Pollo Fundido Recipe (2024)

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Pollo fundido is an easy cheesy chicken dish based on the popular dish at many Mexican restaurants. This take on the classic queso fundido recipe substitutes chicken for sausage and turns it into a winning chicken dinner to change up your taco night!

Pollo Fundido Recipe (1)

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Is there anything better than queso? Cheesy, zesty, gloriously delicious queso.

It’s my favorite when we go out for Mexican food.

So it’s no secret that I absolutely love pollo fundido with its cheesy goodness.

Plus it’s super easy to make and the sons adore it!

Pollo Fundido Recipe (2)

What is pollo fundido?

Pollo fundido is grilled seasoned chicken covered in a creamy, zesty white queso sauce.

It results in the richest, cheesiest chicken that we can’t get enough of thanks not just to the queso but to the seasoned salt mix you liberally season the chicken with.

Sometimes, you might see variations of this where you wrap the chicken in a soft flour tortilla chimichanga style before slathering on the queso.

Ingredients

To make this, you’ll need:

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  • Chicken breasts– Trim them and cut them thinly.
  • Butter– To saute the onions in.
  • Onion– Any onion will work in a pinch though white onion is best. Thinly slice them.
  • Queso blanco white cheese sauce– Make it easy on yourself and use store bought, but if you are feeling ambitious you can make it from scratch.
  • Green chili pepper– Use the diced kind in the can.
  • Spices to make chili saltSea salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika.

How to Make Pollo Fundido

Making this cheesy chicken recipe is easy!

Start by mixing all the ingredients for the chili salt together in a small bowl and set it aside.

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Then, pat the chicken breast dry with a piece of paper towel and season both sides of the chicken breasts liberally with the seasoning mix.

Now, add the butter to a skillet and let it melt before sautéing the onions until they just begin to caramelize.

Transfer the onions to a waiting bowl and set them aside while you cook the chicken in the hot skillet,until the chicken is cooked through.

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Once the chicken is cooked, you can transfer it to a cutting board.

Let it rest for a couple minutes, then thinly slice the chicken into strips.

After you slice the chicken, put the cut chicken back into the pan along with the onions.

Now make the sauce by whisking together the queso and the chiles.

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Pour the queso mix over the chicken and bring it to a slow simmer.

To finish let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Youre fundido is now ready!

Serve it while still warm, and you can choose to style it as an appetizer/dip or as an entrée for dinner.

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What to Serve with Pollo Fundido

I like to serve pollo fundido over plain white rice, yellow rice, or evenMexican rice.

You can also put this out as part of a Mexican spread with tortilla shells and all the fajita and taco fixings. It makes the best gourmet fajitas!

Don’t forget thethree bean saladandstreet corn!

One game days though we serve this chicken queso fundido appetizer style, as a dip with our favorite (sturdy) tortilla chips. I highly recommend taking the time to make a batch of homemade tortilla chips, but store bought ones work too!

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Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers of this dish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.

Leftovers can be repurposed into casseroles by mixing with rice and baking with more cheese and queso.

TIPS & TRICKS

  • Use lean chicken, this will prevent you from having to trim strips of fat off and make dinner prep so much faster.
  • To save even more time, use precooked rotisserie chicken breasts.
  • You can even use pre cut strips of raw chicken to really speed up the process
  • If you like a little heat in your dish, skip the canned chiles, and sub in a seeded, diced small jalapeno pepper.
  • For a smoky background, substitute a chopped up chile pepper in adobo sauce for the diced chiles.
  • Don’t worry when you pour the cheese sauce over the chicken, when the dish is simmered it will thin out perfectly & naturally.

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Other Cheesy Chicken Dishes You Might Love

This pollo fundido recipe is a winner when you are looking for zesty Mexican cheesy chicken. Make it tonight and wow your family!

Need some other Mexican-style meal time inspiration? Here are some other deliciously cheesy chicken dishes you might love:

  • Doritos Cheesy Chicken Casserole
  • Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles
  • Cheesy Mexican Chicken Spaghetti

If you’ve tried thisPOLLO FUNDIDO RECIPE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me onPINTEREST,FACEBOOK, andINSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!

Pollo Fundido Recipe (11)

Pollo Fundido Recipe

Pollo fundido is an easy cheesy chicken dish based on the popular dish at many Mexican restaurants. This take on the classic queso fundido recipe substitutes chicken for sausage and turns it into a winning chicken dinner to change up your taco night!

4.18 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex Mex

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 209kcal

Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

Ingredients

  • 3 large chicken breasts slivered
  • 1 large white onion thinly sliced
  • 1 15 oz can queso blanco white cheese sauce
  • 1 4 oz can diced green chili peppers

To Make The Chili Salt

  • 1/8 cup sea salt
  • 1/8 cup chili powder
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • pinch smoked paprika

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making The Chili Salt

  • Add all of those ingredients together, and use a fork to stir them together until evenly combined.

  • Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season each chicken breast liberally with the prepared salt seasoning. Set aside.

  • In a large skillet, melt a two tablespoons of butter. Once melted & hot add the onions. Stir the onions, cooking them until tender and lightly caramelized. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.

  • Season the chicken liberally with the prepared salt, to your preference. Add them to the hot skillet and cook, turning as needed, until the chicken's cooked through.

  • Transfer the cooked breasts to a cutting board and thinly slice them into strips. Transfer the strips back to the pan.

  • In a medium mixing bowl, add the queso sauce & green chiles. Whisk them together until combined.

  • Add the onions back to the skillet, and stir them in with the cooked chicken strips. Pour the white sauce evenly out over the chicken and onions.

  • Bring the mixture to a slow simmer, and let it simmer for 5 minutes- stirring occasionally. Cover in between stirrings.

  • Serve as is over a bed of rice, or serve it Mexican buffet style with tortillas and all the fixings on the side.

Notes

recipe adapted from Neagle's Nest

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 3737mg | Potassium: 682mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @4sonsrus or tag #4sonsrus!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.

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Pollo Fundido Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is fundido sauce made of? ›

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, half and half, and garlic cloves together in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth.

What does Pollo Fundido mean in English? ›

Directly translated, Pollo fundido means “melted chicken” and it's a popular Mexican dish that consists of a chimichanga or burrito (baked or fried) filled with shredded chicken and a jalapeño cream cheese sauce melted on top.

How many calories are in Pollo Fundido? ›

Calories in Pollo Fundido
Calories516.5
Total Carbohydrate45.4 g
Dietary Fiber2.1 g
Sugars5.0 g
Protein23.8 g
8 more rows

What cheese is queso fundido made of? ›

Ingredients You'll Need for Queso Fundido

Milk – You want a dairy milk for this or heavy cream would also work. Blocks of cheese – I find these melt the best. I went with Pepper Jack and Monterey Jack. Diced chiles – I love the canned ones for convenience.

What's the difference between queso and fundido? ›

And while chile con queso is usually only lightly garnished with pico de gallo or maybe taco meat, queso fundido often comes capped with mushrooms, chorizo, or grilled peppers. Notably, it's traditionally served with tortillas instead of tortilla chips.

What does pollo mean in Mexico? ›

Definition of 'pollo'

1. chicken. 2. slang (in Mexico) a laborer who pays to be smuggled or guided over the border into the U.S. illegally.

What does fundido mean in Spanish slang? ›

fundido, (derretido) melted, Adj.

Why is it called queso fundido? ›

Queso Fundido literately translates to molten cheese, and is universally accepted as Mexican in origin. Not to be confused with the Tex-Mex Queso which is basically a bowl of runny, hot cheese (kind of like a spicy mornay sauce). Queso Fundido has the added additions of spicy pork chorizo and roasted peppers folded in.

Where did Pollo Fundido come from? ›

Pollo Fundido is a popular Mexican dish that originated in the northern regions of Mexico, particularly in the state of Sonora. It is a flavorful and indulgent dish that has gained popularity in Mexican restaurants across the United States.

Is caldo de pollo high in fat? ›

As long as that fits your plan, there's nothing wrong with it – it just won't be low-fat. The final calories per serving will be 410 (almost a 100-calorie difference) and 13.7g of fat. Caldo de pollo is also usually made with potatoes, rice, and served with warm corn tortillas and a lime wedge, plus optional avocado.

How many calories are in pollo Rico Rice? ›

Rice With Chicken, Puerto Rican Style (Arroz Con Pollo) (1 cup, with bone (yield after bone removed)) contains 49.2g total carbs, 48g net carbs, 21.1g fat, 17.2g protein, and 463 calories.

What are Mexican sauces called? ›

Table sauces include: Pico de gallo, a chunky and raw tomato-based salsa. Salsa verde, a green version made with tomatillos. Guacamoles. Commercially produced bottled sauces (often deep red or orange colored—Valentina, Búfalo, and Cholula are some common brand names)

What does queso fundido mean? ›

Queso Fundido translates to "molten cheese" or "melted cheese," and this skillet of wonderfulness definitely has cheese to spare! This is a classic Mexican munchie that you can customize however your heart desires.

What is Cantonese sauce called? ›

Cantonese cuisine
  1. Haixian sauce (海鲜酱, Cantonese: Hoisin)
  2. XO sauce – a spicy seafood sauce that originated from Hong Kong. It is commonly used in Cantonese cuisine.

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