Queso Blanco Dip is a creamy, spicy, perfectly smooth and cheesy dip just like they serve at your favorite Mexican restaurant. Queso blanco is a melted cheese dip that’s delicious every which way you eat it.
I’ve had a lot of pretty good queso dip in my life. I mean, we’re talking ooey gooey melted cheese with Mexican flavors. What’s not to like about that?
Still, I have no qualms saying that the Queso Blanco recipe I’m sharing today is the BEST Queso Blanco Dip I’ve had. It’s not just a fine-tasting easy dish to set out with a bag of chips for parties. This Queso Blanco recipe is so tasty that I found myself wanting to add it to just about everything.
Smother a burrito with this queso, pour it on a burger, drizzle it across roasted potatoes, pour it over Spanish rice, layer in into nachos or dip your chips in it. However you enjoy this Queso Blanco Dip, it’s sure to knock your socks off.
Queso Blanco Dip
There is just enough heat in this Queso Blanco Dip to keep you coming back for one more bite.
The heat in the cheese comes from the addition of pickled jalapenos and green chiles. It’s easy to adjust the amounts of each ingredient to suit your spice preferences and tolerance.
If you like your queso extra hot, double up on the peppers. I’ve made this dip exactly as written and I’ve made it twice as hot. We all loved it as written below and my husband and my oldest son especially enjoyed it with the extra heat.
I promise it’s not overwhelmingly spicy as written, but you could also reduce the peppers by half if you prefer a mild Queso Blanco Dip. It’ll still be creamy, flavorful, and completely delicious.
My family has always enjoyed the queso we’ve had at Mexican restaurants. I’ve tried over the years to recreate our favorite restaurant-style Queso Blanco to no avail.
Every version of cheesy dips I’ve made over the past couple years was never quite right. The queso recipes were all okay but nothing ever wowed me. Every cheese I tried, from the fancy ones to the not so fancy ones, failed to produce the perfectly creamy sauce that is found in Mexican restaurants.
Then, I ran across my friend Nikki’s recipe. It was given to her by a reader who worked at a Mexican restaurant and I couldn’t believe how perfect it was or how easy. I am thrilled with this recipe!
How to Make Queso
Once you learn how to make queso, you’re likely to never order it from a restaurant again. It takes no more than the right combination of ingredients, a microwave and five minutes.
The BEST Queso Blanco Dip starts with combining white American cheese, chopped green chiles and pickled jalapenos in a bowl. Milk, water, cumin and just a little juice from the pickled jalapenos are added before the whole thing goes in the microwave.
I’ve used Boar’s Head and Land o’ Lakes brands of white American cheese with good success. This cheese is usually found in the deli section of the grocery store. Be sure not to confuse it with the shelf-stable American cheese product.
When you’re making queso dip in the microwave, it’s extremely important to pause after every minute or so to stir everything together. The first couple of times you pull the bowl out to stir the queso, it will look watery. Don’t worry; the cheese dip will come together and thicken after a few minutes.
It takes about five minutes in the microwave for the cheese to fully melt and combined. It may take more or less time depending on the strength of your microwave. When the dip is thick and creamy, you know it’s ready.
Serve this dip piping hot and don’t be surprised when it disappears quickly, especially if you have a household full of cheese lovers like us.
Queso Blanco Dip Recipe
Kitchen Tip: I use this bowl and this spatula to make this recipe.
- Combine all ingredients in a medium-size glass bowl.
- Microwave for five minutes, pausing to stir every minute. The dip will look watery at first but it will thicken as it cooks.
- Serve hot over anything you want to make more delicious! Enjoy!
This is wonderful on all kinds of tacos from Red Chile Chicken Tacos to Bacon and Egg Breakfast Tacos. (In my book, Queso Blanco is acceptable at any time of day, even breakfast.)
Queso Blanco is also a tasty addition to burgers like these Filthy Burgers with barbecue pulled pork, beef and bacon. For a really delicious variation on this dip, try adding corn and bell peppers to your next batch of queso. The result is a fantastic Corn Queso Dip that you won’t be able to stop eating.
Of course, much of the time this Queso Blanco Dip never makes it into another recipe. We just end up eating this straight out of the bowl with tortilla chips. There are never any complaints; My family loves this Queso Blanco Dip and the kids request it frequently.
That said, this cheddar version of homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce caught my eye this week and it is calling my name for our next family movie night. (I could never have too many cheese dips!) Best of all, it’s made with just a handful of ingredients just like this easy recipe.
For another terrific hot snacking option, try this Hot Bean Dip too!
