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Delicious queso blanco is made in no time and will be the perfect addition to your next party, especially when served with tortilla chips.

Of course, we serve it with our homemade Tortilla Chips or Baked Tortilla chips!

A white bowl filled with queso blanco and topped with diced tomato.

We Love Queso!

We love dip in our family and always have at least one or two kinds at every party. A favorite dip recipe of ours is queso blanco (white cheese dip)!

Why we love it:

  • Utterly addicting. This is one of the most addicting dip recipes you’ll ever try and we love that it’s a staple at many Mexican restaurants.
  • For parties! We always serve queso blanco as an appetizer at parties or game nights.
  • A dip or topping. It’s also great with any Mexican meal and tastes delicious served on Tacos, Burritos, Nachos, and Chimichangas.
  • Ready in Minutes. The best part about this recipe is it takes about 5 minutes to make.
  • Easily keep it warm. Make a bigger batch for larger gatherings and keep it warm in a slow cooker.
Cheese, milk, spices, tomatoes, and other ingredients measured and ready for use.

Ingredients

  • butter
  • all-purpose flour
  • whole milk – use whole milk for the creamiest sauce, but 2% can also be used.
  • garlic salt
  • onion powder
  • chili powder
  • ground cumin
  • white sharp cheddar cheese you can also use mild white cheddar, white American cheese, pepper jack cheese
  • diced green chiles or for added spice use chopped jalapenos
  • fresh cilantro
  • tomatoes – or use a can of Rotel for even more flavor

How to Make Queso Blanco

  1. ROUX. Melt butter in a pan on low heat. Whisk in flour until bubbly (this is creating the roux which acts as a thickening agent once the milk is added).
  2. COMBINE. Add whole milk and stir until well combined. Add green chilis, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder (or more for added spice). Add cheese and mix the cheese sauce until smooth.
  3. GARNISH. Garnish with tomatoes and cilantro right before serving.

RECIPE TIPS

  • Texture. If the texture seems off, this might be why:
    • It was heated too quickly and/or cooked for too long. 
    • Your milk did not have enough fat—be sure to use whole milk or 2% milk.
    • You used a pre-shredded cheese. These have an anti-stick coating that can affect the texture of your dip.
    • It cooled off. Keep the cheese warm otherwise, it may begin to harden and solidify.
  • Crockpot. I never make this queso blanco dip in the crock pot since it only takes 10 minutes to cook, however, I do use a small slow cooker to keep it warm! This is great if you leave it out for people to snack on throughout the night.
  • Add meat. Add cooked ground beef or chorizo to homemade queso blanco to make it more hearty (similar to our Hamburger Dip).
Chip being dipped in queso blanco.

Storage Info

  • STORE. Leftover queso blanco dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
  • Reheat leftovers using the microwave and add any more milk if needed if the dip has thickened up.
Queso blanco recipe in white bowl with tomatoes and cilantro on top.

For Dippables:

Homemade Tortilla Chips

30 mins

Recipe Video

4.97 from 93 votes

Queso Blanco Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Delicious queso blanco is made in no time and will be the perfect addition to your next party, especially when served with tortilla chips.
Servings: 10
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • cups whole milk
  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, optional
  • 1 cup shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes

Instructions 

  • Melt butter in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until bubbly.
  • Add milk and stir until well combined. Add green chilies, garlic salt, onion powder, chili powder and cumin.
  • Add cheese and mix until smooth. Add cilantro and tomatoes right before serving and mix well. Serve warm with tortilla chips or vegetables for dipping.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead: This recipe only takes 10 minutes to make, but if you want to make it a little early, prepare the recipe up through adding the cheese, then transfer to a small slow cooker and keep on the warm setting for a few hours before serving. Add chopped cilantro and tomatoes right before serving.
Variations:
o Add some heat by including some minced jalapeños or more chili powder.
o Swap out the cheddar for your favorite cheese or a Mexican blend of shredded cheese.
o Add cooked ground beef or chorizo to make it more hearty.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 105kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 326mg, Potassium: 75mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 302IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

**This recipe was updated on 3/28/22 – We made it better and yummier!

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




55 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Help. I can’t locate any block MONTERREY Jack Cheese. Is therE another cheese i can use that would work with this recipe? I am so sad my grocerY stores didnt carry thIse cheese. Ugh.

    1. Colby Jack would be good. It doesn’t have to be a block, if you can find it already shredded. Gouda is also a great option.

  2. 5 stars
    Made this dip for Cinco de Mayo and the family couldn’t get enough! Will definitely be using this recipe again.

    1. Garlic salt. If you add garlic powder, you can add a pinch of salt, if you need it 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    I remeMber before internet recipes were a thing i was asked to bring a cheese diP to a large function. I ended uP doing something With velveeta. Which worked, but I wish i had this recipe back then. Wow!!!

  4. 5 stars
    I love the idea of a white cheese version of queso! This was amazing! It was very easy to make & gone in minutes. My family is already requesting it again!