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. 😈
Good recipe! But, to be safe, you should remove the pan from the heat BEFORE adding the evaporated milk and cheese. If the cheese gets too hot, the proteins will separate from the fat and the sauce will have a slightly grainy texture.
Love this dip. I made mine using spring onions finely chopped and 1 clove of garlic softened in butter then I add a can of evaporated milk then 1/2 packet of taco seasoning. Once that gets hot and the seasoning is cooked I add a cup of freshly grated cheese. You have to keep stirring so it doesn’t burn but it thickens because of the taco mix. It has all the spices in it. Yummy.
I actually have made a great soupa tortilla using taco mix as well as I loved these 2 dishes when I was in Austin Texas for 3 months and loved the Mexican restaurants there.
This recipe is very bland. Tried a number of things to things to try to give it some taste and no luck.
Fantastic recipe! This will become something I remake
Numerous times
I’ve tried this recipe twice now. The first time I did it exactly how its written out. It was good-ish. But the starch made it gritty. So the second time around I decided to not do the starch and instead do a flour slurry. I used gluten free flour (celiac here) and it turned out so great. The same taste but without the gritty feeling. Great recipe. Thank you!
I added a small tin of diced capsicum and 1/4 teaspoon of dried chile flakes because no chopped green chilies. My family are around the bowl devouring it now. Very good recipe.
Made this tonight for a group lunch tomorrow. It was very tasty and easy to make!
I was just reading your notes, Nagi and had a giggle. I lived 3 years in Australia, I’m a California girl, and when I got back here I went to google and sourced Australian products online (Recipe note 3). Love the Tim Tams, NapiSan and others. Also, I am in love with Dozer and of course, your recipes – I own both books!! Thank you for all you do.
I recently made this using the yellow American cheese block from costco… however… would kraft singles work in lieu of velveeta?
I made this Queso Dip. It was so easy and tastes delicious. I used half sharp cheddar and half pepperjack. Yum. Didn’t have to add any additional milk, yet, but it’s still cooling. Doesn’t have a grainy texture at all.
Hi Nagi,
I just made this last night and it was really delicious. I was planning on making it again for a group of friends because it was so easy and turned out so good (I’m eating the leftovers right now actually), and I just had a couple clarifying questions that came up for while I was making it.
For the onion and the tomato, when you say finely chopped does that mean fine like minced or even finer than that?
What is the function of the cornstarch in the recipe? Is it prevent the cheese from clumping? I will admit I used substitutes for what I had on hand when I made it and used pre shredded cheese, and while it is not grainy at all it does have a weird slightly starchy mouthfeel that I think is from the cornstarch. I plan to make it using a hand shredded next time but I didn’t want to omit the cornstarch without knowing what its function was.
Thank you very much for your recipe.
I made this tonight. It’s delicious! I did make some modifications:
I used 4 cups of sharp cheddar and 2 cups of Monterey Jack. I also used heavy whipping cream as I don’t like canned products. I added two diced jalapeños to the onion/garlic mix and a generous amount of smoked paprika with the seasonings.
It is DELICIOUS.
Delicious. Used 500g cheese. Didn’t need extra milk. Didn’t add coriander.
This is delicious and easy to make. I used flour instead of cornstarch. Didn’t have the listed spices so substituted Italian seasoning and hot sauce. My family loved It.
Great recipe, I have never had much luck with queso cheese dip but this is easy and turned out perfectly. I will use this again and again. Thanks for sharing!!
You can also get canned fire roasted green chiles from Woolworths x
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/000000000000162535
The family loved this, when I made it for our Mexican Christmas Eve dinner
Yummy! I made the recipe exactly. I used sharp cheddar cheese. Added 1/4 tsp salt since I didn’t know how much to add, and it wasn’t too salty. Not sure if I should add more or not. I did shred my own cheese but it was still slightly gritty. Maybe from the cornstarch? I might reduce the cornstarch next time and just cook longer to thicken.
I thought it needed a little extra something – so after trying the recipe as written I added a bit of paprika and then garnished with fresh diced tomato.
Forgot to rate!
This is SO delicious. Hopefully there’ll be some left to take to my book club tomorrow