This Is The Best Cheese For Fajitas

Some of you may be scratching your heads right now, wondering why we're discussing cheese in the context of fajitas at all. Fajita purists could argue that this Tex-Mex classic should only contain seasoned meat, peppers, and onions, á la this Bon Appétit recipe for Cilantro-Lime Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Onions. Note that their list of optional toppings includes salsa, guac, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, or sliced chilies but not a single ounce of cheese.

Then, there are those who cannot even look at a fajita if it doesn't come with cheese. For instance, the girl who became a meme on Twitter after her husband attempted to shame a restaurant for its "crappy service" by posting a now-deleted photo of her looking sad and dejected with the humorless caption, "My wife, date night after three-plus months locked up in quarantine. Waiting for shredded cheese as it's the only way she can eat fajitas" (via The Tab). For those in the "go cheesy or go home" camp, the true question is, what type of cheese is best for topping your fajitas? We did a deep dive on the topic and came up with one solid answer... or two.

What better place to find the answers to life's big questions than Reddit. When one user posed the query, "What cheese to use for fajitas?", several dedicated fajita fans chimed in with opinions. Cotija, Manchego, queso fresco, and Colby Jack were all popular responses. But, we tend to agree with the user who said, "Freshly shredded cheddar is what I use and most restaurants in Texas use if you order a side of cheese." Shredded cheddar appeared as a suggestion time and again and many online sites like Allrecipes recommend pairing this familiar favorite with fajitas. Though, this user's follow-up comment is worth heeding as well: "There are no cheese rules with fajitas so use what you enjoy. Just don't be dumb and use something like Parmesan."

On that note, why not follow in Reddit user FlourKnuckles' footsteps, who said, "I love to dip my cheap fajita tacos in queso. Spicy- like [the kind] you get with chips and queso." True, they mentioned both fajitas and tacos in the same breath and may not be clear on the difference between the two. And, they added that a queso/fajita combo is a "total drunk times guilty pleasure." But, this person is tagged as a "Certified Cheese Professional" on Reddit, so surely there's some wisdom to back this unconventional choice up. In the end, choose whatever cheese you like best for your fajitas, and don't look back. Unless you choose Parmesan, we're pretty sure you can't go wrong.