This pimento cheese recipe is made with sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, pimento peppers, and simple spices. It’s perfect as a dip, a spread, or tucked between slices of bread for the best sandwich.
I’m always surprised by how fast this disappears when we make it. Our pimento cheese recipe is super simple, but you’d never guess it from the first bite.
We love scooping it up with crackers or fresh veggies. Sweet bell pepper and pickles are my favorites. Try it in sandwiches, grilled cheese (so good), or even on your next burger. It’s especially tasty with chicken burgers.
Key Ingredients
- Cheddar: You’ll use more cheddar cheese than any other ingredient in this recipe, so choose something you enjoy. Sharper is better, and we highly recommend hand-grating it (the texture is better than the bags).
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat is the way to go, and let it come to room temperature so it stirs in easily. I like using block cream cheese, but a tub or even whipped cream cheese works in a pinch.
- Pimento Peppers: Look for these in little jars near the olives and pickles. You’ll see them whole or chopped. I grab the chopped ones, but still give them a quick chop before mixing them in. If you can’t find pimentos, roasted red peppers work too (they taste a bit different, but still delicious).
- Mayonnaise: Mayo helps everything come together and makes the cheese nice and spreadable. Use a high-quality store-bought mayo or make your own mayonnaise.
- Spices: We don’t go too crazy with the spices, but love a generous amount of black pepper, garlic powder, and a pinch (or two) of salt. Red pepper flakes are a nice addition for a little heat (or use cayenne, but watch out as a little goes a long way).
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Pimento Cheese
Tip 1: Hand-grate the cheddar cheese. I love pre-shredded cheese for quick quesadillas or nachos, but for pimento cheese, it’s worth grabbing your box grater. Use the large holes of the grater. The cheese mixes in so much better.
Tip 2: Use room temperature cream cheese. I always forget to take mine out ahead of time, so here’s my trick: cut the cream cheese into small cubes, put them on a plate, and set a warm bowl on top. Just run the bowl under hot water, then dry it off. It softens the cream cheese in no time.
Tip 3: Finely chop the peppers. Even if you buy them already chopped, drain them and give them a quick chop. The iny pieces mix in better.
Tip 4: Let your pimento cheese sit out for a bit before serving. It firms up in the fridge, so if you make it ahead, pull it out 15 to 20 minutes before you want to eat. Give it a quick stir to help it along. Just don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours for food safety.
More Dips and Spreads
Easy Pimento Cheese
- PREP
- TOTAL
This Southern-inspired pimento cheese does not last long in our house. We love it with crispy veggies or crackers. It’s also amazing when turned into sandwiches or made into grilled cheese.
You Will Need
1 (4-ounce) jar sliced pimento peppers, drained (about ½ cup)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated on the large holes of a box grater
¼ cup (2 ounces / 56 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch fine sea salt, plus more to taste
For serving: Crackers, veggies, pickles, or sliced crusty bread
Directions
1Thoroughly drain the jar of pimento peppers, then spread them on a cutting board and finely chop them into tiny pieces.
2In a medium bowl, combine the chopped pimentos, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.
3Use a spoon or a flexible rubber spatula to smoosh and stir the ingredients until the cream cheese and mayonnaise are well blended. Do your best to keep some of the shredded cheddar’s texture.
4Taste and adjust with additional salt or red pepper flakes. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving to make it easier to spread.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- The nutrition facts are estimates.
Just tried this over the weekend and WOW…delicious!!! Good review fro my husband, too! I added a little more crushed red pepper because we like more heat. Turned out better than any pimento spread I’ve ever had, including what my mom used to make!!
That’s amazing, Lizzie! So happy you both enjoyed it.
Can you use roasted red peppers for this recipe?
Yes.