Super cheesy and filled with spicy chorizo, this skillet queso fundido goes from oven to table in 30 minutes. Made with three kinds of cheese and lots of onion, it’s the only thing you’ll want to dip chips into!
Why You’ll Love This Queso Fundido con Chorizo
Mexican queso fundido is an appetizer you’ll love for more than its perfect flavor combination.
- Family-friendly. Even the pickiest eaters love a skillet of cheese, so don’t be afraid to serve it with dinner. Everyone will gobble it up!
- Great for cookouts. As an appetizer or added to carne asada tacos, queso fundido is a hit at all cookouts.
- Easy. Once you cook the chorizo mixture, the oven does the rest of the work for you. Just let it melt to gooey perfection!
- Better than quesadillas. There’s something about the cheese-pull in this recipe that’ll beat a quesadilla any day. If you’re a cheese-lover, this is the true melty recipe for you. However, you can also wrap it up in warm corn tortillas for serving!
What Is Queso Fundido?
Queso fundido is a popular Mexican appetizer. The name means “melted cheese,” so you can imagine what this melty cheese skillet is all about. It’s made with Mexican cheese (or a combination of them) like Chihuahua, Manchego, or asadero.
For more flavor, chorizo is often added as well as diced onion and garlic. It’s usually baked and served with corn tortillas right before the main dish or added to tacos in cookouts.
Recipe Ingredients
There are three kinds of “queso” (cheese) in this recipe for the ultimate cheese-pull. Check the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient amounts.
- Vegetable Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil like corn and canola oil work too.
- Chorizo: Ground pork chorizo is best for this, you can use store bought or my Homemade Chorizo if you have extra time. Make sure to use the ground version of chorizo, not the dried sausage kind.
- White Onion: Feel free to use yellow onion.
- Garlic: Don’t use garlic powder for this, you want fresh garlic for the best flavor!
- Chihuahua Cheese
- Manchego Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
What’s The Best Cheese for Queso Fundido?
There’s no single right answer except for melty Mexican cheese. I love Chihuahua and Manchego because they’re more savory, but queso asadero and even adobera cheese make great swaps. When in doubt, use a cheese blend or use up all your leftover cheeses to make a unique queso fundido.
How to Make Queso Fundido
If the chorizo mixture is cooked well, the oven will do the rest of the work for you. Check the recipe card for more detailed instructions on how to make queso fundido with chorizo.
- Cook the chorizo: Cook the chorizo in a skillet with oil until browned and crumbled.
- Add the onions: Place the onions and garlic in the pan. Stir and cook until the onions soften.
- Make the cheese mixture: Add the three kinds of cheese to a bowl and mix well.
- Add the cheese: Remove half of the chorizo-onion mixture from the pan. Set it aside. Sprinkle in 3/4 of the cheese mixture. Add half of the reserved chorizo mixture. Top everything with the remaining cheese.
- Bake it: Bake the queso fundido until nice and melty.
- Serve: Top it with the remaining chorizo and serve immediately with corn chips or tortillas.
Tips & Variations
Any queso fundido con chorizo will be a success if you manage to melt the cheese evenly. With that in the bag, feel free to make some ingredient swaps to make it spicier or healthier.
- Make it spicy. Use spicy chorizo, or add 1/2 finely chopped serrano peppers, to the chorizo mixture as it cooks. This will give the recipe a kick of heat.
- Go for turkey. In case you want to make your queso fundido healthier, choose turkey or all beef chorizo over pork.
- Slice it. If you don’t want to shred the cheese, thinly slice it. Make sure the slices are of an even thickness so that all the cheese can melt evenly.
- Add chilorio. Use one part chorizo and one part chilorio, or substitute it altogether, to give this appetizer a new spicy, smokey dimension.
What to Serve with Queso Fundido with Chorizo
Queso fundido con chorizo is best with Tortilla Chips for a quick appetizer. For a healthier alternative, serve it with my Air Fryer Tortilla Chips. You can also serve it with warm Corn Tortillas, or Flour Tortillas, for a cheesy taco/burrito bite. You can even incorporate it into the main dish by adding 1-2 spoonfuls of it to my Carne Asada Tacos.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Queso fundido is best when freshly made. However, you can refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also keep it in the skillet you made it in if you cover it tightly with foil.
To reheat it, microwave it in 15-second intervals until nice and melty. You can also re-heat it in the oven at 350°F for 8 to 12 minutes, until warmed through.
More Mexican Appetizers To Try
- Avocado Salsa
- Frijoles Puercos (Mexican Bean Dip)
- Elote
- Restaurant Style Salsa
- Cheesy Beef Taquitos
- Authentic Guacamole
- Rajas (Creamy Roasted Poblanos)
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Queso Fundido
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese
- 1 cup shredded Manchego cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 9 oz chorizo
- ½ medium white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
For Serving
- Cilantro
- Lime Wedges
- Tortilla Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the shredded cheeses in a bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Add oil to a medium-sized cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the chorizo. Cook, breaking apart the meat into crumbles as it cooks, until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Use the spatula or a spoon to remove 1/2 of the chorizo mixture from the skillet. Set it aside.
- Sprinkle in 3/4 of the cheese mixture. Press it down gently. Then add half of the reserved chorizo and top it with the remaining cheese mixture.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until melty. Carefully remove it from the oven and top with the remaining chorizo. Serve with corn chips or tortillas, as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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