Get Grilling: Queso Fundido

Summer cookout food doesn’t have to slow you down. Thrillist teamed up with Miller Lite and celeb chef Aarón Sánchez to create these simple yet flavorful dishes that’ll be sure to win the cookout. Check out our recipe and video for this queso fundido:

Queso Fundido with Grilled Tortillas

Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ lb fresh chorizo sausage, casing removed
  • ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 can Miller Lite
  • 1 lb Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or Quesadilla cheese, shredded (or a combination)
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds and membranes removed, minced
DIRECTIONS:
  • Before you start cooking, heat the grill with a medium flame so that it will be ready to toast your tortillas when it’s time to serve.
  • Add the olive oil to a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Break the sausage into small pieces and fry it in an even layer, stirring occasionally, until it’s cooked through and has rendered most of its fat.
  • Use a slotted spoon to reserve the chorizo, leaving the fat in the pan.
  • Add the onion and salt and continue to cook until soft and translucent.
  • Pour in the beer -- it might foam up a bit -- and scrape up any browned bits with your spoon. Bring to a simmer until most of the beer has reduced.
  • Gradually stir the cheese into the pan, allowing it to melt with each new addition, and then decrease the heat as low as it will go to keep it warm.
  • Stir in some of the chorizo and minced jalapeño, reserving enough to top the final dish.
  • Toast the tortillas over a medium flame on your grill (this can also be done directly over a burner on a gas stove) until it’s soft, warm, and lightly charred in some spots, 20 to 30 seconds per side. If you do this in batches, keep them warm in a clean dishtowel.
  • Serve the queso immediately, topped with chorizo and minced jalapeño, then spooned into the warm tortillas.