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!
“I MUST try fake cheese dip!” I declared to Jo when I visited her in Calgary, Canada, earlier this month. “We don’t have it in Australia!” She wrinkled her nose and looked at me dubiously, trying to figure out if I was serious. Once she realised I was, she lead me to the astonishingly large range of fake cheese dips in the corn chip aisle at the supermarket.
I picked out an orange coloured Queso with “MADE WITH REAL CHEESE!!!” plastered across the label. Honestly – does anyone believe that for a second??? Cheese ain’t cheese if it can survive on the shelves for months – years!!!
But…. don’t judge me. We warmed that “stuff” up, and I had my first try of fake cheese dip….. and I enjoyed it. Yes, there’s that artificial edge to it (real cheese… *snort*!). But I still liked it. Decided I had to replicate it using real ingredients when I got home to Sydney.
So I did. 🙂
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, 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 super 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 in Canada (it was Tostitos) and the ultra addictive dips served at Tex Mex restaurants in America.
I even made my own corn chips using corn tortillas because I can no longer find white corn chips here. And also because corn chips made using corn tortillas tastes so much more like corn than store bought. Plus the added bonus of being able to control the amount of salt on them – is it just me who finds store bought corn chips super salty?? I swear, they are getting saltier. If I want corn chips to use for a dip, I have to hunt for salt reduced or even unsalted.
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!!!
Recipe VIDEO below.
Copycat of Queso Dip (Mexican Cheese Dip) sold in jars in the US and at Mexican restaurants. Made with real cheese and stays silky smooth even when it cools! AND it reheats perfectly. Makes about 2.5 cups. IMPORTANT: Please read Note 1 regarding store bought shredded cheese.
- 2.5 cups / 225 g Cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (Important - read Note 1)
- 1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp / 8 g butter
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 small white onion, very finely chopped (1/4 cup)
- 375 g / 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
- 4 oz / 113g can chopped green chile, fire roasted (Subs Note 3)
- 1/4 cup coriander / cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 - 3 tbsp milk, any
- Salt
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Place cheese and cornflour in a bowl, toss to coat.
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Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or small pot.
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Add garlic and onion, cook slowly for 3 minutes or until onion is translucent but not browned.
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Add tomato (including juices) and cook for 2 minutes until tomato is slightly softened.
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Add evaporated milk and cheese. Stir, then add chiles and Spices.
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Stir until cheese melts and it becomes a silky sauce.
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Add salt to taste - amount required depends on saltiness of cheese used - and stir through coriander.
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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.
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Remove from heat. Serve warm or at room temperature - it will be soft and scoopable even when it cools.
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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.
1. Pre shredded cheese contains additives to avoid clumping. As a result, sometimes they do not melt as well as you'd hope into liquid form, like this dip (melting on toast, on casseroles etc is ok). The end result can be a bit grainy which is not very nice. So it's safest to use freshly grated cheese.
I recommend using cheddar for this recipe. Ordinary, sharp, extra sharp are all fine. I've had some problems with slight "powderiness" with some brands of Tasty cheese (popular type of cheese in Australia) so I just stick with Cheddar now.
You can substitute half the cheese with Pepper jack for a slight kick.
2. You can also use diced canned tomato. Drain in a colander and measure about 3/4 cup. The dip comes out slightly pinker.
3. Canned green chile is not readily available in Australia (grr!!!). I bring back dozens of cans from the States every time I go! It is not spicy, it actually tastes like capsicum/bell peppers. The main thing is that they are fire roasted so they add a touch of smokiness to the dip. So the best sub for this recipe is to use roasted capsicum sold in jars (green or red), finely chop it and measure out 1/2 cup. Otherwise, just leave it out - the cheese dip is still super tasty.
Some readers have kindly provided links for places to source American products, including green chillies (WHOOT!) here in Australia. Here is an online store, USA Foods, and here is a resource that lists places to get Mexican ingredients in Australia.
4. Homemade Tortillas - I made my own using corn tortillas because I like white corn chips but they are no longer sold at supermarkets here in Australia and also I find store bought corn chips too salty. All I did was stack the tortillas then cut into 6 wedges. Fry in 1.5cm / 3/5" of oil in a large skillet heated over medium high heat until crispy (single layer). Drain on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt while hot.
5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Queso Dip (Mexican Cheese Dip) recipe video!
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. 😈
Hai, this sounds jammie, i’ll try tomorrow to make! But do you use sweetened evapored or unsweetened milk for this recipe? I have unsweetened, about 14 gram/100 ml sugar. Is that oke? Thank you! Bye, Paul
Evaporated milk is usually just evaporated milk, you’re thinking of Sweetened condensed Milk, which is NOT THE SAME DO NOT USE
This sounds yummy, & like something we will have to try! …incidentally, I’ve never had an orange cheese dip at a Mexican restaurant here in the USA. (Maybe the Rosa place over a decade ago🤔, bc I remember being disappointed.). I have had that jar before though😉. Most restaurants here use White American, & it isn’t chunky except for if u choose con jalepeños which are pickled. (I use to work at such a place in high school to learn Spanish. Wish I had paid better attn to how they prepared it!) I am guessing other than the things that would make it chunky, your recipe is still prob pretty close! Not sure about the cumin. ….&yes, it totally congeals on the table before your meal is finished! 😉. I remember it sat in heated serving buckets(?) & everyone constantly stirred it as they grabbed the ladle to pour a table some.
Amazing! My husband ate half of it in one sitting. It’s dangerous. I reheated the remainder the next day, adjusted the consistency with milk, and like magic…it was still smooth. Thank you for sharing!
I just made your queso and it IS life changing and amazing!! It’s so easy, and totally delicious. I wanted to make queso without Velveeta because it’s so bad for you. This is a genius recipe, and we should all be celebrating your birth. I’m going to try swapping the base out for my normal roux in homemade mac and cheese. It just sounds so gooey and cheese. Plus my hubs doesn’t like my chemical-free recipe lol
Thanks for sharing ❤
Do you think this will can well? I want to make it ahead of time for a wedding weekend. I just want to pull a jar out, heat and use.
Having tried proper queso in Austin, Tx recently I had a huge craving for queso and came across this recipe, fantastic recipe! Also handy as we don’t get the very heavily processed cheeses often needed here in the UK. Definitely will try again!
That’s so great to hear Gazz!! So glad you enjoyed this, thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
Hi, what brand Cheddar in Australia do you use?
Hi Christine! I usually get Australian cheddar in block form from Harris Farms, it doesn’t say what brand. But I’ve used Coon, Bega, all the main stream brands from supermarkets too! 🙂
Just made this tonight. It made right up super super easy! It is so so yummy! We made nachos with left over grilled steak, guac, and margaritas.
BUT when it cooled fully to room temp, there were the little clumps. Did I not cook it long enough?
Hi Sara! What do you think the clumps were??
haha it’s the cheese + evaporated milk likely. I kept the mix on the stove until everything was melted and it appeared smooth in texture, but it only took maybe 5 mins. Should I have kept it heating for longer? We’ll see what happens when I reheat today.
My kids are blown away that mom made her own queso though.
Hi Nagi, can we use coconut flour to adapt it to a keto diet? Love your recipe as always xxx
sorry Sheena I’m not sure! 🙂 N xx
Can you have Arrowroot? It’s what I use to replace flour and cornstarch.
I’m making this right now and the cornstarch still hasn’t cooked out and I grated al the cheese. It still tastes grainy. How do you get rid of that, cook it longer?
Add 1/2 cup vodka.