The BEST Queso Blanco Dip

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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?

We love this restaurant style queso dip!

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.

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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.

The best restaurant style queso dip is EASY to make!

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.

Queso Blanco ingredients

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.

Restaurant style queso dip

Queso Blanco Dip Recipe

Kitchen Tip: I use this bowl and this spatula to make this recipe.

  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-size glass bowl.
  2. Microwave for five minutes, pausing to stir every minute. The dip will look watery at first but it will thicken as it cooks.
  3. Serve hot over anything you want to make more delicious! Enjoy!
Cheesy hot queso is perfect for snacking any day of the year!

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!

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Cheesy hot queso is perfect for snacking any day of the year!

The BEST Queso Blanco Dip

4.41 from 95 votes
It only takes a few minutes to make Queso Blanco Dip {a.k.a. Spicy White Cheese Dip} at home. This hot dip tastes so fantastic, you might never order it from a restaurant again.
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 minutes
Servings: 8 servings, about ¼ cup each

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
  • 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

The recipe is made with simple white American cheese (not to be confused with another cheese product that is shelf stable). I found both Boars Head and Land o’ Lakes American cheese in the deli section at my grocery store.
I make this recipe using whole milk. While it may work with 2% milk, it will not work well with skim milk. 

Nutrition

Calories: 113kcal · Carbohydrates: 2g · Protein: 5g · Fat: 9g · Saturated Fat: 5g · Cholesterol: 29mg · Sodium: 491mg · Potassium: 55mg · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 1g · Vitamin A: 305IU · Vitamin C: 3mg · Calcium: 308mg · Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally posted 10-4-13 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/27/22)

It's easier than you think to make restaurant style queso at home!

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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  1. Deb says

    Hi there, I’m in Australia and desperate to try this but I can’t find American cheese anywhere! 😩 what can I use instead? What is American cheese exactly?

    It sounds amazing!
    Deb x

    • Mary Younkin says

      It is a pasteurized process cheese here in America. I did some searching and it seems like this could be equivalent in Australia. Pure Dairy’s Hi-Melt Burger Cheese and its Thins Burger Slices are available American Cheeses in Australia. Does that sound familiar to you?

  2. Donna says

    Tasted very good but did not thicken !! Maybe next time I will cut back on the amount of water. I will make it again.4 stars

  3. Tina says

    Good Morning. First I love the chocolate syrup recipe I have been trying to make as much as I can from home without all the bad ingredients. For your queso is it okay to use Queso Blanco cheese from the international stores.5 stars

  4. Marcie S says

    Made this for a little summer get together. So good! 5 star recipe for sure! I was trying to stay budget friendly and used half n half instead of whole milk and it worked great. It cools quickly so eat and enjoy! I was thinking this could be good on a fondue pot possibly once heated. I also puried the green Chile’s bc my kiddos would scoff at it, they enjoyed it greatly! I put petite diced tomatoes on top for presentation. Will be making again soon!5 stars

  5. Katie says

    Sounds good, I’m getting all the ingredients to make for a party. I was wondering how does this reheat if I make the day before?

    • Mary Younkin says

      Hi, Katie. The queso will reheat very well the next day. I hope everyone loves the queso; it’s always been a crowd-pleaser for us. Happy cooking!

    • Mary Younkin says

      Hi, Lindsey! I haven’t tried using almond milk for this recipe before. While I think it would probably work, there will probably be a noticeably different taste in the end result. If you decide to try making the queso with almond milk, please let me know how it turns out!

    • Shelley Hoffman says

      I would use cashew milk instead. I found cashew milk doesn’t alter the taste like almond milk would.

  6. Kevin says

    Tried it, the american white I used from the deli was difficult to melt, and had a powdery consistency to it, almost like it had flour in it.

    The search continues…3 stars

  7. Joyce says

    This is delicious! Made for Thanksgiving, it was a huge hit! I followed the recipe as written, with the exception of using 1/2 & 1/2 vs whole milk and reducing the amount of water required. I also added chorizo (about 1/2 c. cooked) when served.5 stars

    • Mary Younkin says

      I’m so glad you loved the queso, Joyce! Adding half and half and chorizo sounds like a much heartier option; I’ll have to try making that for my boys.

  8. Lynn says

    I made it, not bad, too spicy for me( I am weak) but my kids say needs more spice for them. Does great for cheese fries! I loved that!4 stars

    • Mary Younkin says

      I’m glad everyone loved the queso, Lynn! Feel free to tone down the green chile/jalapenos if it’s too much. I know the feeling; my boys like spicier food than I do. Happy cooking!

  9. Rene Hales says

    Serve at a family gathering. It was a HIT. We are gathering again next weekend and I am doubling it. So easy!5 stars