This chorizo cheese dip is easy, quick and delicious. In this recipe, fresh chorizo is cooked and combined with a creamy cheese sauce.
We keep the ingredients to a minimum so the chorizo and cheese get a chance to shine. This cheese dip is a great appetizer for your game-day spread, cocktail hour, or a Cinco de Mayo celebration.
Now, the star of this show is chorizo, so let’s talk about that a little bit.
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What is chorizo?
Chorizo is a type of sausage made of pork. It’s heavily seasoned with garlic and spices, most notably, smoked paprika (pimenton), giving the chorizo it’s characteristic red color.
What’s the difference between dried chorizo and fresh chorizo?
Dried chorizo is a hard, smoked and cured pork sausage. It’s ready to eat, just peel the casing off, slice and eat.
Dried chorizo is commonly referred to as Spanish chorizo. It’s typically served with bread and cheese, but it’s also a great way to flavor chicken, soups, stews and rice dishes. Like in this Pollo en Salsa recipe.
Fresh chorizo, also called Mexican chorizo, is also made of pork and spices, usually smoked paprika and/or chili peppers. But, unlike Spanish chorizo, it must be cooked before eating. It can be purchased in links (which are great for grilling) or bulk and must be kept refrigerated.
Fresh chorizo is used to flavor all kinds of dishes including: soups, burgers and egg dishes just to name a few. Really, as long as it’s savory, chorizo can add a kick and a ton of flavor!
Where can I find chorizo?
Dried chorizo can be found in Latin markets, some large chain supermarkets, and they can definitely be purchased online.
Dried chorizos come in links and are usually shrink-wrapped in plastic. Since they’re dried and cured they don’t need to be refrigerated.
Fresh chorizo may be a little more difficult to get, since it has to be kept refrigerated and has a much shorter shelf-life. Check Latin markets in your area, specialty butcher shops and larger grocery chains.
To make this chorizo cheese dip you will need
- ¾ pound Fresh Chorizo, casings removed or use bulk
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 3 tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Whole Milk, warmed through
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 8 ounces Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
You will also need
- Corn Tortilla Chips, for dipping
Prep Work
This is a quick and easy appetizer so prep work is a snap!
If you’re starting with linked fresh chorizo, remove the casings and break it up into very small pieces. This may seem like an extra step, especially since you need to break it up further in the pan, but believe me it makes it much easier.
Shred the cheddar jack cheese. We recommend you shred your own cheese for this dip. The pre-shredded packaged stuff has cellulose (which is wood pulp) and sometimes potato starch, added in to prevent caking.
I just think the cheese melts better when you shred it yourself and we need it super smooth for this chorizo cheese dip.
That’s pretty much it for the prep work, just measure out the rest of the ingredients, warm the milk a little later on and we’re ready to go!
Cook the chorizo
Since we’re using fresh chorizo in this recipe we need to cook it fully. Start by adding the chorizo to a medium-sized sauce pan or a deep skillet.
We’re starting and finishing the dip in the same pan so use something that’s large enough to hold the chorizo, milk and cheese.
Place the pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chorizo for about 7-8 minutes until browned, cooked through and all of the water has cooked out.
There should only be chorizo and the oil it released, no water. Stir the chorizo often as it cooks and break up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Make the sauce
The sauce for this cheese dip is made with a simple combination of flour, butter and milk. The flour and butter make a roux, which is a thickening agent used to make sauces, gravy and to thicken soups and stews.
It’s a really great and easy way to make sauces but… you have to be Patient!
- Start by lowering the heat to medium-low. If the pan is too hot, the chorizo will start burning, the butter will burn and so will the flour.
- Next, add the butter to the pan. When the butter is melted add in the flour while stirring.
- Cook the butter and flour mixture for 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Slowly add the warm milk to the butter, flour, chorizo mixture, while stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula. Gently scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan. Make your way around the saucepan while making small circles and loosening the bits. Continue stirring until the milk is completely incorporated.
- Allow the sauce to come to a simmer. The sauce will not thicken until it starts to boil. It will happen. Don’t crank the heat; let it come to a simmer slowly. Stir occasionally.
This is the patience part I mentioned earlier. It will take about 3-4 minutes for the sauce to come to a simmer.
Important Cook’s Note:
Do not leave milk or cream on the stove unattended. Milk can boil over very quickly and can catch fire. Stay right next to the stove and stay vigilant.
Once the sauce starts thickening, cook it gently for 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Add the salt and pepper to the sauce and stir well.
Finish the chorizo cheese dip
The final step to this delicious dip is to add the cheese. We want to do this slowly. If we apply too much heat to the cheese it will become grainy, and there’s no coming back from it.
Take the pot off the heat and stir the sauce well so it cools just a touch. Add the shredded cheddar jack cheese a little bit at a time while stirring. I do about a handful at a time.
Once each batch is melted and incorporated, add another handful. Repeat until all of the cheese is melted.
Place the chorizo cheese dip back over low heat to warm through. Don’t overheat, give it just a few minutes and do not let it come to a simmer (much less a boil). Stir frequently.
Taste the chorizo cheese dip using the chips you’re planning on serving it with. Chips are pretty salty, so extra salt may not be needed. As a reference, we did not need to add any extra salt to our dip.
Serve the chorizo cheese dip with corn tortilla chips and your favorite hot sauce.
You may also like these appetizers
- Spanish Appetizer Board
- Taco Dip
- Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos
- Mini Taco Bites
- Andouille Sausage Puffs
- Refried Black Beans
Chorizo Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- ¾ pound Fresh Chorizo casings removed or use bulk
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 3 tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Whole Milk warmed through
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 8 ounces Cheddar Jack Cheese shredded
Instructions
- You will also need: Corn Tortilla Chips, for dipping
Prep Work
- If you’re starting with linked fresh chorizo, remove the casings and break it up into very small pieces.
- Shred the cheddar jack cheese.
- Measure out the rest of the ingredients and warm the milk a little later on.
Cook the chorizo
- Add the chorizo to a medium-sized sauce pan or a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chorizo for about 7-8 minutes until browned, cooked through and all of the water has cooked out, while breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Make the sauce
- Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Add the butter to the pan. When the butter is melted add in the flour while stirring. Cook the butter and flour mixture for 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Slowly add the warm milk to the butter, flour, chorizo mixture, while stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula. Gently scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring until the milk is completely incorporated.
- Allow the sauce to come to a simmer. The sauce will not thicken until it starts to boil. It will happen. Don’t crank the heat; let it come to a simmer slowly (about 3-4 minutes). Stir occasionally.
- Once the sauce starts thickening, cook it gently for 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Add the salt and pepper to the sauce and stir well.
Finish the chorizo cheese dip
- Take the pot off the heat and stir the sauce well so it cools just a touch.
- Add the shredded cheddar jack cheese a little bit at a time while stirring. Once each batch is melted and incorporated, add another handful. Repeat until all of the cheese is melted.
- Place the chorizo cheese dip back over low heat to warm through. Don’t overheat, give it just a few minutes and do not let it come to a simmer (much less a boil). Stir frequently.
- Taste the chorizo cheese dip using the chips you’re planning on serving it with. Add salt if needed. As a reference, we did not need to add any extra salt to our dip.
- Serve the chorizo cheese dip with corn tortilla chips, or your favorite dippers.