Queso Fundido

Don't Make These Mistakes

This dish is only good while it is molten. Serve it the moment it comes out of the oven.

Mexican chorizo is soft and raw, unlike the Spanish cured sausage. If you only have Spanish chorizo, dice it and render it more gently.

Do not use pre-shredded cheese. The starch coating prevents the smooth melt this dish depends on.

How to Make Queso Fundido

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1. Char the poblanos directly over a flame or under a hot grill for 10 minutes, turning, until blackened all over.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

2. Steam them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel, deseed and cut into strips (rajas).

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

3. Heat the oven to 220°C / 430°F.

   Mark done

4. While the poblanos steam, fry the chorizo in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 8 minutes until crisp and well rendered. Lift out with a slotted spoon and pour off all but a tablespoon of the fat.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

5. Fry the onion in that fat for 5 minutes until soft, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the poblano strips.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

6. Deglaze with the tequila if using and let it evaporate completely.

   Mark done

7. Take the pan off the heat and mix the cheeses together. Scatter half into the skillet, then the chorizo and vegetables, then the rest of the cheese.

   Mark done

8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is fully molten and bubbling with a few golden patches.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

9. Scatter with tomato and coriander and carry the skillet straight to the table with the warm tortillas.

   Mark done

Related guide: Ingredient substitutions.

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Why the Method Works

Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheeses are low-moisture and high-fat, which lets them melt into a stretchy sheet rather than separating into oil and rubber the way aged cheddar does. Cooking the chorizo first and draining most of its fat prevents the finished dish from swimming in grease.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Eat immediately — melted cheese sets solid within minutes and cannot be revived. Prepare the components ahead if entertaining.

Changing the Recipe

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Serving Queso Fundido

• Warm corn tortillas, for scooping
• A cold beer or a tequila neat
• Salsa verde and pickled jalapeños

Queso Fundido Nutrition Facts

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

Gluten-free when made with warm corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas.

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