Homemade Queso Dip

4.72 from 7 votes

Published 1/17/2023 • Updated 3/4/2023

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Grab a bag of chips and let’s eat some queso dip! Homemade queso is truly the ultimate party appetizer. This recipe is made with just 9 ingredients and comes out so cheesy and delicious.

Fan Fav –> Creamy Queso Dip!

There is seriously nothing better than a giant bag of tortilla chips and creamy queso dip. Who is with me?!

We’re big football fans over here (Go Packers, obviously) and we take game day seriously. Whether it’s Chili Cheese Fries or Homemade Mozzarella Sticks, we’re all about the game day apps.

Homemade Queso Dip takes the cake for us because not only is it versatile, but it’s also easy to make. Serve it with chips, a quesadilla, on a hot dog, the list goes on!

Learn how to make queso dip in this post plus how to serve it and store it. Note that this is our take on queso and not authentic. Enjoy!

If you’re looking to make queso dip completely in the slow cooker, check out our Slow Cooker Queso Recipe!

What You Need for Queso Dip

Butter: butter is used to fry up the jalapeño and garlic.
Jalapeños: jalapeños add spice, but you can either omit these or swap for green chiles.
Garlic: garlic adds a savory flavor.
Whole milk: whole milk helps make this queso dip extra creamy.
Cream cheese: cream cheese is an easy-to-melt cheese and important for this recipe.
Pepper jack: pepper jack adds a kick.
Velveeta: make sure not to skip the velveeta! It’s made from a processed cheese and what is going to make your queso dip extra smooth and creamy.
Ground cumin and salt: cumin and salt add a nice flavor.

How to Make Queso

Cook jalapeño: sauté the chopped jalapeños and garlic in butter.
Add milk: add milk and heat until warm.
Add cheese: slowly add the 3 cheeses and continually mix until melted and creamy.
Serve and top: transfer the dip into a slow cooker and serve on low or serve immediately in a bowl.

Serve in the slow cooker to keep warm!

As queso dip sits, it’s going to thicken, which is why we recommend transferring the dip into a slow cooker and serving on warm or low to keep it warm.

Top Tips to Follow

Processed american CHEESE IS KEY

We tested this recipe without a processed cheese, and it was not nearly as smooth and creamy. In fact, the cheese had more of a “pull” to it, instead of being easy to dip into like classic Chipotle queso.

So, whatever you do, make sure to use a processed American cheese such as Velveeta.

SPICE TO YOUR LIKING!

You’ll notice that we used canned jalapeños in this recipe, but you can up or lower the spice level to your liking.

To add more heat: add some hot sauce or cayenne pepper.
To add less heat: swap the jalapeños for green chiles.

Q&A

What kind of cheese is queso made from?

Typically queso is made from a base of processed cheese such as orange/white American.

How much cornstarch do you put in queso?

You do not need to use cornstarch in homemade queso.

Why is my queso cheese not melting?

If your queso is having a hard time melting it’s likely because you did not use a processed cheese such as American or Velveeta.

Serving Suggestions

Take things up a notch and serve your queso dip with other things that aren’t boring ol’ chips!

Nachos: take our buffalo chicken nachos recipe up a notch with a drizzle of queso on top.
Pasta chips: get fawncy with your chips and make home air fryer pasta chips!
Noodles: heck, you can mix your queso dip with noodles to make queso mac and cheese! Here’s a similar slow cooker queso mac and cheese recipe.
Quesadillas: dip your cheese quesadilla into this queso or drizzle it in between the tortillas.

Storage Suggestions

Transfer queso into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat Queso

We recommend reheating this queso just like you cooked it — on the stovetop.

Transfer it back into a medium saucepan.
Turn the heat to medium/low and stir as the cheese melts.
Add a little bit of milk to thin things out.

Microwave Instructions: if you’d like to reheat in the microwave, transfer the queso into a microwave-safe bowl. Add a little milk and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir and continue microwaving until warm.

4.72 from 7 votes

Best Ever Queso Dip Recipe

Queso dip — the ultimate game day appetize! Learn how to make queso with this stovetop queso recipe made with just 9 ingredients.

By: Lee Funke

Prep: 5

Cook: 5

Total: 10

Servings:

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Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon butter
▢ 4 oz. canned jalapeños or 1 jalapeño, minced
▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
▢ ¾ cup whole milk
▢ 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
▢ 4 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
▢ 8 oz. Velveeta cheese
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Add the butter, jalapeño, and garlic to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, the jalapeño is tender– about 2 minutes.
Next, add the milk to the saucepan and whisk the ingredients together. Let the milk heat over medium heat until warm. Be careful not to burn the milk.
Gradually add the cheeses to the warm milk, stirring constantly. Stir until the cheeses have melted.
Serve topped with additional jalapeño and fresh cilantro.

Tips & Notes

To reheat: transfer the cold queso back into a saucepan. Heat over low/medium. Add more whole milk as needed and mix until smooth and creamy.
As queso sits, it will thicken. We recommend serving it in a slow cooker on low or keeping it right in the saucepan and reheating every so often on the stovetop to make sure it stays creamy.