Chile Con Queso
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Whip up my restaurant-quality chile con queso at home—a dish so deliciously creamy, cheesy and perfectly spiced, it’ll have everyone enthusiastically double dipping!
Every week, it’s the same story: my kids make a big pitch for take-out from their favorite Mexican place. They’re absolutely crazy about the food there, especially the chile con queso, a warm dip made from melted cheese, spices, and chilies. I’ve taken a few stabs at recreating this elusive queso at home, suspecting the secret might be a Velveeta-style cheese block (not exactly my go-to ingredient). But my culinary experiments were always met with a chorus of “too fancy” from my critics.
Determined not to be outdone by a block of processed cheese, I finally hit the jackpot with a recipe that’s a win-win for both my kids and me. This chile con queso is rich and creamy with just the right touch of spice. It’s perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips and makes a generous amount for a crowd. Enjoy it warm from the stove, and watch it disappear as quickly as it came together!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Queso
I developed this recipe using pre-shredded cheese from a bag for ease and convenience, as it saves the effort of grating cheese by hand. Note that pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents to prevent clumping, which incidentally aids in thickening the queso, resulting in a perfectly smooth and creamy texture ideal for dipping.
Should you choose to grate the cheese yourself, I recommend increasing the butter and flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons each. This adjustment compensates for the lack of anti-caking agents in freshly shredded cheese, ensuring your queso still achieves that wonderfully rich and creamy consistency.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the 2 tablespoons of flour.
Cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute.
Add the 2 cups half-and-half to the pot and whisk until evenly combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, a few minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and gradually add the 2 cups grated cheese, whisking and letting it melt as you go, until all of the cheese is incorporated.
Stir in ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and 1 cup diced tomatoes and green chilies. The mixture may seem a bit thick at first, but it will thin out slightly as the tomatoes warm in the sauce.
Add the 1 tablespoon cilantro, if using, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary; for more heat, add more cayenne pepper.
Transfer the queso to a bowl and serve warm with tortilla chips. If the dip cools while you’re serving it, you can reheat it in the microwave; just stop and stir at short intervals so it reheats evenly.
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Chile Con Queso
Whip up my restaurant-quality chile con queso at home—a dish so deliciously creamy, cheesy and perfectly spiced, it’ll have everyone enthusiastically double dipping!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups (8 oz) Mexican blend shredded cheese from a bag (I use Tillamook; see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Rotel (from a 10-oz can)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute. Add the half & half and whisk until evenly combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, a few minutes. Turn the heat down to low and gradually add the grated cheese, whisking and letting it melt as you go, until all of the cheese is incorporated. Stir in the salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, diced tomatoes and green chilies, and cilantro (if using). The mixture may seem a bit thick at first, but it will thin out slightly as the tomatoes and peppers release their juices. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary; for more heat, add more cayenne pepper. If the dip seems too thick, you can thin it out with a bit more half & half or some milk. Transfer the queso to a bowl and serve warm with tortilla chips. If the dip cools while you're serving it, you can reheat it in the microwave; just stop and stir at short intervals so it reheats evenly.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The queso can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated on the stovetop. If it's too thick, add a bit of half and half or milk to thin it out.
- Note: I developed this recipe using pre-shredded cheese from a bag for ease and convenience, as it saves the effort of grating cheese by hand. An important aspect to note is that pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents to prevent clumping, which incidentally aids in thickening the queso, resulting in a perfectly smooth and creamy texture ideal for dipping. Should you choose to grate the cheese yourself, I recommend increasing the butter and flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons each. This adjustment compensates for the lack of anti-caking agents in freshly shredded cheese, ensuring your queso still achieves that wonderfully rich and creamy consistency.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 233
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 303 mg
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I used to pat myself on the back for “making queso” by melting Velveeta and adding Ro*Tel. This was a little more effort, but the rich and creamy payback was worth it!
I was doing the same. This is worth it and about the same cost-wise where I live
I used whole wheat flour instead of white. I upped the cumin to a 1/2 tsp. I skipped the salt. I cut up cherry tomatoes and added them with the skin and seeds. I used fresh oregano instead of cilantro for garnish as it was what I had on hand.
I was wondering if the flour could be replaced with cornstarch to make this recipe gluten free.
Hi Emma, I think you’ll have better luck using gluten-free flour. Hope you enjoy it and please come back let me know how it turns out.
In case anyone would like to know, I substituted GF all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill) for the regular flour. Same amount and followed the directions exactly. I did need to thin it out with a little extra milk, but it turned out perfectly! Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Hi Jenn, I used the method you described here and it worked great. I also used Hatch green chile (I’m in New Mexico) for more heat. This is a great recipe for those of us who don’t want to have “cheese food” in their queso.
made this for a dinner party and everyone loved it! how long does it keep in the ref?
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 It should keep well for 3-4 days; just reheat in the microwave.
We made this tasty dip for a Super Bowl party and it was very well-liked… until it got cold. If you decide to make it, be sure to serve in a small crock pot, or some other serving dish where you can keep the cheese warm easily scoop-able.
Good advice, Kim. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
Thank you for this easy and great tasting recipe! I blew my Beau’s mind to pieces with this tasty treat!
Can fat-free half and half be used?
Sorry, Louise, I don’t think it will work.
Made this queso for our Super Bowl party the other night and it was devoured within about 10 minutes! Next time, I will double the recipe. Thank you!
Made this for the game today. I’m guessing your not cheering for the same team as those of us in the PNW 🙂
I accidently bought white cheddar, but it turned out good albeit a little thick.
Glad you enjoyed, Danita. Next time, if it seems too thick you can always thin it with more half & half or milk.
Yeah, you should just stick with Cheez-Whiz. Sounds like that’s more your speed. Otherwise if you followed this recipe at all, there’s no way it could’ve turned out “absolutely horrid.”
I’m cracking up that people are defending you Jenn:)
I am on a roll with your recipes – having so much fun! I have loved everything! Brussel sprout/kale salad, big Italian salad, Spinach meatballs, Texas chili, spicy sweet potatoes, buttermilk chicken tenders and more….my kids are sure glad I found you! Thanks so much – really having fun cooking!
Julie, I love following you recipes, Thank You for them. I was wondering if you might have a good recipe for a hot clam dip? (and what to serve with it or dip into with ?) Thank You, Christiane Coady
Hi Christiane, So nice to read you’re enjoying the recipes! I don’t have a tried and true hot clam dip recipe but I will add it to my list. Thank you for the suggestion 🙂