Delicious concession-style Nacho Cheese sauce is made from scratch in only 20 minutes! It’s a crowd favorite.
This cheesy Nacho Sauce is ideal for serving with just Tortilla Chips, but we also like to add it to our Loaded Nachos, or even Taco Salad. You can pair it with almost any Mexican dish!
Bring on the Chips!
Have you ever made homemade Nacho Cheese before? We hadn’t until just a few months ago and we couldn’t believe just how easy and quick the recipe was!
Now, I’m going to come right out and say that this recipe is very similar to the classic Nacho Cheese sauce recipe you’d find at the movies, a ball game, or in the school cafeteria.
It’s a little lighter in color but tastes just like that popular Nacho Cheese recipe. The best part is that you can make it using ingredients that are usually on hand!
Use this Homemade Nacho Cheese like a dip, and just dip your Tortilla Chips into it, or make it like classic Nachos and pour it over a pile of tortilla chips. Either way, chips are the #1 companion for this Nacho Cheese!
How to Make Nacho Cheese
More than anything, we love that Nacho Cheese Dip is so simple!
PREP. In a large bowl, combine shredded cheese and cornstarch and toss to coat.
MILK. To a medium saucepan, add evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until milk just begins to simmer.
CHEESE. Remove the milk from the heat and stir in the cheese, a large handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and has completely melted into the sauce.
SPICE. Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed. Serve over Nachos, Fries, or steamed vegetables, and enjoy!
Troubleshooting Tips
Consistency. To get the desired consistency, add an extra ¼ cup of grated cheddar and a bit more milk. Do not use pre-shredded cheese as it is coated to keep it from being sticky and inhibits its ability to melt.
Texture. There may be several reasons that the texture of the sauce doesn’t turn out. Here are a few common mistakes:
- It was heated too quickly and or cooked for too long.
- Adding too much cheese and not whisking it well enough.
- The milk did not have enough fat – use 2% or whole milk.
- Keep the Nacho Cheese warm, or it may begin to harden and solidify.
Ingredient Tips
Best cheese for nachos. We used mild cheddar because it tends to melt better than sharp cheddar cheese. You can also mix in some Monterrey or Pepper Jack cheese. A 6 oz block of cheese will yield about 1½ cups of shredded cheese.
Make it spicy. Add some hot salsa, chili powder, chopped jalapenos, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes.
Make it meaty by mixing in browned ground beef or Italian sausage.
Serving + Storing Info
Keep warm during a party. Whip up the Nacho Cheese Sauce and then transfer it to a slow cooker set to the warm setting. This will keep the cheese warm and smooth until it is served.
STORE. Keep leftover Nacho Cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat. Add in a bit of water or milk to help smooth out the sauce as it reheats.
FREEZE. Store in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. Either store in a large portion or in separate portions which are ideal for heating up snack sizes.
Thaw in the fridge and reheat over low heat on the stove or in the microwave in 30-second increments. Add in a bit of milk to help smooth out the consistency and stir well.
Recipe FAQ
I know it can be tempting to use pre-shredded cheese, but I promise you won’t get the cheese to melt properly due to the waxy coating found on all pre-shredded options.
We recommend and use medium cheddar cheese, but you can also use Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese. You just want to make sure you use a cheese that melts well so you can achieve that creamy consistency!
If you haven’t had nacho cheese over some french fries you’re really missing out! Taco Salad is also amazing with some nacho cheese drizzled over the top. I mean what doesn’t sound good with creamy nacho cheese on top?!
For more dips and sauces, check out:
- Avocado Lime Ranch Dip
- 7 Layer Bean Dip
- Homemade Salsa
- Salsa Verde
- Queso Blanco
- Chili’s Skillet Queso
Nacho Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese,
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper plus more as needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine shredded cheese and cornstarch and toss to coat.
- To a medium saucepan, add evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until milk just begins to simmer.
- Remove the milk from the heat and stir in the cheese, a large handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and has completely melted into the sauce.
- Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed. Serve over nachos, fries, or steamed vegetables, and enjoy!
I added a couple 9f extra slices of cheese to make it slightly cheesier. Couldn’t find my jalapenos but added some cayenne in and it’s pretty tasty. Will experiment with cheddar another time.
Sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing.
Too much writing before the recipe. I don’t care about that I clicked on it for the recipe.
then just jump to recipe,really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great recipe, thank you for sharing! Next time, I would omit the salt.
Made this this afternoon! only used 21/4 cups cheese. turned out just fine. Thank you for this recipe!
Nacho cheese is one of my all time favorite things – I never knew how easy it was to make! I’m going to have to keep this recipe hidden away, because otherwise I will be making it ALL THE TIME to put on ALL OF THE THINGS. Yum.
I’m so glad you love it! It is dangerously delicious! 😉
Oh my goodness! This was so dang good. I will never buy store-bought nacho cheese again!
This nacho cheese dip is the greatest that I’ve tried and my family agrees with me too! So delicious, we love it with tortilla chips.