An Arizona-Mexican snack: a large flour tortilla baked or griddled flat with melted cheese on top, open-faced and crisp, cut into wedges like a pizza.

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.

Where to eat Cheese crisp in Phoenix

2 editor picks for Cheese crisp in Phoenix, ranked by editorial score. All Phoenix signature dishes · Cheese crisp across every city.

  • Los Sombreros

    Order The traditional chile relleno, then the Mexican chocolate cream pie.

    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.

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  • Rosita's Place

    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.

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Make it at home

Serves 215 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 1 large flour tortilla
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack
  • Chopped green chile or jalapeno (optional)
  • A little melted butter

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220C (425F).
  2. Lay the tortilla flat on a baking sheet and brush lightly with melted butter.
  3. Scatter the cheese evenly to the edges, adding chile if using.
  4. Bake 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the tortilla edges are crisp and browned.
  5. Slide onto a board and cut into wedges; serve at once while crisp.

Editor tip. Take it to the edge of burnt; a cheese crisp should be genuinely crisp and lacy, not soft like a quesadilla.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy.