History
The cheese crisp is pure Arizona, a bar-and-table snack that grew out of the region's oversized flour tortillas. Unlike a quesadilla, it is open-faced: the tortilla is laid flat, topped with cheese and crisped until the edges curl. Valley Mexican rooms have served it for generations, sometimes plain, sometimes finished with green chile or chopped jalapeno.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 large flour tortilla
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack
- Chopped green chile or jalapeno (optional)
- A little melted butter
Method
- Heat the oven to 220C (425F).
- Lay the tortilla flat on a baking sheet and brush lightly with melted butter.
- Scatter the cheese evenly to the edges, adding chile if using.
- Bake 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the tortilla edges are crisp and browned.
- Slide onto a board and cut into wedges; serve at once while crisp.
Tip from the editors. Take it to the edge of burnt; a cheese crisp should be genuinely crisp and lacy, not soft like a quesadilla.
Where to eat cheese crisp
Cheese crisp in Phoenix
Los Sombreros ★ 4.3
Los Sombreros in south Scottsdale has served Oaxaca-inspired Mexican food since 1994, in a cantina-style house with a patio and a menu that includes moles.
OrderThe traditional chile relleno, then the Mexican chocolate cream pie.
TipMonday is all-you-can-eat tacos at $9.99 and Tuesday has $3 to $5 tacos; happy hour runs Monday to Thursday from 14:00 to 18:00.
Rosita's Place ★ 4.2
Rosita's Place (Mexican) in Phoenix: It has served Sonoran-style Mexican since 1964; the green-chile plates and the chimichanga are the long-time orders.
Why locals goA 1964 Sonoran family room on McDowell that locals guard while visitors chase the newer downtown Mexican names.
TipIt has served Sonoran-style Mexican since 1964; the green-chile plates and the chimichanga are the long-time orders.
Cheese crisp in Scottsdale
Los Olivos Mexican Patio ★ 4.2
Los Olivos Mexican Patio in Old Town Scottsdale is a four-generation Sonoran restaurant open since 1947, known for cheese crisps and Mexican Flag Enchiladas.
OrderA cheese crisp to start, then the Mexican Flag Enchiladas with both red and green sauce.
TipTortillas and salsas are made by hand; ask for the Blue Room or the inside patio when you are seated.
Ajo Al's Agua Caliente Plaza ★ 3.8
Ajo Al's Agua Caliente Plaza is the Scottsdale branch of a family-run Sonoran-style Mexican cafe with smoked street tacos and Mexican pizzas since 1986.
OrderThe smoked street tacos and a Mexican pizza, with a frozen margarita.
TipOn Shea Boulevard; the other Scottsdale branch is on 90th Street, and the site lists Taco Tuesday and happy hour menus.
Habaneros Mexican Grill & Cantina ★ 3.8
Habaneros Mexican Grill & Cantina in Scottsdale serves breakfast burritos for $8.99 and enchilada plates with rice and beans for about $12 and $13.
OrderA breakfast burrito at $8.99, or two cheese enchiladas with rice and beans at $11.99.
TipBreakfast tacos at $7.99 and burritos at $8.99 are served on the early menu; the kitchen opens at 08:00 on weekdays.
More cities are in research. Want cheese crisp covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.