cooked in a skillet. It is served hot, straight from the skillet, with warm tortillas or crispy tortilla chips for dipping.
The most popular type of queso fundido typically features melted cheese combined with chorizo, a spiced Mexican pork sausage. This version is commonly known as choriqueso.
In today's recipe, the addition of jalapeño, garlic and onion along with the chorizo provide an additional bold and delicious depth of flavor.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: With simple ingredients and instructions, this recipe is easy to make and ready in no time.
- Flavorful and Authentic: This recipe offers authentic, delicious flavors with the combination of chorizo, Mexican cheese, and zesty aromatics.
- Versatile: Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, as a filling for tacos, burritos, or quesadillas, or even as a side dish.
- Great for Gatherings: This is a favorite dish to serve for parties or gatherings.
Check out these other recipes featuring Mexican chorizo: Huevos con Chorizo, Frijoles Charros, and Papas con Chorizo.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chorizo: Mexican chorizo can be made from ground pork, beef, or organ meat and ingredients like vinegar and dried chiles, which provide color, flavor, and spice. I do not really like the organ meat kind as it tends to fall apart and almost disintegrate when cooked. On the other hand, the ground pork version crisps up beautifully with amazing flavor. See the "Tips and Variations" section for some of my recommended brands of chorizo.
- Cheese: I like to use a blend of two Mexican cheeses for optimal flavor. Use cheeses that melt well such as asadero, Chihuahua, Oaxaca, or Mexican muenster. If you cannot find these, you can use Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
- Jalapeño: Choose ripe jalapeños that are firm, smooth, shiny, and without any blemishes. For extra spice, add a serrano pepper.
- Garlic and Onion add depth and enhance the overall seasoning.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Queso Fundido with Chorizo
1. Cook Chorizo: In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, cook chorizo, using the back of a spoon to break it up into smaller pieces. Remove from the skillet once it's cooked through and drain in a mesh sieve.
2. Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet, sauté diced onions, garlic and jalapeño.
3. Mix with Chorizo: Add the chorizo back into the skillet and mix with the veggies. Remove half of the chorizo mixture and set aside.
4. Add Cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese over the rest of the chorizo still in the skillet. Add the reserved chorizo on top.
5. Bake: Bake until the cheese is golden and completely melted.
How to Serve
Serve hot and melted, accompanied by warm corn tortillas, crispy tortilla chips, bread or vegetables like carrot sticks, bell peppers, or sliced cucumbers.
You can also serve it alongside a pico de gallo, guacamole, a serrano salsa, sour cream, or topped with freshly chopped cilantro.
It is also great as a filling for tacos or as a topping for other Mexican dishes like nachos, tostadas, tacos dorados or as a side dish.
How to Store and Reheat
Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat on the stovetop, heat in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and warmed through.
To reheat in the microwave, transfer to a microwave-safe dish and cover it loosely with a microwave-safe lid to prevent splattering. Microwave on medium power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until heated through.
Tips and Variations
- Choose High-Quality Chorizo: I have to reiterate that using chorizo with high-quality ingredients is key not only for the flavor but in the consistency. I prefer chorizo made with ground pork meat and spices that is free of fillers or other less desirable ingredients. I recommend brands such as Boulder Sausage, Mulay, Pederson’s Natural Farms which use ground pork, clean ingredients, are gluten-free and are taste amazing.
- Make It Vegetarian: Replace the chorizo with soyrizo, or another plant-based alternative, for a vegetarian version.
- Customize the recipe by mixing in other ingredients to the chorizo like roasted poblano peppers, diced tomatoes
- If you don't have an oven-safe pan or skillet, you can transfer the cooked chorizo onto a baking dish and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
FAQ
Can I use Spanish chorizo instead of Mexican chorizo?
No, other types of chorizo like Spanish chorizo have a different flavor and consistency than the Mexican kind. While Mexican chorizo will crumble and add spice, the Spanish version has a different flavor and needs to be sliced so it will not work in this recipe.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
I prefer this queso fundido right out of the oven since the texture of the cheese may change slightly upon reheating. However, you can prepare the choriqueso ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, simply reheat it following the reheating instructions above.
I hope you enjoy! If you try this recipe, please leave me a comment with a star rating below. Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to stay in touch, and don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter.
Recipe
Choriqueso (Chorizo Queso Fundido)
Equipment
- Cast-Iron Skillet or oven-safe frying pan
- mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chorizo
- ¼ white onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, diced
- 1 jalapeño, diced or 1 serrano
- 4 cups 2 different shredded Mexican cheeses such as asadero, Oaxaca, Chihuahua, or Mexican muenster
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Remove the chorizo from the plastic or casing and place it in an oven-safe frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Use the back of a spoon to break it up into smaller pieces and cook for about 7 minutes until cooked through.
- Remove chorizo from pan, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Drain the rest of the oil from the chorizo using a mesh sieve over a bowl. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add diced onions, garlic and jalapeños.
- Sauté for about 6 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Turn off heat and mix in chorizo with the sautéed veggies.
- Remove half of the chorizo mixture and set aside.
- Top the remaining chorizo in the skillet with shredded cheese.
- Sprinkle the rest of the chorizo over the cheese.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is golden and completely melted.
Notes
- Substitute a serrano pepper for the jalapeño for extra spice, or add both for an even spicier result.
- I like to use a blend of two Mexican cheeses for optimal flavor. Use cheeses that melt well such as asadero, Chihuahua, Oaxaca, or Mexican muenster. If you cannot find these, you can use Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
Charlene
It was so cheesy and an amazing flavor with the sautéed onions, garlic and jalapeño!
Gemma
Yes, the sautéed veggies add so much flavor.