The BEST Queso Blanco Dip
Ingredients
- ½ pound White American Cheese roughly chopped into 1″ pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped green chile frozen or canned will work fine
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeno slices diced fine
- 1 tablespoon juice from the pickled jalapenos
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup water
- dash of cumin
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium size glass bowl. Microwave for five minutes, pausing to stir after every minute. The dip will be very watery at first, but it will thicken as it finishes cooking.
- Serve hot, poured over just about anything that you want to make more delicious. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally posted 10-4-13 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/27/22)
Betty says
Very good. This will be my “go-to” recipe. I added the 1/4 of water in the first batch but it came out a little watery. So the second time I made it, I skipped the water and it was the perfect consistency
Brenda Rathsack says
Wow!! Thank you for your recipe. Praise the lord I have finally found a fantastic recipe!
Michael Richardson says
So if I am in Mexico, the Mexicans are making “Queso Blanco Dip” with White American Cheese. That is hard to believe.
Mary says
Just to clarify, this is “queso blanco dip” just like my favorite Mexican restaurants here in the states make it. I certainly didn’t say that it was “authentic just-like-I-ate in Mexico cheese dip.” To the best of my memory, queso isn’t offered nearly as often in Mexico as it is here in our Mexican restaurants.
Carol says
Wow, why even make a comment Michael. Rude.
Lisa D says
You probably won’t find cheese dip in Mexico…or any Central or South American country. According to Nick Rogers, who has researched the history of cheese dip, the dish was invented by Blackie Donnely, the original owner of Mexico Chiquito restaurants. The Mexico Chiquito chain, which now has multiple locations in central Arkansas, was opened by Donnely and his wife in North Little Rock in 1935.
Lindsay says
Mexican cheese can only be found in Mexican grocery stores or online in the States. Authentic Mexican cheese sauces start from a flour and butter base and can take hours to prepare. This is a microwave alternative using comparable cheese most people can find at the grocery store. Also worth mentioning that there is a Central and South America where one could find American cheese. so it’s not that outlandish that they would use American cheese in Mexico.
Robert says
Here’s a tip: When there is no prepackaged American cheese but it’s sold at the deli, it is typically in a long rectangular shape. Ask them to open the slicer to the widest it will go (it should be around an inch). This will cut a solid chunk off, and it’s 1/2 pound.
Natalie says
There are so many Queso Blanco recipes out there; this is my go-to. It’s foolproof, and even freezes and reheats well with a tablespoon more milk (my husband is lactose-free, there’s only so much queso I can eat by myself)! I’m from Houston but have lived in Denver for over a decade and miss real Tex-Mex Queso sometimes – this satisfies that craving without resorting to Velveeta! Thank you!
Mary says
I also LOVE how well this reheats! I’m thrilled you like it as well.
Kim says
I need to try this recipe. It is similar to the one I make.
1 pkg white American cheese singles
3/4 C. Jelopeno juice from sliced pickled jalapeños
1 C. Half and Half
A couple chopped slices of pickled jalapeños
Put in glass bowl and microwave in 1 minute periods and stirring after each minute of a total of 5 minutes.
I melt it and then put it in a bowl in fridge and take out a serving at a time.
Kristen Higley says
Could you make a larger batch and keep it in ( or even just cook directly) a small slow cooker?
Mary Younkin says
That should work fine, Kristen. I haven’t tried it myself though.
Paige says
Turned out just like a Mexican restaurant! Yummy!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you like it, Paige!
Melody says
Perfect! & Ready way faster than any recipe I’ve tried stove top. Used all the green chillies in my oven baked chicken chimichangas (look it up on taste of home!! This is wonderful over top of them!). I ended up using cilantro instead of the chilles (it was already cut up) and worked fine. Jalapenos ended up giving it just the right amount of heat my 3 year old could still eat it. We ate the rest with chips. As advertised great with whatever you want to put it on it!
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the queso, Melody!
Greta says
This is absolutely the BEST Queso Blanco recipe!!! So delicious on Mexican rice and it was gobbled up as an appetizer! I will definitely make this again and again! Better than the restaurant!!! Thanks so much!!!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy you’re enjoying it, Greta!
Kristin says
As an authority on queso, this recipe is all wrong. First of all, velveeta/processed cheese melts the best. Any other cheese gets clumpy. Never, ever use cheddar or Monterrey cheeses either. Some recipes call for flour. This makes it taste chalky.
Secondly, pico de gallo is required. Most supermarkets these days have it already prepared. Thirdly, you need garlic powder and onion powder to accompany the cumin. Milk and water do not mix well with processed cheese. It separates. You need to use evaporated milk. I use 3/4 of a can or the whole can, depending on how much cheese I use. The queso should be creamy and dipable. It should never have a thick consistency.
