Easy Queso Dip (One Pot)
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Quick and easy queso dip recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot over stovetop in 20 minutes. Silky smooth, rich, creamy, loaded with cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese and Mexican spices.
This is perfect for your next game day party or family gathering. It’s just as satisfying as this Easy Guacamole Recipe (One Bowl) or this Salsa Verde (Blender).
What is queso dip?
It is a creamy delicious Mexican cheese dip. Queso means “cheese” in Spanish.
What to serve with homemade queso dip recipe?
Serve it as an appetizer dip or snack with tortilla chips, nachos, or quesadillas such as Cheese Quesadillas and Vegetarian Quesadillas and Ground Beef Quesadilla (One Pan) and even Chicken Quesadilla (One Pan)
Use it as a dinner/ main course topping in burrito bowls, tamales, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, nachos and especially tacos such as Shredded Chicken Tacos (One Pot) or Ground Beef Tacos (One Pot). Serve it atop fried, grilled or baked chicken, beef/ steak, fish, pork, shrimp, or even eggs. You can also mix it into boiled pasta to make cheesy pasta or add it on top of Cheesy Taco Pasta (One Pot) or Chicken Fajita Pasta (One Pot).
Mix it to your favorite salad dressing to make a cheesy version.
Use it as a spread in sandwiches, wraps and quesadillas. It would be a delicious addition to this Loose Meat Sandwich (Tavern Sandwich).
How to make queso dip from scratch?
- Heat butter over medium heat– Until fully melted.
- Add onion, garlic– Saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes– Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add evaporated milk, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, cornstarch, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder– Mix until cheese is fully melted.
- Add green chiles– Mix until combined.
- Pour some milk– To thin it out, if you like.
- Turn off heat– And mix in cilantro.
- Enjoy! Serve immediately or let it cool and thicken and then, dig in!
Storage
Refrigerate– In a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Freeze– I don’t recommend freezing leftovers since it doesn’t thaw well and can sometimes separate.
Reheat– In the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of milk while stirring during reheating.
Variations
White queso dip (Queso blanco)- Use white cheddar cheese to make a white version instead of yellow version.
Queso fresco dip– Use Queso Fresco cheese in addition or in place of cheddar cheese.
Velveeta queso dip– Melt a block of Velveeta instead of or in addition to the freshly grated cheese.
Add chili– Add a can of chili to this dip for a heartier version.
Cheesy beef dip– Mix in Mexican Ground Beef Taco Meat (One Pot) at the end.
Make it in crockpot– All all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on Low heat for 2-3 hours.
Add beans– Mix in drained and rinsed canned black beans or you can even serve over Refried Beans (One Pot) as a layered dip.
Add bacon– Top it off with lots of cooked and crumbled bacon bits, prior to serving for a smoky flavor.
Make it spicy– Add diced fresh jalapenos or Serrano chiles for more spice.
Garnish options– Fresh cilantro, green onions, finely chopped jalapenos or even Pico de Gallo Salsa.
Tips and Techniques
Use freshly grated cheese- Because shredded cheese in packets contain additives to prevent clumping, which causes them to not melt well. This can also lead to a grainy dip.
Canned tomatoes vs. Fresh tomatoes– Canned changes the color and makes it slightly red. Must drain, if using it.
Use a non-stick pot– To prevent the dip from sticking and burning.
Use unsalted butter– to prevent the dip from becoming too salty.
What kind of onions to use? I used white onions, but you can use yellow, sweet, or vidalia onions.
What kind of milk to use? I recommend whole or 2% in order to maintain the creamy thickness desired for this dip.
Do I need to drain the green chiles? Yes, you do need to drain the chiles. Adding too much liquid will make the dip runny.
More One Pot Appetizers
- Homemade French Onion Dip (One Pot)
- Bacon Ranch Cheddar Dip (One Pot)
- Spinach Artichoke Dip (One Bowl)
- Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe (One Pot)
One Pot Queso Dip
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
- 1/4 cup Onions, Finely chopped
- 1 clove Garlic, Finely minced
- 3/4 cup Tomatoes, Finely chopped
- 1 can Evaporated milk, Full fat, 12 oz. can
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, Freshly grated, Can use yellow cheddar or white cheddar.
- 1/2 cup Pepper jack cheese, Freshly grated
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch, Dissolved in 1 tbsp water
- Salt, To taste
- 1/4 tsp Onion powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 can Chopped green chiles, Drained, 4 oz. can
- 2-3 tbsp Milk, Whole or 2%
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, Fresh, Finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat butter in a large nonstick pot over medium heat until fully melted.
- Add onion, garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until onion is softened and translucent.
- Add tomatoes, including its juices and cook for another 2 minutes until tomato is slightly softened.
- Add evaporated milk, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, cornstarch, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder and mix until cheese is fully melted.
- Mix in green chiles.
- Pour some milk to thin it out OR let it continue cooking until dip is thickened to your desired consistency.
- Turn off heat and mix in cilantro.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips all warm and ooey gooey OR let it cool and thicken a bit more and then, serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- The color of your dip will vary, depending on what type of cheddar cheese you used. White cheddar make a pale off white dip and yellow cheddar makes a vibrant yellow dip.
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.