Queso Blanco with Chorizo
A creamy, rich white cheese dip flecked with spiced chorizo, fresh jalapeños, and cilantro. This restaurant-style queso blanco comes together in under 20 minutes on the stovetop—melted Oaxaca and white American cheese create a silky, stretchy base that stays warm and pourable. Serve with warm tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas for scooping.
Steps
Before you start
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready—the queso comes together quickly once cooking begins
- Use fresh chorizo (not cured); if using cured, skip the initial browning and add it toward the end
- Shred your own cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded for better melting
Brown the chorizo
- In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, add the crumbled chorizo and cook for 4–5 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks.
- The chorizo should release its oils and turn a rich reddish-brown.
- Once fully cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the pan.
- This fat will flavor the queso.
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Ready when: Chorizo is fully cooked through, no longer pink, and richly browned
Tip: Don't drain all the fat; it adds authentic flavor to the queso
Start the cheese base
- Reduce heat to medium.
- Pour the heavy cream into the pan with the chorizo fat, stirring to combine.
- Let it warm for 1 minute, then begin adding the Oaxaca cheese in handfuls, stirring constantly.
- Once the Oaxaca is mostly melted and the mixture is glossy, add the white American cheese pieces a few at a time, continuing to stir.
- The American cheese acts as an emulsifier and keeps the sauce smooth and creamy.
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Ready when: All cheese is melted and the mixture is glossy, smooth, and pourable
Tip: Keep stirring to prevent scorching on the bottom; don't let it sit still
Season and fold in chorizo
- Stir in the cumin, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Return the cooked chorizo to the pan, stirring to distribute evenly throughout the queso.
- Let it warm through for about 1 minute on medium heat.
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Ready when: Chorizo is evenly mixed in and warmed through
Tip: Don't overstir at this point—you want little pockets of chorizo visible in the final dip
Finish with fresh toppings
- Transfer the queso to a serving bowl or warm dip dish.
- Top with the diced tomatoes, minced jalapeños, and cilantro just before serving, allowing guests to see and enjoy the fresh components.
- If serving directly in the pot, simply scatter the toppings over the surface.
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Tip: Add fresh toppings at the last moment so they stay vibrant and textured rather than wilting into the warm cheese
Good to know
Tips
- For a thinner, more pourable consistency, add an extra 2–3 tablespoons (30–45 ml) of heavy cream or whole milk at the end; for thicker consistency, let it simmer gently for 1–2 minutes longer on medium heat.
- Use a fresh block of Oaxaca cheese from the dairy section (it looks like a ball of string cheese)—it melts better than pre-shredded varieties, which contain anti-caking agents.
- If the cheese begins to break or looks oily, remove it from heat immediately and whisk in 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) of cold heavy cream while off the heat; this often saves a broken queso.
- Keep the dip warm in a small slow cooker set to low, or in a fondue pot; this prevents it from cooling and solidifying during a party.
Make ahead
Prepare all ingredients up to 1 hour ahead (dice tomatoes, mince jalapeños, shred cheese, crumble chorizo). Store prepped ingredients in separate containers in the refrigerator. Cook the queso just before serving to keep it warm and creamy; it does not reheat well and may become grainy.
Storage & reheating
Queso Blanco is best served immediately. If you must store it, place cooled queso in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but note that the texture will become thick and grainy upon reheating. To reheat, warm gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of heavy cream or milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Do not freeze, as the cheese separates and will not return to its original creamy consistency.
Substitutions
- Oaxaca cheese (or fresh mozzarella) → fresh mozzarella, stretched variety, or whole-milk mozzarella. Both melt smoothly, though they lack Oaxaca's slight stringiness; the result will be slightly less creamy
- white American cheese slices (deli counter) → white cheddar (sharp) or Monterey Jack cheese, finely shredded. These add more flavor than American cheese; reduce by ½ oz (15 g) to avoid overseasoning
- fresh chorizo, casing removed → ground spiced pork sausage (about 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp chili powder mixed in). Will be less smoky and slightly less spiced; adjust paprika and chili powder to taste
- fresh jalapeños → serrano peppers or half the amount of habanero for extra heat, or poblano for mild flavor. Serrano is spicier, habanero much spicier, poblano milder and more earthy
