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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!
When my kids were younger, they were always lobbying for takeout from their favorite Mexican restaurant. They loved everything on the menu, but the chile con queso was the real draw. I tried more than once to recreate that creamy, cheesy dip at home, but the verdict was always the same: “too fancy.” I began to suspect that the secret was a block of Velveeta (not exactly my go-to ingredient!).
Not one to be outdone by processed cheese, I kept tinkering until I finally got it right. This chile con queso is rich, creamy, and perfectly spiced, with just the right amount of heat. Best of all, it’s made with real cheese and comes together in about 30 minutes. Serve it warm with plenty of tortilla chips, and don’t be surprised when everyone keeps coming back for more!
“Was so easy to make, and came out perfect.”
What You’ll Need To Make Queso
- Butter and all-purpose flour: Form the base of the cheese sauce and help give it a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Half-and-half: Makes the queso rich and creamy without being too heavy. Keep a little extra on hand in case you need to thin the dip before serving.
- Shredded Mexican-blend cheese: I use the kind that comes in a bag. The anti-caking agents actually help thicken the queso, so if you grate your own cheese, you’ll need to increase both the butter and flour (see recipe card for details).
- Diced tomatoes and green chiles: I use Ro-Tel for a little tang and heat. Spoon it straight from the can, juices and all—no need to drain. Choose mild or original depending on how spicy you like your queso.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder give the queso its Tex-Mex flavor. You can adjust the cayenne to make it milder or spicier.
- Fresh cilantro: Adds a pop of freshness and color. It’s optional, so feel free to leave it out if you’re not a fan.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make Queso
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the 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 grated cheese, whisking and letting it melt as you go, until all of the cheese is incorporated.
Stir in the salt, spices, and 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 cilantro, if using, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary; for more heat, add more cayenne pepper.
Transfer the queso to a serving bowl and serve warm with plenty of tortilla chips. If it starts to thicken as it cools, just give it a stir or warm it briefly in the microwave until it’s creamy again.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
Make ahead: You can make the queso up to 3 days in advance. Let it cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Storage: Leftover queso will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Warm the queso gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth and heated through. It will thicken in the refrigerator, so add a splash of half-and-half or milk as needed to loosen it. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave in short intervals, stirring between each.
Chile Con Queso
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 diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Ro-Tel; spoon from the can, juices and all)
- 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.
- Reduce the heat 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 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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.
See more recipes:
More mexican Dips You’ll Love
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Would it work to use whole milk instead of half-and-half?
Hi Diane, I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work.
Great recipe. Do you have one for espinaca con queso?
Glad you liked it! No, as of now, I don’t have a recipe for spinaca con queso, but will add it to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 😊
I’ve made this several times. Creamy with just the right amount of heat. Grandchildren love it…adults also.
Was so easy to make, and came out perfect. I used Cabot finely shredded Mexican blend cheese.
I have used an earlier recipe of yours for Chile con queso & substituted Rotel for the tomatoes, so I am happy to find this version. 1 question tho: doesn’t the Rotel need to be drained?
Hi Stephen, the tomatoes do not need to be drained. Enjoy!
I made this last night for our Taco Tuesday dinner. I followed the recipe, I used gluten free flour instead. And It tasted amazing and flavorful. Quick and easy! Thank you for this recipe Jenn
Hi Jenn,
I’ll be shredding cheese for this recipe. Do you object to swapping american cheese for the asadero portion?
Sure, Jillian, that’s fine. Because you’ll be shredding the cheese yourself, I recommend increasing the butter and flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons each.
Jenn,
I have gluten free folks and nut allergy folks joining us this SuperBowl. Would you just omit the flour since gluten free/nut free flours are produced on nut facilities and our guest has a fierce allergy. Or would you suggest something else? Huge fan of all you do. Best.
Hi Jane, I’m obviously weighing in too late to help (sorry!), but for future reference, I’d recommend a gluten-free flour like this one. (And so glad you like the recipes!)