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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.
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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:

4.97 from 94 votes

Queso Blanco Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Our favorite queso blanco recipe is quick, simple, and extra cheesy – add tortilla chips for the perfect addition to your next party!
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 of time. Make the queso blanco dip and pour it into a small slow cooker. Keep on the warm setting for a few hours before serving. Add chopped cilantro and tomatoes right before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 1-2 months. Reheat slowly over low heat adding more milk if needed to help smooth out the dip.

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.

**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!

So Easy & So Yummy

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4.97 from 94 votes (66 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




59 Comments

  1. Amanda says:

    Terrible! Grainy and no flavor. I’m from Texas and this is not queso. I should have known when it started out w butter and flour. This is more of a twist on an Alfredo type sauce.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!

  2. Kris Sylvis says:

    I find the best and easiest way to thicken potato soup is using the instant potato flakes for making mashed potatoes. I was mashing the potatoes for the copycat Panera’s soup recipe when I realized it was much easier to just dump some potato flakes in. It works great for loaded baked potato soup too.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for sharing!!

  3. Sasha says:

    Did not taste like any queso I’ve ever had

  4. Claire says:

    5 stars
    Delicious and easy. Thanks!

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      You’re so welcome! Thanks for trying it out!

  5. Kari says:

    im wanting to make this for the Daughters 2nd birthday. We like to do Taco Bar birthdays because they are so stinking easy! but my question is if i double batch it and there are left overs does it work reheated? i dont want to run out but i also dont want to throw a bunch of food away at the end if i dont have to

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Taco bars are the best!! Leftovers of this dip can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat using the microwave and add any more milk if needed if the dip has thickened up. Have fun & enjoy!!

  6. David D. says:

    2 stars
    Followed the recipe exactly. The flour made it kind of grainy..Added more cheese to improve. Sorry.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I’m sorry! Thank you for trying it!

    2. Vona D says:

      The same thing happened to me. I was wondering if I should have added the cheese sooner. I Make my own cheese sauce and it’s always so creamy.

  7. Julie Jones says:

    5 stars
    This tastes like the Chipotle queso which I love! Thanks for helping me recreate it at home. 😀👏🏻

    1. Amanda says:

      Yea it does taste like chipotles queso and imo that stuff is not good. It’s better than this though. Grainy and no flavor.

  8. Tiffany says:

    5 stars
    My family LOVED this queso! They are very particular about cheese and we were sick of finding recipes with velveeta. It was super easy and addictive.

  9. Bekaloo says:

    5 stars
    Yum!!!

  10. Shayla says:

    5 stars
    The best and easiest recipe hands down!!