My favorite part of Mexican restaurants has got to be the Queso Dip (well, besides the margaritas, of course!) With this easy white queso recipe, now you can make it for yourself at home!
Best Queso Recipe
If you’ve ever wondered how to make queso dip, you’re in luck. This queso recipe is super easy and only requires five ingredients!
From salsa to guacamole and especially queso (Rotel Dip included!), Mexican dips are absolutely my favorite! I’m fairly certain I could make an entire meal out of chips and dips. There is no shame in my dipping game!
What is Queso?
The perfect Mexican cheese dip, sometimes called a queso blanco dip, starts with a roux. Most people think cheese sauce is nothing but melted cheese, but they’d be wrong. It is actually mostly roux with cheese to flavor.
What is roux?
Roux is a blend of butter and flour. I like to use clarified butter, but no need to take the extra step if you don’t want to. The depth of flavor for your roux depends greatly on how long you brown it for.
A light roux, sometimes called a blond, only takes a minute or two. While a darker roux or brown roux can take up to 15 minutes and achieves a nutty or popcorn scent. For a real cheese dip, you want the flavors of your cheese to shine through, so a basic blond roux is all you need.
If you use a flavor forward cheese, you don’t need to add any other seasonings.
Easy Queso Dip Ingredients
You can easily find all of these easy queso dip ingredients at your local grocery store.
- Butter – I suggest using unsalted butter so you can control the saltiness. Depending on the type of cheese, additional salt may or may not be needed. If you use salted butter, then none may be needed at all.
- Flour – Flour creates a roux, which is how queso is thickened.
- Whole milk – Providing the most structure, fat and flavor, it is the best base for a queso dip.
- Shredded cheese – Queso Fresco, Oaxaca, Cotija, Manchego and Panela are the most authentic, but white American and cheddars are commonly used because they melt well and carry lots of flavor. Use shredded cheese so it melts evenly.
- Salt – Salt is only needed if the sauce isn’t already well-seasoned from the cheese blend used. Also account for salt on the chips dipping in.
Variations
There are plenty of ways you can make this queso dip your own. Here are a few suggestions.
- Veggies – If you’d like to add a little heat or texture, you could even dice up some jalapenos or tomatoes and stir them in. It can totally be customized to your liking.
- Meat – You can add more substance to your cheese mixture by adding ground beef or ground chorizo.
- Seasonings – Chile powder or cumin, onion powder or caramelized onion, garlic powder, fresh minced garlic or garlic confit would add lots of flavor to this cheese dip.
Best Cheese for Simple Queso
For my queso cheese dip, I used a harissa cheese. Harissa is a middle eastern spice, but is has a smokey, spicy taste, making it the perfect complement to any Mexican dish.
But you can use a whole variety of cheeses. Some of my favorites for a Mexican queso dip are:
- Pepper jack cheese
- Habanero cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Queso fresco
- White American Cheese
- Cotija cheese
How to Make Easy Queso Dip
Making queso just like your favorite Mexican restaurant has never been easier!
- Melt butter. Start by melting butter in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in flour to make roux. Then you will whisk in the flour until fully combined. You will know when it’s ready when it becomes a “paste” consistency (the roux.)
- Whisk in milk. Next you will add in the milk and whisk until smooth.
- Add cheese and salt. Add cheeses (or one type of cheese) and salt.
- Check consistency. When the cheese is melted, you can add additional milk until your queso dip reaches the consistency that you like.
Make it a Meal!
While I make my cheese sauce in a small, heavy bottom saucepan, I prefer to serve to serve in a small slow cooker or cast iron skillet. It really depends on the occasion.
This white cheese dip recipe is perfect for dipping with tortilla chips or Mexican pinwheels or smothering on enchiladas or burritos, like my Baked Smothered Chicken Burritos.
Slow cookers, even on the “keep warm” setting can often get too hot and result in scaled cheese on the bottom, but it does keep your queso dip hot, smooth and creamy. If it is a long party or occasion, then a slow cooker might be the way to go.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store Queso Dip
Store leftovers of this queso dip recipe in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat over the stove or slowly in the microwave.
Can I Freeze Queso Dip?
White queso dip can be frozen. Follow my easy tips and tricks on how to freeze foods for the longest freezer life.
Easy Queso Recipe FAQs
The definition of roux is flour and butter, so unfortunately not. See below for GF substitutes.
You can make a gluten free roux using two gluten free flour substitutes, however I have not experimented with them. They work in theory, please come back and let us know if you tried them out.
-Cassava flour – Cassava flour is a grain free flour created from the cassava root plant. It can be used as a 1:1 ratio flour substitute, but can also be temperamental. Read up about it before using.
-Gluten free 1:1 flour – Gluten free flour is generally made with a blend of sweet rice and brown rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, tapioca flour and xanthan gum, which are all GF thickening agents.
Add more milk! Add milk slowly until it reaches the desired consistency.
Queso sauce really works best with the full fat stuff. You can use one of the lower fat content milks, but the texture will be thinner.
Overworked cheese or too much cheese to milk ratio contribute to rubbery queso dip.
More Mexican Dip Recipes
I could honestly go to a Mexican restaurant and just eat chips and dips. Here are some of my favorites.
Mexican Cheese Dip Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup favorite cheese , shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt , optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour until fully combined and it makes a paste. Whisk in the milk until smooth and bubbly.
- Stir in the shredded cheese and salt (if using).
- Add additional milk until your queso dip reaches the desired consistency.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Highly, highly recommend!! I found this recipe randomly while wanting a cheese sauce for homemade protein pretzel bites. This has easily become a staple in my recipes for nachos and my pretzel bites. I usually cut the recipe in half, use 2% milk, and whatever cheese I have (including sliced cheese). I season with chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Sometimes salt if needed. I add the milk really slowly to prevent the gritty/clumpy texture and it works really well!
Great recipe and instructions. However, it was mentioned that there’s no substitute for flour in the roux. While this isn’t a roux, there’s an alternative method of making queso while keeping it free of flour – making Sodium Citrate. Simply mix some lemon juice with baking soda. Then use that as your faux-roux, and continue making the queso as per the rest of the instructions.
Easy and tasty. Great chicken sauce.
Where do you find the Harrisa cheese?
Hi Cheryl! Does your grocer have a specialty cheese section? Not where the regular cheddar is, like near the deli department? That is where I find mine.
This queso dip looks amazing! I love how it is so authentic. I am craving this right now.
Made this for a BBQ over the weekend, it was absolutely perfect!
One of my favorite appetizers. This and a bag of tortilla chips are just too good for words.
This looks delicious and easy to make – perfect!
This queso is perfect! Creamy and cheesy flavored. Next I will make some enchiladas with it! Thanks for the recipe.