Make party favorite Queso Fundido even more delicious with a generous helping of spicy, acidic kimchi! A simple addition that will take your game day party to another level! Kimchi cuts through the richness of all that molten cheesy goodness and crispy sausage. Serve in a cast iron skillet to keep warm and an extra large bag of tortilla chips on the side!
Queso Fundido with Kimchi
Queso Fundido is a delicious Tex-Mex dip that’s basically melted cheese combined with sausage, chilies, and spices. All that gooey, molten cheese! All that crispy sausage and chilies! Served bubbling hot, straight out of the oven — it’s such a treat to eat as a snack or appetizer with tortilla chips.
When topped with kimchi, Queso Fundido is even more delicious! That spicy, crunchy, fermented bite of kimchi goodness cuts through the heavy richness of the cheese and sausage. Kimchi adds just enough spice and fermented flavor. Take a bite and you’ll see — it adds a BIG kick of flavor to an already delicious dip!
For some reason, Mexican and Korean cuisine pair very well together, as seen in Roy Choi’s Gogi Food Trucks. Take a bite and you’ll see how unique and exciting a dip can be!
Make Kimchi Queso Fundido for your next party. Perfect for game days, Oscar parties, movie nights, and anytime friends and family come together. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- Sausage. Flavorful, accessible, and easy to break into chunks while cooking. Adds great texture to the final dish. Make sure that the sausage browns and turns crispy on the edges for best texture.
- Kimchi. Chopped-up kimchi adds so much acidic, delicious vibrancy to this classic party dip!
- Onion + Red Bell Pepper. The essential aromatics are the flavor base of this dish.
- Cumin. Adds a smoky, deep flavor.
- Cheese. You’ll need a combination of mozzarella and cheddar or monterey Jack. Mozzarella melts beautifully. Cheddar or Monterey Jack adds extra flavor and that cheesy decadent pull. Pre-grated Tex-Mex blend (in a bag) also works well and is convenient.
- Toppings or Garnish. Add what you like best! Cilantro, green onion, minced jalapeno, avocado, and sour cream are all great options.
Instructions:
- Cook sausage until crispy.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and cumin. Cook until the vegetables are soft and wilted down.
- Add cheeses. Gently mix with a fork.
- Transfer to oven. Bake until melted and gooey.
- Add kimchi. Chop kimchi into small pieces and add in the center, on top of the melted cheese.
- Garnish. Top with chopped green onion, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and minced jalapeno. Enjoy!
Pro Tips:
- Serve in a cast iron skillet. The cast iron retains heat better than a casserole dish and keeps the Kimchi Queso Fundido warm for a long time.
- Reheat, if needed. The cheese will harden as it cools. To melt into pools of gooey cheese once more, simply reheat for 5 minutes at 350F.
- Buy a JUMBO bag of tortilla chips. You will run out faster than you think!
Serve with:
Make it a game day party and serve with:
- Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches
- M&M Party Popcorn
- Hawaiian Mochiko Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Gochujang
FAQ:
How do I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, tightly sealed, for 2-3 days. To reheat, transfer to an oven-proof dish and bake at 350F until melted and gooey once again.
Where can I buy kimchi?
Most Asian grocery stores sell kimchi nowadays, as well as Whole Foods and Costco. Look for it in the refrigerated section.
More recipes with Kimchi:
Queso Fundido with Kimchi
Equipment
- 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb/250g sausage
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
- 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese or monterey jack (grated)
- 1 cup kimchi (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
For serving:
- 1 bag Tortilla chips (jumbo or xl)
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 green onion chopped
- 1 fresno or jalapeno pepper chopped
Instructions
- Prep oven. Heat oven to 350F/ 175C.
- Cook sausage. Heat a 10 inch or 12-inch cast-iron skillet to medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Remove sausage from the casings and add to the skillet. Cook until brown and crispy looking, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add onion, red bell pepper, cumin, and salt. Saute until the vegetables are softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add cheese. Remove from heat. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Gently mix with a fork until well combined.
- Bake. Transfer to the oven and bake until melted and gooey, about 5-7 minutes. The goal is for the cheese to gently melt. Watch carefully so that the cheese does not overcook and harden too much.
- Add kimchi. Remove from oven. Add kimchi directly on top, in the middle of the melted cheese dip.
- Garnish. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onion. Add sliced avocado to the side of the kimchi. Add a dollop of sour cream next to the avocado. Sprinkle with the chili pepper.
- Serve and enjoy! Serve immediately with plenty of tortilla chips and lime wedges.
