This Queso Dip is a copycat of the cheese dip sold in jars and served at your favourite Mexican restaurant. The miracle of this is that it’s silky smooth even when it cools – and reheats perfectly. Imagine the possibilities!
Why this is life changing
This Queso Dip recipe is for everyone out there who has attempted to make a Mexican cheese dip like what you get at Mexican restaurants and found it lacking. If you want the dip to be silky smooth like the stuff you get in jars in aisles (not fridge!) of grocery stores, then the recipes call for fake cheese – Velveeta or other processed cheeses.
Other recipes are made starting with a roux – butter & flour – which is used to make a béchamel sauce into which cheese is added. While this makes a terrific cheese sauce for pouring over vegetables, in lasagna, gratins etc, it doesn’t have that truly silky and rich texture of a cheese dip.
Some recipes call for real cheese and varying combinations of cream / sour cream / mayonnaise – but the problem with these is that when the dip cools down, the cheese congeals. It’s tasty – but you need to keep it warm. And it has a tendency to split when rewarmed.
The solution? Evaporated milk + cornflour/cornstarch + cheese = silky smooth rich cheese dip / sauce. Truly. It works. 🙂
Actually, I shared Nachos Cheese Dip a couple of years ago which is a simpler version of this dip. This Queso Dip is my copycat of the fake cheese dip I tried (Tostitos) and the ultra addictive dips served at Tex Mex restaurants in the States.
I even made my own corn chips using corn tortillas because I couldn’t find white corn chips, like you get in Mexican restaurants. And also because corn chips made using corn tortillas tastes so much more like corn than store bought.
Don’t make this Queso Dip when you’re home alone. I’m supposed to be on my Post Holiday Health Kick (I know, I know, you hear this every time I come back from holidays!!!) and it’s taken astronomical will power to hold back.
I’ve got 3 batches of this Mexican Cheese Dip in my fridge. I’m planning to offload them tomorrow. – Nagi x
PS Except maybe that one little jar. I might keep that for myself…..
PPS I realise that some people may raise their eyebrows at the name “Life Changing Queso Dip”, but for Queso Dip lovers, I deign to say this will be life changing!!!
Queso Dip recipe
Watch how to make it
Queso Dip (Mexican Cheese Dip) recipe video!
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Queso Dip (Mexican Cheese Dip)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (tightly packed) cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (Important – read Note 1)
- 1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp (10g) unsalted butter
- 1 large garlic clove , finely minced
- 1/4 small white onion , very finely chopped (~1/4 cup)
- 375g / 13 oz evaporated milk (1 can) , not low fat
- 1 small tomato , finely diced (3/4 cup) (Note 2)
- 1/4 tsp each onion powder, garlic powder, cumin
- 113g /4 oz can chopped green chile, fire roasted (Subs Note 3)
- 1/4 cup coriander / cilantro , finely chopped
- 2 – 3 tbsp milk , any type (to loosen, as needed)
- Salt , to taste (cheese brands differ in saltiness, may not need)
Instructions
- Toss – Place cheese and cornflour in a bowl, toss to coat.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or small pot.
- Sauté – Add garlic and onion, cook slowly for 3 minutes or until onion is translucent but not browned. Add tomato (including juices) and cook for 2 minutes until tomato is slightly softened.
- Add evaporated milk and cheese. Stir, then add chiles and Spices.
- Melt – Stir until cheese melts and it becomes a silky sauce.
- Add salt to taste – amount required depends on saltiness of cheese used – and stir through coriander.
- Adjust consistency – Stir in milk or water to adjust consistency (I use 2 tbsp) – the dip thickens when it cools, and milk can be added later to adjust to taste.
- Remove from heat. Serve warm or at room temperature – it will be soft and scoopable even when it cools.
- Store in the refrigerator. When refrigerated, it becomes the consistency of the cheese spread sold in jars that are not in the refrigerator section. Reheat in microwave and adjust consistency as desired with a tiny bit of milk. If you add too much, just put on stove again until it thickens. Freezes 3 months, fridge 5 days.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More dips for fellow snack monsters
Life of Dozer
That’s not a peeved look on his face, even though that’s what you might think. It’s a look of contentment and utter comfort in his very cozy sweatshirt. I’m sure of it. He’s not embarrassed. 😈
Made this today as part of my daughters birthday celebration. Soo good, better than the store bought by far. I followed the recipe exactly and it was so creamy. Not much left over. Everyone love it!
oooo this looks so good, I’ll be trying it soon. BUT! where do you get your cheddar from? (Australia).These days I can’t find it anywhere, except Kraft stuff on the shelves, seems supermarkets think we only like tasty or “plastic” slices. I’ve often subbed with Gouda or Edam if it’s in the store, but it’s still not quite the same
Hi Amanda, Woolworths and Harris farm sell cheddar! N x
Queso is seriously my guilty pleasure and I can’t wait to try this!!
