Choriqueso is a simple yet addictive appetizer made from a combination of chorizo and cheese. It is the perfect dish to start off any Mexican meal, or to serve on gameday!
Today we are going to be making an extremely delicious and popular appetizer from northern Mexico, choriqueso! A simple dish consisting of cooked chorizo sausage “chori”, and melted cheese “queso. Trust me it’s so good I could eat an entire skillets worth all by myself. And best of it’s so easy to make and comes together in minutes. Making it the perfect dish to start any Mexican meal.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- What is the best type of cheese?: Queso Oaxaca or Queso Chihuahua are without a doubt my favorite types of cheese to use in choriqueso. Because they both have a wonderfully mild flavor and melt to perfection. However, if you can’t get your hands on either of those then the next best option would be a simple Mexican blend. But really any type of cheese that melts well (colby, gouda, mozzarella, swiss) will work in a pinch.
- Chorizo: Since this dish is made with so few ingredients I suggest you use the highest quality Mexican chorizo you can find. Or at the very least stay away from that super cheap chorizo you find in a tube “cacique brand”. Because trust me you’re going to taste the difference.
- Draining off the grease?: Depending on what brand of chorizo you’re using you could end up with a good amount of grease. And while it’s not necessary you can drain some of this off after cooking the chorizo if that’s what you prefer. But I will say that leaving it in will infuse and flavor the cheese. So if you don’t care about the extra calories then definitely don’t remove it. 😉
- Adding veggies: A cool thing about choriqueso is that you can customize it will all sorts of vegetables. It doesn’t matter if it’s sliced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, or even zucchini. Just cook them up with the chorizo so that they are soft, then layer them similarly to the chorizo.
- Garnish: Another way to take this dip to the next level is to garnish it. This can include simple ingredients like cilantro, or diced onions. Or more complex items like guacamole or pico de gallo.
- Serving: I personally find that it’s best to serve your choriqueso in the pan/skillet that you cook it in. Especially if you’ve made it in cast iron (it just looks cool!). And to either have tortilla chips to scoop up the dip. Or warm tortillas to grab into the dip and make choriqueso tacos.
Other Appetizers/Dips You Might Enjoy
Choriqueso Recipe
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1Lb of Mexican Chorizo
1Lb of Shredded cheese (Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Mozzarella, etc. or a combo)
For serving:
Chips or tortillas
Instructions
- Brown the chorizo: Heat a large pan or skillet over medium high heat. Once hot add the chorizo and break it into fine crumbs with a wooden spoon. Stir and cook the chorizo until it is slightly browned (about 5 to 7 minutes).
Once the chorizo is fully cooked turn off the heat and remove ½ of the chorizo from the pan/skillet. Then distribute the remaining chorizo evenly in the pan/skillet.
- Partially melt the cheese: top the remaining chorizo with the shredded cheese. Cover the pan/skillet with a lid and place it over medium-low heat. Let this cook for a couple of minutes or until the cheese starts to melt.
- Finish the dish: Take the lid off the pan/skillet and distribute the ½ of chorizo you removed earlier over the cheese. Use a wooden spoon to gently press the chorizo into the partially melted cheese. Then cover the pan/skillet once again with a lid and let it finish cooking until the cheese is completely melted (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- Serve the choriqueso hot with some chips or tortillas. Enjoy!
Choriqueso Recipe
Choriqueso is a simple yet addictive appetizer made from a combination of chorizo and cheese. It is the perfect dish to start off any Mexican meal, or to serve on gameday!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 Lb of Mexican Chorizo
- 1 Lb of Shredded cheese Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Mozzarella, etc. or a combo
- For serving:
- Chips or tortillas
Instructions
- Brown the chorizo: Heat a large pan or skillet over medium high heat. Once hot add the chorizo and break it into fine crumbs with a wooden spoon. Stir and cook the chorizo until it is slightly browned (about 5 to 7 minutes). Once the chorizo is fully cooked turn off the heat and remove ½ of the chorizo from the pan/skillet. Then distribute the remaining chorizo evenly in the pan/skillet.
- Partially melt the cheese: top the remaining chorizo with the shredded cheese. Cover the pan/skillet with a lid and place it over medium-low heat. Let this cook for a couple of minutes or until the cheese starts to melt.
- Finish the dish: Take the lid off the pan/skillet and distribute the ½ of chorizo you removed earlier over the cheese. Use a wooden spoon to gently press the chorizo into the partially melted cheese. Then cover the pan/skillet once again with a lid and let it finish cooking until the cheese is completely melted (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- Serve the choriqueso hot with some chips or tortillas. Enjoy!
