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Who doesn't love ooey, gooey, melty cheese? This is a copycat of the delicious appetizer I love to get at any Mexican restaurant that serves it. And I think this is better than most I've tried. This will become your new favorite dip to make...I promise!
This is such a simple and quick melted cheese appetizer to make, and it has SO MUCH flavor it tastes like you spent hours on it.
Lots of melty, cheesy goodness with super flavorful chorizo, sautéed poblano peppers and onions topped with some tomatoes, cilantro and queso fresco. Eat with pillowy, warm flour tortillas....you can't go wrong with this recipe!
What is queso fundido?
Queso fundido literally translates to "melted cheese". Yes, please.
I love to use chihuahua cheese when I make this, but many cheeses can be used as a substitute. It's similar to Monterey Jack cheese. You can use Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese for this queso, but I really think the chihuahua has the best flavor and texture due to it being an aged cheese.
Other cheeses that would work well would be asadero, panela or Oaxaca cheese.
When the chorizo is added, this is also called queso flameado.
What ingredients do I need to make this recipe?
- Olive oil
- poblano pepper
- onion
- chorizo
- salt
- Chihuahua cheese
- flour tortillas
- tomatoes, cilantro, queso fresco (for garnish)
Want to know how to make queso fundido?
First remove the seeds and membranes from the poblano pepper before slicing into thin strips. Poblano peppers are mild in heat, but have lots of great pepper flavor.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Add olive oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium heat.
Add thinly sliced poblano peppers and thinly sliced onions to the hot skillet.
Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften.
Remove chorizo sausage from the casing and add to the skillet.
I really do need to mention here my newest absolute kitchen must-have. The meat masher! This thing really is amazing!! It helps cook any kind of ground meat SO MUCH better than a spoon or spatula. Where has this been all my life???
Add salt to meat and vegetable mixture.
Add cheese to an oven proof pan (I LOVE my Lodge cast iron 9" pie pan for this), top with meat and vegetable mixture and bake for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Garnish with chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro and crumbled queso fresco cheese. Serve with warmed flour tortillas.
Expert tips
You can use regular taco size flour tortillas, but I prefer the smaller street taco size, since you may not want to fill up a taco size tortilla with that much cheese. Or maybe you do. No judgement. I wouldn't go bigger than the taco size though.
You can prepare the sautéed peppers and onions and chorizo in advance, if you don't want to be stuck cooking at a party. Just throw them in the refrigerator, and when it's time to eat, just throw everything in the baking pan and throw it in the oven!
Frequently asked questions
As mentioned above, my favorite to use in this recipe is Chihuahua cheese, but great substitutes would be mozzarella, Monterey Jack, asadero, Oaxaca, or panela cheese.
A mild cheddar can be used also, but you won't get the full stringy pull the other cheeses have. Queso cheddar fundido will taste just as good though!
Of course! Leave out the chorizo, or use a plant-based chorizo.
If you can't find a poblano, try another mild-heat pepper such as a green bell pepper, Anaheim, cubanelle or jalapeño.
Other recipes that work well with this cheesy appetizer
Queso Fundido con Chorizo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion
- 6 ounces chorizo sausage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces Chihuahua cheese
- 12 flour tortillas street taco size
- ¼ cup tomato chopped, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped, for garnish
- ¼ cup queso fresco for garnish
Instructions
- Remove seeds and membranes from the poblano pepper. Cut into thin strips.
- Slice onion into thin strips.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Add olive oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium heat. Add peppers and onion and sauté until the vegetables are slightly soft.
- If the chorizo sausage is in a casing, remove from casing. Add meat to the vegetable mixture and heat until crumbly and cooked through.
- Add cheese to an oven proof pan and top with the meat and vegetable mixture.
- Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish with chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro and queso fresco cheese. Serve with warmed flour tortillas.
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