Homemade Queso Recipe
The Best Queso Dip Recipe (aka Cheese Sauce) – Cheese sauce makes or breaks any nacho recipe. The Best Queso recipe is easy and flavorful, with sharp and smoky notes.
Why We Love This Homemade Queso
You say party, I say nachos… Party! Nachos! Party! Nachos! Sorry. When we get to the end of football season, everything tends to come out in chant format.
What I meant to say, was that it would be a shame to have a Super Bowl Party and forget the spicy cheese sauce.
You’ve probably tried the 2-ingredient version with velveeta cheese and Rotel, which features tomatoes and green chiles. I’m not knocking either of these products, or the queso they make. Let’s be honest, it is delicious in its own way.
But I do believe we can make even better-tasting queso with real cheese! And this my friends, is The Best Queso Dip Recipe I’ve ever made.
Start with fresh onions, garlic, and jalapeños, sautéed until soft, then add creamy half & half, smoky chipotle peppers, and three fabulous cheeses, including smoked cheddar to add a huge punch of flavor.
The reason so many people stick with said processed 2-ingredient cheese sauce is that it’s nice and smooth. However, if you know how to thicken your queso recipe and use quality cheeses (without fillers) you can create the best cheese sauces you’ve ever tried, that tastes authentic and super fresh.
Pour this Mexican cheese dip over tortilla chips, fries, broccoli, burgers, pretzels, and corn chips yourself...Just kidding, let’s stick to food!
Pour it over all things food, and enter cheese-lover’s heaven.
Ingredients for Homemade Queso
- Butter – to sauté the shallot, garlic and jalapeño peppers
- Shallot – finely diced
- Garlic – freshly minced
- Jalapeños – deseeded and diced
- Half & Half – or evaporated milk will do the trick
- Chipotle chiles – use the ones that are canned in adobo sauce for a smoky flavor
- Cornstarch – to thicken things to creamy perfection
- Cream cheese – cut into cubes and softened
- Yellow mustard – to balance the flavor with a little tang
- Smoked cheddar cheese – for a slightly smoky flavor
- Sharp cheddar cheese – if you don’t like the smoky flavor, use all sharp cheddar cheese
This is the Best Queso Recipe, Perfect for Nachos, Burritos, and All Your Dipping Needs!
How to Make Homemade Queso Dip
Place a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the butter, shallots, garlic, and jalapeño. Saute for 3-4 minutes to soften, then add the half & half and chipotle peppers.
Whisk in the cornstarch. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, so the half & half can scald (not necessary with evaporated milk). Then lower the temperature to medium-low. Next stir in the cream cheese and mustard.
Slowly start adding the shredded cheese. Stir and add by the handful, until the sauce comes together. If you prefer your cheese sauce a little thinner, add an extra splash of half & half. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a slow cooker or fondue pot.
Serve with chips, or on top of nachos, burritos, or enchiladas!
How to Thicken Queso Dip
The best way to thicken your homemade queso is to use cornstarch as the thickening agent instead of flour.
It can be tricky to know when to choose cornstarch and when to choose flour. But the general rule of thumb is that if you plan to cook something for a longer time, use flour, and if you need your thickening agent to act quickly, use cornstarch.
Flour produces a much better flavor over time, but must be cooked quite a bit to ensure your recipe is smooth, not gritty.
Tips For Homemade Queso Dip
- In this queso recipe, there are so many bold ingredients to add flavor, so we don’t need to rely on the flour to build flavor. Cornstarch is the answer for a very smooth creamy consistency.
- It’s also important to mention that block cheese, shredded at home, produces a much better texture than pre-shredded cheese covered in additives to ward off clumping.
- Once you’ve scalded the half & half (also important for texture) keep the heat down and be patient as you slowly stir in the fresh shredded cheese.
You’ll be amazed by how rich, creamy, and zesty this smoky homemade queso sauce is.
Recipe Variations
- Peppers: I chose to use jalapeño pepper and chipotle chile peppers here. If you prefer a less spicy option, you can opt for canned hatch green chiles instead!
- Cheeses: If you don’t like smoky-flavored cheese, you can opt for all sharp cheddar cheese, or throw in some other options like pepper jack, or white American cheese!
- Seasonings: For a dash of extra spice, try adding a little bit of cayenne pepper! You can also add garlic powder in addition to the fresh garlic for a deeper savory flavor. No need to add salt here since there is salt in the cheese!
Frequently Asked Questions
Some people have trouble with their queso dip solidifying after it cools. The cornstarch in this recipe should help to stabilize the sauce and keep it in liquid form even after it cools. Then you can reheat it easily to use again!
The possibilities are truly endless. You can pair this cheese dip recipe with tortilla chips and fresh veggies and call it a day. Or, you can use it to enhance a variety of different meals such as Mexican sopes, chicken burrito bowls, tacos, or even enchiladas!
Check the Recipe Card for Instructions on How to Make the Best Queso Recipe!
