Queso Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on May 12, 2025 
This smoky and creamy Queso Recipe is loaded with bold flavors from melted cheddar cheese and chiles, making it the perfect party food.
This Homemade Queso Recipe Is The Perfect Cheese Dip
You’ve probably tried the 2-ingredient version of queso made with Velveeta cheese and Rotel, which features tomatoes and green chiles. I’m not knocking either of these products, or the queso they make.
However, I do believe we can make even better-tasting cheese dip recipe with real cheese! And this my friends, is The Best Queso Dip Recipe I’ve ever made.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
This totally addictive cheesy Queso Dip is the ultimate scoopable snack. I love it with a classic nacho, but you can pour it over everything, from burgers and pretzels to broccoli and fries. It’s truly a cheese-lover’s HEAVEN!
- Party favorite – This easy queso dip is a guaranteed hit for your next party. Just make sure to make A LOT because it will disappear quickly.
- Perfectly creamy – This queso is perfectly smooth and velvety all thanks to that combination of cream cheese and half and half.
- Bold flavors – From the sharp cheddar to the smoky chiles and spicy jalapeños, this cheese dip is truly unforgettable.
I love to keep this warm in a fondue pot and enjoy it all night long.
Ingredients and Notes
- Cheddar cheese – You will need both smoked cheddar for a slightly smoky flavor, and sharp cheddar cheese.
- Yellow mustard – The mustard will balance the flavors with a little tang and kick.
- Cream cheese – Use softened cream cheese at room temperature cut into cubes.
- Cornstarch – You’ll need this to thicken the dip to creamy perfection.
- Chipotle chiles – Use the ones that are canned in adobo sauce for a smoky flavor.
- Butter – Use unsalted softened butter.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- 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!
- Beer – Reduce some of the half-and-half and swap with a light beer.
- Chorizo – Stir in some cooked and crumbled chorizo for extra spice and texture.
- Vegan – Replace the cheddar cheese, cream cheese and butter with dairy-free versions, and substitute the half-and-half with cashew milk or oat milk.
How to Make Homemade Queso Dip
To make this melty, rich and smoky homemade Queeso sauce, you need a handful of fresh ingredients and only 15 minutes!
Find the full Queso recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place leftovers in an airtight container or jar, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating Leftovers – Place leftovers in a saucepan and reheat over medium-low heat, making sure to stir frequently. If the Queso dip is clunky, add a splash of half and half, whole milk or heavy cream to loosen it up. You can also heat it up in the microwave in short bursts.
Serving Suggestions
This is truly the best queso recipe, and it’s just as good, if not better, than the one you get at your favorite Mexican restaurant. It tastes amazing on just about anything, and there are SO MANY ways to serve it!
For a more classic option, ladle generous amounts of this sauce over tortilla chips with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and chopped onion. You can also serve it with tacos or nachos, and add toppings like baked beans, guacamole and salsa.
You can also make a decadent breakfast out of this sauce by drizzling it over eggs or hash browns.
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!
Block cheese, shredded at home, produces a much better texture than pre-shredded cheese covered in additives to ward off clumping.
Similar Recipes You Might Like
Homemade Queso Recipe
Video
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.
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.
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.
Wow, amazing! And no crazy ingredients, had almost everything on hand! :) thanks we loved it!
This was really amazing! Everyone in my family loved it!
This queso was fabulous! It was a hit at our Super Bowl party!
I feel negligent in not commenting before on your exceptional recipes. I enjoy all of same that I have ever tried, and being a recipe collector for my own use only, of all the food blogs I follow, I am certain of all the recipes I have copied and pasted to my recipe collections, a lot were/are from your fine blog. I can’t remember dishes to cook through the week, for (the woman who must be obeyed) so I just check my lists! Thanks from a cold Nova Scotia! Cheers!
I made this today and while the flavors were delicious, the texture was grainy! I followed the recipe exactly (I thought) – any idea where I went wrong?
Hi Michelle,
Did you remember to turn the temperature down? Too much heat will cause cheese to separate instead of blend smoothly into the sauce.
That was gooooood. Great replacement for store-bought nacho sauce.