This chorizo dip recipe starts with a layer of cream cheese, followed by a delicious chorizo and tomato mixture. These layers get baked along with a topping of melting cheese for a savory and spicy snack, perfect for game day or your next gathering. We used fresh chorizo sausage from our Walden Local Meat share.
When some chorizo sausages landed in our Walden Local Meat share this past fall, we put half of them to use right away in a batch of our Portuguese Kale Soup.
What to do with the rest of the chorizo? I needed to make something to bring to Thanksgiving, and my family always enjoys the dips I make. So I decided to feature the chorizo in dip recipe that is bit like our Easy Mexican Dip. The result was a huge hit! I had to come back and remake the chorizo dip recipe to share with you.
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What makes this recipe work
Unlike some chorizo queso dip recipes out there, which seem to be mostly melted cheese with a bit of chorizo, our recipe really lets the good quality chorizo sausage shine.
Don’t get me wrong, our recipe has plenty of cheesy goodness, too! But the cheese is balanced by the flavorful spices in the chorizo. The result is a chorizo dip that balances spicy and savory, and is a bit lighter than some similar recipes you might find.
Ingredients
Chorizo is a flavorful sausage that brings a spicy, meaty tasty to this dip.
I used chorizo sausages from Walden Local Meat, which features local ground pork and bacon in the filling, along with a variety of spices. It’s a very good quality sausage, and I’d encourage you to use it if you are in their New England service area. Learn more about Walden in this Cook Local podcast episode.
There are two kinds of chorizo — Mexican and Spanish. The Walden chorizo we used is somewhat of a combination of the two styles, leaning more toward Spanish with the use of paprika. More on the types of chorizo can be found in Bon Appétit.
Cheese: Cream cheese makes the first layer of the dip. Low fat cream cheese is fine if you would like to use it.
We combine two types of cheese for the top of this dip recipe. We happened to have some extra Vermont Creamery Cremont on hand when we first made this chorizo dip. So we cut little pieces of it and spread them around the top of the dip. We like the rich flavor it brought, combined with the cheddar. You could use other soft cheese such as brie to create the same effect, or simply use more cheddar in place of the soft cheese.
Whether you use some soft cheese or not, shredded cheese is a must for this recipe to get that cheesy goodness! We used cheddar cheese, but you could use other good melting cheeses, such as Monterey or a Mexican blend.
$$$ Money saving tip! Get a block of cheddar cheese and shred it yourself with a box grater or similar tool. It’s more cost effective than buying the pre-shredded cheese.
Optional toppings: You can add some chopped green onions (scallions) or cilantro to the top of the baked chorizo dip to add some color and additional flavor.
Tortilla chips are not listed as an ingredient in the recipe card, but you are definitely going to want them to scoop up the cheesy dip!
Equipment
The first time we made this chorizo dip, we used a pie plate, and it was a perfect size for the dip.
We don’t do a lot of baking, so after making this dip the first time, I stashed away the pie plate somewhere…and I couldn’t seem to locate it when coming back to make the recipe again to share with you!
So my alternative was to bake the dip in the same skillet that I used for cooking the sausage and tomato mixture. That worked out fairly well, and the dip presents nicely in a black skillet. So you could really go either way — use a pie plate or skillet to make the dip.
Recipe steps overview
Below is a visual overview of the steps involved with making this recipe. Head on down to the recipe card for all the details.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Brown the sausages. Heat a skillet on medium high heat – we like our cast iron skillet for this recipe. Spray with cooking oil, and heat the sausages for a few minutes on one side, then turn, to cook for a few more minutes to brown the other side.
Remove the sausages from the skillet, and set aside to cool.
Sauté onions. Add the tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, and heat on medium. Stir in the onions, and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Remove meat from sausage casing.
As the onions are cooking, remove the sausage meat from the casings, using a sharp knife to slice open the sausage.
Add sausage pieces to skillet. Stir the sausage with the onion.
Cook the sausage and onion for a few more minutes.
Stir tomatoes into the skillet and stir to combine.
Cook the chorizo and tomatoes until the sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
If you are using a separate baking dish for the chorizo dip, leave the tomato and chorizo mixture on the stove top with the heat off as you start assembling the dip.
If you are baking the dip in the skillet, pour the tomato / sausage combo into a separate bowl.
Spread cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese across the bottom of the skillet or baking dish.
Depending on the size of your pan, you might have to spread the cream cheese pretty thin to just cover the pan.