I hope you love it Tara – it’s totally addictive! N x
I’ve spent years trying to find Mexican food recipes similar looking and as good as our favourite local Mexican restaurant (Manuels Mexican Cantina) that closed down.
Your Shredded Beef was SO close, a couple of tweeks and it’ll be there.
Your Cheese Dip also looks like it might be it !!
Gonna make it really soon as let you know.
Thanks.
I love this recipe! So glad theres an online store for international foods, i shipped boxes of mexican food etc 4x a year to my friends in australia
Great flavor and we really enjoyed this recipe! It came out a little grainy though like other people have mentioned. We did not use pre-shredded cheese and followed the recipe with a full block of cheddar cheese and then freshly shredded it ourselves. I’m not sure why. Wish we could’ve gotten that smooth finish like in restaurants but it was still tasty!
Hey Nagi!
Can’t wait to try this. One question though, how long can i store this in the fridge – What’s the best-by date?
Hi Nora, I store in the fridge up to 5 days & it’s even fine to freeze for up to 3 months 🙂 N x
Soooo good, I didn’t have peppers so I added franks hot sauce and it added a nice flavour
Perfect Hannah! N x
Used this queso to top my Mexican pie-amazing!
Hello Nagi. I just got the ingredients to make this. I purchased three 8oz packages of Cheddar which would cover the 2.5 cups called for, and just now noticed it also says 225 grams, which equals only one of those packages. Which is it?
8 ounces of cheese (by weight) equals 2 to 2.5 cups by volume, Two different measures.
Hi Valleycat1 – I suppose that depends on how fine or course you grate it – Use the gram amount if you’re ever unsure as that is a standard – N x
Hi K, 225g is only 8oz. 225g of cheese when grated is exactly 2.5 cups of our Australian cup measure which are 250ml 🙂
Hello Nagy, thanks for the reply. Those measurements don’t end up being equivalent to standard American 8 oz quantities – that’s 3 times the cheese. I understand now why my batch was off.
This recipe was great! When I go home (to the States), I often break down and just do the Velveeta and Rotel thing. It was great to avoid the processed cheese. Excellent consistency and I used some nice cheddar. I didn’t have onion and garlic powder so just added a little salt at the end. I also added some pickled jalapenos at the end because I did not have the canned chillis. I’ll make it again. By the way, if you would like unsalted chips in Aus., try ‘Nature’s Earth natural corn chips.’ You can get them at Maloney’s or Harris Farms.
Yes I love those corn chips Meredith!!!
This recipe is amazing. My husband and I made it tonight and we both devoured it. We couldn’t find roasted capsicums so I threw in 1/4 of a cup of jalapeños instead and it was so tasty. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks Nagi.
Sounds perfect Kris!! N x
Made this last night and it was delicious!! We dropped some to ours neighbours too (self isolation times) and they thought the same thing! Thanks for a great recipe :).
Any ideas how long this cheese would last in the fridge? I can’t wait to try it out!!
Do you have a recipe to make your own corn nachos? I searched your site and could not find one. Thanks in advance.
As in the corn chips Dave? I don’t have a recipe for that sorry! N x
Good recipe. I made a half size and it worked well and still enough for three generous bowls. Needs about 3 x the chilli, but otherwise a great hit with the guests.
I’m so glad you love it Rohan!!
Have you ever done this in the crockpot?
Can this be made in a crockpot? If so, would any adjustments need to be made to the recipe? Thanks!
Wow! I was skeptical…a soft queso without using velveeta? I am a believer! It was very runny until I took it off the heat, then voila! Thank you! I will never again purchase queso with ingredients I cannot pronounce.
I made this for Christmas to try something different. Never done a cheese dip before! Found this recipe that helped with Aussie ingredients (thank you!!) and it was absolutely AMAZING! People looked at it sceptically for a few minutes when I served it out but as soon as one person tried some they were all devouring it! People were so full on cheese for starters that we struggled to eat mains!
I used a block of Mainland cheddar which came out a treat and a jar of roasted capsicum chopped up small as kids and adults who didn’t like spice were involved, but the whole thing was absolutely delicious and I’ll most definitely be making it again!