Looking for More Delicious Dips? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Amazing & Easy Queso Blanco
- 3-Ingredient Beer Cheese Dip Recipe
- Smoked Queso Dip
- Hot Pimento Cheese Dip
- Baked Brie Bites
- Fresh Ricotta Cheese
- Creamy Sausage Cheese Dip
- Homemade Cheese Spread
Check the printable recipe card below with the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.
Homemade Queso Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 1 1/2 cups half & half, or evaporated milk
- 2 chipotle chiles, diced (canned in adobo sauce)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 8 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Place a medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the butter, shallots, garlic and jalapeño. Saute for 3-4 minutes to soften, then add the half & half and chipotle peppers.
- Whisk in the cornstarch. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, so the half & half can scald (not necessary with evaporated milk). Then lower the temperature to medium-low. Next stir in the cream cheese and mustard.
- Slowly start adding the shredded cheese. Stir and add by the handful, until the sauce comes together. If you prefer your cheese sauce a little thinner, add an extra splash of half & half. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a slow cooker or fondue pot.
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Recipe was fantastic. I made a few adjustments because i had red onion on hand instead of the shallot. Instead of Cheddar Cheese (I was out!) I used a bunch of string cheese and i did have some smoked cheese that i had gotten from Europe! I used some whipping cream that i had in the fridge, used one cup and 1/2 cup of 1% milk, The scalding was very interesting. Had no clue about that previously. I made a chicken taco for my son using my daughters recipe which calls for queso on a pan fried tortilla, rice, cheese and meat. My son rated it EXCELLENT! Also i only had one jalepeno so no chipotle chiles. So what i’m saying is that even with changes the consistentcy and flavor were still outstanding! Thanks so much!
I want to make this, will it be just as good if I use white cheddar cheese?
Hi Janet,
We have made this recipe with lots of types of cheese. It will still taste delicious! Just be sure whatever you add is a good melting cheese.
I made this recipe tonight for supper. I had never made Queso from scratch. This is an excellent recipe. Easy to follow directions. I didn’t have Smoked cheese on hand so I used Sharp and Monterey Jack. My family LOVED it!!!!
P.s. I was afraid to add the mustard so I added a little less than the directions called for. Don’t doubt the genius that created this… add the mustard!
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This recipe was delicious! Used 1 jalapeño, smoked Gouda instead of smoked cheddar, and no mustard. Highly recommend!
Great recipe! I did not have all the ingredients on hand so I improvised a bit. No half and half so I used 2% milk (I’m sure it’s better with the cream!) I used 1 1/2 T cornstarch which I thought was needed but probably because I used the milk. No chipotle‘s or smoked cheddar so I used all sharp cheddar. I also did everything in a crockpot and adjusted to that.
I can’t wait to try it again with the chipotle’s and smoked cheddar! Thanks for sharing!
This queso is perfect to bring to a party.. everyone still talks about it
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Okay, y’all. I’m sure the readers here enjoy this extravagant recipe of cheesy richness but it shouldn’t be confused with “queso” which is a traditional, cheap Tex-Mex dish the recipe of which consists of American melting cheese because it’s cheap and has a low melting point (blocks of American cheese, white and/or yellow – NOT Velveeta unless that’s all you have), regular milk, a can of jalapenos (you chop the jalapenos up and pour the juice in – to taste). You melt the cheese, milk and jalapeno juice over a water bath then add in the jalapenos and if you want fancy then add in chopped onions, tomatoes and garlic. The canned jalapeno juice is the secret flavor ingredient that adds the spicy bite to it. I can already see the gourmets reading this page GASPING at the vulgarity of it all, but there is NOTHING gourmet about Tex-Mex. lol.
Turned out great! Modified a bit to what I had on hand. Used Chipotle Chili Pepper (actual pepper), diced onion (had not shallots), pepper jack cheese (to use up what I had on hand) and about 2 oz of cheddar cheese. Was a lighter color of course due to the pepper jack cheese. All in all delicious!
I’m from Texas. This is not queso. All you can taste is the mustard(which I actually cut back on) and the chipotle peppers. Sorry I dumped it out. 👎
Probably didn’t make it right. Hate when people from Texas say that just because they’re from there they know what good BBQ is or what good queso is or what good Tex mex. The best of any of those I’ve never had in Texas. It was quite the opposite…
Oooh I’m from Texas! Shut up you sound like a someone who peaked in high school. Good God. You think people from freaking Mexico don’t know queso like you because you’re from Texas.
It was very good. I switched the cheese amounts to lower the smokiness.
I will make this again.
Leave the mustard out? Cooking is an art, not a science.
Few recipes are etched in stone.
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I just made this for family nacho night this evening. I gotta say, I am impressed with this recipe. I have tried to make different cheese sauces in the past with a bechamel and it just never came out very good. I really like the constancy of the recipe. I wonder if this recipe in a slightly altered state would be real good in mac n cheese. Thank you for this recipe, it is going in our weekly rotation
The adobo sauce is a no-go for me. I’ll leave them out next time.