Add the chorizo/tomato mixture. Next, spread the sausage and tomato mixture on top of the cream cheese.
Spread the tomato chorizo sauce to evenly cover the cream cheese.
Cut the soft cheese into small bits.
If using soft cheese, cut the cheese into small pieces.
Top with cheese. Spread the bits of soft cheese around the top of the chorizo mixture.
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese to cover the top of the sausage and tomato mixture. Use extra shredded cheese if you aren’t using a soft cheese.
Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. When done, carefully remove from the oven.
Serve topped with optional green onions and/or chopped cilantro, and plenty of tortilla chips for dipping. Enjoy!
Chorizo Dip FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Our chorizo dip features fresh chorizo sausage, fire roasted tomatoes and three types of cheese.
Chorizo is a fresh, spicy sausage that can be used in a variety of recipes. There are two types of chorizo, Spanish and Mexican.
We like the way cheddar cheese melts on top of the chorizo in this recipe. Other good melting cheeses to use for chorizo dip include Monterey Jack and Mexican blend.
Yes, you can make the dip ahead of time and reheat the portion you want in the microwave when you are ready to serve.
Put leftover chorizo dip in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 to 5 days.
Pairings
We opted for a beer pairing for this spicy chorizo dip!
IPAs tend to do well with spicy food, and that’s my favorite style of beer, so that’s the way we rolled. I poured the “Birds of a Feather” IPA from Lamplighter Brewing, a local to me brewery in Cambridge, MA.
This IPA is crisp and refreshing, and definitely gets a thumbs up with the chorizo dip.
I will have to test out some wine pairings to go with the chorizo dip next time. I’m inclined to go for a Riesling or a Gewurztraminer, which tends to have a nice combination of residual sugar and spice notes.
PrintRecipe card
Chorizo Dip
This delicious chorizo dip start with a layer of cream cheese, followed by chorizo cooked with tomatoes and spices. And of course, to top it of, cheese that gets nice and melty when you bake it.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 7 servings 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: stove top + baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 chorizo sausages – 8 ounces total
- cooking oil spray
- 16 ounces cream cheese – low fat OK
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
- 15 ½ oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 ounces soft cheese (such as brie or Cremont), cut into small ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced green onion (optional)
- chopped cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Soften the cheese: Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before making the dip so that it begins to soften.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the cooking oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the chorizo sausage, and brown on one side for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn over and brown on the other side for another 3 minutes or so. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté onions: Add the olive oil to the skillet, and heat on medium. Add the onion to the skillet, and sauté for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, and cook for another minutes.
- Prep the chorizo: As the onions sauté, slice the chorizo sausage casing open and scrape the meat into the skillet with the onions. Use a heavy spoon to gradually break the chorizo into small bite sized bits.
- Simmer tomatoes and sausage: Add the diced tomatoes into the skillet, stirring to combine with the onions and chorizo. Simmer the chorizo with the tomatoes until the sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes. If you are baking the dip in the skillet you’ve been using, pour the chorizo / tomato mixture into a bowl temporarily. If you are using another baking dish, just turn the heat off the chorizo as you begin to assemble the dip.
- Assemble the dip: spread the cream cheese across the bottom of the baking dish or skillet. Depending on the size of the dish, you may need to spread the cream cheese layer pretty thin. Next, pour the chorizo mixture over the cream cheese, and use a wooden spoon or similar to spread the chorizo and tomatoes evenly over the cream cheese. Then spread the pieces of soft cheese evenly around the top of the tomato / chorizo layer. Finally, top the chorizo layer with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake the chorizo dip: Place the baking dish or skillet into the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.
- Serve: After 20 minutes of baking, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Top the baked chorizo dip with green onion and/or cilantro, if using. Serve the chorizo dip with tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cheese: you can use soft cheese such as brie or the Vermont Creamery Cremont we used. Or skip the soft cheese and use a bit of extra cheddar, or another good melting cheese you have available.
Keywords: chorizo dip, chorizo dip with cream cheese, spicy chorizo dip
Ann
I have not had this dip before, but it sounds delicious! A great dip to bring to a Super Bowl party! Thanks for the recipe share!
★★★★★
Jamie
This is such a great-looking dip, the color combination makes it so enticing and tempting! A dip to rule them all looks absolutely delicious and very yummy! Totally love this!
★★★★★
Amy Liu Dong
I love this dip recipe, and I love how you made this easy for us to make this.
So delicious!
★★★★★