Mary Younkin says
Hey Kristin, it would appear that you didn’t read the recipe – or look at the creamy, dippable cheese in the photos. (And isn’t it fun to think we’re our own authorities on cheesy deliciousness?) American cheese IS a processed cheese and it melts wonderfully, especially when combined with milk and water in this recipe. I wish you all the best in your queso-making adventures.
Victoria Peters says
I ended up with a blob of cheese at the bottom of a bowl with milk on top 👌🏼
Mary Younkin says
Hi Victoria, if you watch the video for how to make this very easy recipe, you’ll see that the milk and cheese do not combine smoothly until the very end. It does, however, work perfectly every time. We’ve made this queso recipe for five years now, as have many readers. Did you pause the microwave to stir every minute for the full five minutes? (Lastly, please note that I will not publish profanity on this website, so I have edited your comment to be more polite. I welcome criticism and comments of all kinds, but please speak politely.) All the best, Mary
Sarah says
The only people giving this a bad review did not follow directions step by step, including weighing the cheese. Even if you buy a half lb of presliced American cheese, it probably isn’t exactly a half lb. Get the cheese from the deli. Follow directions verbatim. And your queso will be delicious.
Mary Younkin says
I agree, Sarah. It’s beyond simple, but it is “fussy” in that you must follow the directions and stir frequently. Getting the cheese from the deli is the only way I make this!
Irritated Reader says
You are bad cook lady!!1! It did not turn out well at all. I substituted Apple butter for the milk, and Bell peppers for the jalapenos. Also it boiled over on the stove, what a mess! And dinner was ruined, in case you were wondering. If this easy to use website wasn’t completely free, I would ask for a refund!
Mary Younkin says
bwahahahaha I don’t know when I’ve laughed that hard, Senor Irritated Reader. I recommend sticking with Dr. Pepper as a substitute for milk and perhaps frozen cranberries if you really need an alternative to the jalapenos. Glad you’re enjoying the free recipes. Happy cooking!
Liz Almond says
Luv this reply. Too funny!
Mary Younkin says
Glad it made you grin, Liz!
nancy says
Can this be re heated if you make it in advance?
Mary Younkin says
Yes! It reheats nicely, Nancy.
Barb says
Sorry, this kust wasnt good. Nothing like the great queso in restaurants!
Am sure it needs a different kind of cheese.
Laurie says
DELICIOUS!!! I served this at bunco night. The ladies were licking the bowl. I have made it since and it has turned out perfect every time.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad it was a hit, Laurie!
Derrick says
To the people that are saying this recipe sucks, it’s the cook not the recipe! I’ve made this exact recipe dozens of times now and it’s been great every time as long as I followed the directions. I use it for my fajita nachos that are a huge hit every time. Now I will say this when I first started using the recipe I did find that if I used anything other than the white American cheese from the deli then it wouldnt melt correctly and was kinda grainy. Even though it was the same brand of cheese in the deli, the pre sliced stuff will not work as good. Upon ready the ingredients on both I found out that the pre sliced stuff has some things in it the deli doesn’t. I’m guessing it has something to do with whatever preservative are used. Again as long as you do exactly what is instructed here it’ll turn out great. Don’t use the oven! Don’t substitute ingredients! If you do and it turns out wrong it’s no one else’s fault but your own! One last thing. I usually make double what is here and just doubling all the ingredients works perfectly. Just don’t forget the cook time will increase as well. I find cooking it for 1 minute 30 seconds at a time is pretty good. bon Appétit!
Mary Younkin says
Hi Derrick! I am so happy to hear that you love the queso as much as we do! You’re right in that if you follow the directions as written, it works out perfectly every single time.
Brandy Mize says
This is amazing. I was skeptical as I kept heating it up, but it is GOOOOOOD. My 15-year old son said it’s like a restaurant. I’ll definitely do this again. I didn’t add Chiles bc I was working off of two diff recipes but I added chopped jalapeños. I’m actually looking forward to trying Chiles. Great recipe. Thanks!!!!!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you love the queso, Brandy!
Sharon Goodman says
It sounds delicious I can’t wait to try this I know it will be great thank you for all your recipe they are great!!!!!
Mary Younkin says
I hope that you love it, Sharon!
chris says
Looks delicious. Where do you find pickled jalapeños?
Mary Younkin says
Any grocery store should have them, Chris. Typically on the top shelf in a jar or small can. (I don’t know if they actually say “pickled” jalapenos. Any jalapeno in liquid works.)