Ah, queso. There is just a certain level of happiness that comes along with a bowl of bubbling, melty cheese dip. I’ve never met a bowl of queso I didn’t like, but let’s be honest, not all queso is created equal. Not only does this queso contain some of the finest ingredients (including a steak topping), but it also comes flambéd! Talk about a show stopper, this queso flameado recipe is next level!
OK, OK, the flambé part of this recipe totally optional, but still very fun.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Queso Flameado
This queso flameado recipe isn’t just any ole melted cheese. We load up this queso with spicy Mexican chorizo, juicy steak, roasted poblano and other freakin’ delicious taco-ish toppings on top of the dip.
We’ll also add the mezcal or tequila for the flambé, like I did for these flaming pig shots, takes everything up a notch. It’s the perfect crowd pleaser for your Cinco de Mayo party, or if you want to elevate your next taco night or tailgate party.
Did someone say tailgates? Here are a few other tailgate recipe ideas for your next one, and be sure to check out these appetizer recipes too.
Queso Flameado Ingredients
- Meat: We’ve got chorizo and skirt steak (or ribeye as a substitute) to create an absolutely epic queso. Grab some of my Cowboy Butter Rub and FYR Red Hot Sauce for seasoning.
- Queso: For the melty cheese base, we’re using shredded Oaxaca cheese, shredded Monterey Jack, a roasted poblano pepper, jalapeño, red onion, chopped cilantro, mezcal or tequila for the flambé and flour or corn tortillas for serving.
Essentials for Queso Flameado
Two things I can’t stress enough about this recipe: use the chorizo fat to your advantage, and use freshly grated cheese. The chorizo fat will keep everything bubbling and prevent the ingredients from sticking to the skillet.
Also, you won’t regret taking an extra few minutes to grate the oaxaca cheese and Monterey jack. The texture is so much better than the preshredded stuff from the grocery store, and it melts really well.
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How to Make Queso Flameado
Start with Steak
First up, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 375 degrees Fahrenheit) for direct cooking. Then, slather your 1/2 pound of skirt steak or ribeye with my FYR Red Hot Sauce (which is used as a binder here) and then season with my Cowboy Butter Rub.
Place your steaks on the grill over high heat to cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 120 degrees F. When they’ve hit temp, pull the steaks off the grill to rest.
Chorizo, Veg and Cheese
Next, place a cast iron skillet on the grill and wait for it to be ripping hot. Add 1 pound loose chorizo to the skillet, then cook until browned and slightly crispy. Keeping the cooked chorizo in the skillet, add in the onion and poblano pepper. Sauté them with the chorizo, in it’s fat.
Add your 1/4 cup diced red onion and 1 diced roasted poblano to the skillet and sauté them until slightly softened. Then, layer 2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese and 1 cup shredded Monterey jack evenly over the top and let the cheese start to melt.
Once the cheese is melting, move the skillet slightly so it’s on indirect heat. Add a lid or close the lid of the grill if possible, then let the cheese fully melt and start bubbling around the edges. When the cheese has melted, it’s time to flambé.
Fire for Quest Flameado
To do the flambé, carefully pour 1.5 ounces mezcal or tequila around the edges of the cheese. Using a long lighter or grill torch, ignite the skillet and flambé the queso mixture. Let the flames burn off naturally, which will take about 15-30 seconds.
To finish, slice your steak against the grain and add it on top of the queso flameado. Then, garnish with slices from 1 jalapeño and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Then serve with flour tortillas or corn tortillas (or your favorite crispy tortilla chip) and enjoy!
What to Serve with Queso Flameado
With two kinds of meat, cheese, toppings and warm tortillas, this queso flameado recipe feels like a full meal by itself. If you don’t want to use tortillas, some tortilla chips would be a great substitute. I’d keep your sides light to balance the gooey cheese — some roasted peppers or a slaw with lots of lime, scallions and hot sauce would be great.
For More Queso
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover queso flameado, first allow the cheese mixture to cool. Then store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and eat within 2-3 days. For reheating, you can warm the queso dip in a skillet or Dutch oven, stirring and adjusting the consistency as needed. Add a splash of milk if it thickens.
FAQs
We’re using Mexican chorizo, which is sold fresh, uncooked and spicy, in this queso flameado recipe. Spanish chorizo is cured, smoked, and often has that awesome smoky flavor to go with it. Both are freakin’ delicious, but you’re more likely to see Spanish chorizo at home on a charcuterie board than in a queso recipe.
Believe it or not, Oaxaca is most similar to mozzarella cheese. You can use mozzarella, Monterey jack or a combination of the two for your melty cheese if you can’t find Oaxaca cheese.
Here’s a satisfying answer: kind of? All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Mezcal refers to spirits made from the agave plant. Tequila is specific type of mezcal that can only be made from Blue Weber agave in specific Mexican regions.
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Queso Flameado
Ingredients
Meat:
- 1 lb Chorizo loose
- ½ lb Skirt Steak or Ribeye cubed
- 2 tbsp Cowboy Butter Rub
- 1 tbsp FYR Red Hot Sauce
- Canola Oil as needed
Queso:
- 2 cups Oaxaca Cheese shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack shredded
- 1 roasted Poblano diced and skin removed
- ¼ cup Red Onion finely diced
- 1 Jalapeño thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Cilantro chopped
- 1½ oz Mezcal or high-proof Tequila for flambé
- Corn or flour tortillas for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a medium-high (about 375F) for direct cooking.
- Slather the steak in FYR Red Hot Sauce and my Cowboy butter rub. Add to the grill over high heat to cook for 2-3 minutes per side until 120F internal. Pull off once done to rest.
- Add a cast iron skillet over the flames and wait for it to be ripping hot. Add the chorizo and cook until browned and slightly crispy. Dont pull out once done cooking!
- Add the diced onions and diced poblano to the skillet and sauté 1-2 minutes until softened. Note: I charred my poblano on the coals before dicing it, this step is optional.
- Layer the shredded cheeses evenly over the top and let it start to melt.
- Move the skillet slightly to indirect heat. Add a lid (or close the lid of the grill if possible), then let the cheese fully melt and start bubbling around the edges.
- Once the cheese is melted, carefully pour the mezcal/tequila around the edges of the cheese. Using a long lighter or grill torch, ignite the skillet and flambé. Let the flames burn off naturally (15-30 seconds).
- Then slice your skirt steak against the grain and add it to the top of the cheese.
- Garnish with sliced jalapeños and chopped cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
