This cheesy Mexican dip is a must have on taco nights and game days. With only four ingredients and minimal effort required – you’ll be enjoying this easy slow cooker queso fundido in no time!
Our family doesn’t need a Tuesday night as an excuse to enjoy our favorite Mexican foods- we’re down any night of the week.
We make plenty of them at home too, to ensure we get our fix whenever a craving hits.
One of our all time favorite things to enjoy will also be queso fundido.
What Is Queso Fundido?
To sum it up as simply as possible, it’s the world’s most delicious Mexican cheese dip.
It literally means ‘molted/melted’ cheese in Spanish, and it’s seasoned with spicy cooked chorizo sausage and simple additions for added flavor.
This slow cooker queso fundido recipe is an authentic restaurant copycat that’s easy to make at home.
Are Queso Dip & Queso Fundido The Same Thing?
While almost everyone’s heard of queso dip, or even chile con queso, not everyone is as familiar with queso fundido.
Queso dip tends to be just warm melted cheese.
Chile con queso is closer to true queso fundido, but is the more modern Americanized version.
However, queso fundido has been enjoying increasing popularity in recent years!
Ingredients Needed
As with so many of the best recipes (and my personal favorites!) – our slow cooker queso fundido dip recipe requires very few ingredients.
Only four to be exact!
To make it you’ll need:
- Chorizo – You’ll want to use the ground kind (NOT the harder, drier kind that’s similar to salami).
- Cheese – Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese is a must for this recipe, and as always freshly shredded will melt & taste the best- but isn’t 100% necessary.
- Salsa – You can use any brand you wish, but it needs to be a thin restaurant style like in Mexican restaurants. The thick and chunky kind won’t mix and meld well with the melted cheese.
- Cilantro – About a half a cup of freshly chopped leaves- don’t substitute the dried kind since dried cilantro doesn’t retain it’s flavor well.
That’s it. Just four ingredients and you’re ready to make a batch of slow cooker queso fundido.
How To Make
Making this authentic Mexican cheese dip is super easy.
Once you’ve got your ingredients ready, grab your crockpot and get started.
Add the ground chorizo to a medium skillet, and cook over heat. Use a sturdy spoon or spatula to break up the meat as it cooks.
Cook until the sausage has completely crumbled and cooked through, and has gotten slightly crispy.
Drain or strain off as much excess grease as possible, then transfer the chorizo to the bowl of your slow cooker.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker too.
Cover with the lid and cook the queso fundido dip on LOW heat for 3-4 hours, giving the mixture a stir once every hour.
Once the time’s up, give it a final stir and serve warm with your favorite dipping options!
Serving Options
The classic way to serve queso fundido dip is either with soft flour tortillas or with crispy homemade tortilla chips.
Other delicious dipping options include:
- Crackers or Pretzels
- Fresh Baguette Slices
- Crispy French Fries or Potato Wedges
- Grilled Vegetables
You can’t go wrong with any of these options, and if serving slow cooker queso fundido to a crowd I tend to offer several options so guests can pick which one or ones they like best.
Storing
Leftovers can be stored for up to 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
When ready to enjoy again, transfer the cold dip to an oven safe dish.
Heat at 350 degrees, and give it a 1-2 minutes under the broiler.
The dip will taste just like it was freshly made!
What Can I Use Leftover Dip For?
While this cheesy Mexican dip is great fresh or leftover, sometimes even we find we’re just not feeling a ‘dip’ anymore.
Luckily, there’s plenty of tasty ways to give leftover queso dip new life!
Some of our favorites include:
- Serving it over grilled chicken or steak
- Using it to make loaded french fry or tater tot bowls
- As a cheesy topping over baked potatoes or bowls of chili
- Stirred into cooked pasta for a Tex Mex mac and cheese
There’s so many delicious possibilities!
TIPS & TRICKS
- Freshly shredded cheese is recommended for best/smoothest melting. Pre shredded is coated with potato starch so it doesn’t clump together, but it also prevents it from melting together smoothly.
- Can sub pepper jack for a spicier version.
- Leftovers are great in hard shell tacos or served as nachos.
Other Mexican Style Dip Recipes
Slow cooker queso fundido is the original Mexican cheese dip that all others sprang from. It only uses a handful of ingredients and is great for taco tuesdays at home, or serving to guests at potlucks & parties- it fits virtually any occasion perfectly!
Looking for other Tex Mex dips to enjoy? Give these favorites a try:
If you’ve tried this SLOW COOKER QUESO FUNDIDO RECIPE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Slow Cooker Queso Fundido Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground chorizo sausage
- 16 oz block Monterey jack cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup thin restaurant style salsa
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain or strain off excess grease.
- Transfer the cooked, drained, and crumbled chorizo to the bowl of your crockpot.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, stirring every hour.
- Stir a final time before serving with your favorite dipping options. Enjoy!
Notes
- Freshly shredded cheese is recommended for best/smoothest melting. Pre shredded is coated with potato starch so it doesn't clump together, but it also prevents it from melting together smoothly.
- Can sub pepper jack for a spicier version.
- Leftovers are great in hard shell tacos or served as nachos.
I really wish you’d shown a picture of the ingredients. I have the hardest time finding the right chorizo.
I used the ground kind, Johnsonville brand I think.
Mine turned out, rather bland, I am assuming it was probably the cheese, but this really needs something to give it a kick. Chorizo is wonderful. and gave it a little kick, but it needs something more.! my husband and his friends tried it and asked me not to make it again! I would give this five out of 10 stars. I am sorry it just didn’t have that. I want to go back for more taste.
It is a more mild queso, you could definitely spice it up with additional seasonings to infuse it with more flavor.