Easy Queso
- PREP 10min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 20min
I love this queso dip made with cheese, milk, chiles, and pickled jalapeños. For the smoothest queso, use some American cheese. Or skip the American cheese and swirl in a bit of cream cheese instead. Read why in the article above. If you don’t like the idea of cream cheese or American cheese, you can still make this! Use any melty cheese, but keep in mind that the dip won’t be as smooth and is best eaten immediately.
You Will Need
1 tablespoon butter
½ small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely minced or grated, optional
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cup whole milk (236ml)
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 ½ cups Monterey Jack, cheddar, American cheese, or a combination, shredded or torn if using slices, 6 ounces (170g)
2 ounces cream cheese, optional, see notes (56g)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies, mild or hot
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño, plus ½ tablespoon pickle brine, optional
Homemade tortilla chips, for serving
Directions
1Cook onions: Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, and a pinch of salt, then cook until the onions are soft and smell sweet, about 5 minutes.
2Warm milk: Pour in ¾ cup of the milk. Bring the milk to a very low simmer.
3Thicken milk: Whisk the remaining ¼ cup of milk and cornstarch together. When the milk is barely simmering, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Continue to whisk until the milk comes to a low simmer, then simmer for 1 minute. During this time, the milk should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4Add cheese: Turn the heat to low, and then stir in the cream cheese and the torn or shredded cheese, handful by handful, so that they slowly melt into the sauce.
5Add chiles: When the cheese is completely melted and smooth, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the green chilies, jalapeño (optional), and jalapeño pickle juice (optional). We added all the green chilies, but you can add less; add a tablespoon until you are happy.
6To finish: Taste the dip, and then, if the flavor does not pop, adjust with a bit more salt. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Cheese: We love the flavor combination of sharp cheddar and a mild, melty cheese like Monterey or Pepper Jack, but it is a bit thicker and slightly less smooth than what comes out of a jar or what you are served at restaurants. For a silky smooth, practically unbreakable queso, swap at least half of the cheese for American cheese (tear the slices into small pieces). Note, I prefer sliced or block American cheese sold at the deli counter over Velveeta.
- Cream cheese: If you are against American cheese, consider adding the cream cheese suggested in the above recipe. It smooths the sauce out and makes reheating a bit easier. If you do use American cheese, you should not need the cream cheese (unless you want to add even more creamy cheese flavor).
- Storing: This lasts in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Warm slowly in a saucepan over low heat on the stove. Reheating too quickly can cause the dip to break on you (which means some of the fat separates). Using American cheese or cream cheese is a good fail-safe against it separating.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.