While traditional recipes include Mexican chorizo, we left it out. Cheese stars in this spicy, beer-blasted dip, and grating your own makes all the difference. Pre-shredded cheeses have a coating on the strands that prevent the complete and luscious melting achieved with freshly grated cheese. This dish is best served hot and fresh (not reheated), so wait until your guests have all arrived before popping it under the broiler.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- Canola oil
- Zest of 1 lime
- 3/4 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
- Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, if desired, and finely chopped
- 1 plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Mexican lager-style beer (such as Corona)
- 12 ounces muenster or Monterey Jack, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 4 ounces sharp white Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix the lime zest and 3/4 teaspoon salt together. Working in batches, fry the tortilla wedges until golden and crisp, about 1 minute, and transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle the chips with the lime salt while they are still hot. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, jalapeno and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions just start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the beer and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Toss the muenster and Cheddar together and add them to the skillet. Stir once or twice to combine.
- When ready to serve, preheat the broiler. Place the skillet under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned on top, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot with the chips.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 427 |
| Total Fat | 29 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 20 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Cholesterol | 76 mg |
| Sodium | 526 mg |
Reviews
Yum!!!! I don’t know why people are trying to call this a dip. It’s not. Nowhere does it say it’s a dip. ♀️It’s meant to be scooped up by soft tortillas, not chips. It’s not supposed to be creamy. It’s supposed to be gooey. I thought it was delicious! Will make it again!
Terrible “dip” – seemed like there was something missing to make it smooth and creamy like a dip. Instead it was just a big blob of melted cheese with some veg added. Also very bland in flavor. The beer didn’t seem to add anything in terms of flavor, and since it’s cooked until evaporated, it didn’t help with the texture. Maybe some heavy cream or some other liquid could have save it? I would never make it again. Very disappointing. This is a Food Network recipe? Yikes.
Great recipe for the chips! but unfortunately I agree my cheese came out gooey too.
Yummy
excellent recipe. smooth and creamy. I omitted the beer
Didn’t try making the chips, too lazy. This cheesy, gooey mess was delicious, but I could never call it a “dip.” It remains gooey for about 3 minutes before turning into a cheese pancake in the pan. Tasty and no regrets, but not worth making a second time.
Good flavor, but this turned out to be a stringy, gooey mess.
This came out oily and congealed, not smooth and creamy. Still searching for a good queso recipe. Velveeta yields better results.
Awesome appetizer. Takes a little longer than 7 minutes to cook off the beer. I added chicken chorizo which was a great addition.
I made this for the Super Bowl–it was good. I think next time I would add a bit more jalapeno. The fresh chips with the lime salt were delicious. I will definitely make this again.