This authentic Tex-Mex Chile con Queso (aka chili con queso) tastes even better than the queso from your favorite Mexican restaurant. Thanks to a simple blend of secret spices and my best tips for a smooth, dippable consistency, this queso recipe yields a rich, cheesy, and addictively delicious dip. Bring it to parties, set it out for game day, or use it to upgrade any Mexican dinner at home!
Why You'll Love This Queso Recipe
Every single taste tester loved this queso — and multiple people mentioned it was the best queso they've ever had. That's a pretty serious compliment in a room full of born-and-raised Texans. Consider that perfect, dippable consistency officially at your fingertips. Guaranteed: you won't find a tastier queso on the internet.
If you've been hunting for a chile con queso dip recipe that stays smooth and creamy without the Velveeta — you're in the right place.
Want more crowd-favorite recipes? Check out our dips, including our refried bean dip!
Table of Contents
What Is Chile Con Queso?
Chile con queso (also spelled chili con queso) is a warm Tex-Mex cheese dip made with melted cheese, peppers, and spices. This homemade version skips the Velveeta but stays smooth, creamy, and perfectly dippable. It's everything you could want and more from a restaurant-style queso at home.
This is the Tex-Mex queso recipe you'll want in your back pocket for parties, taco nights, and game day.
5 Secrets to Perfect Queso (Without Velveeta)
Most Mexican restaurants use Velveeta or a similar highly processed cheese to make their queso dip. Don't get me wrong; I love queso in every way—even the queso with Velveeta and Rotel. Our tomatoes and green chiles cheese dip is proof.
However, the goal for this queso was to mimic the flavor and texture of an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant experience without the 20+ unnecessary ingredients that processed cheese food brings to the party.
Here is how we did it:
- Fresh Ingredients | Chopped jalapeno and onion make a huge difference.
- Whole Milk (not half and half or heavy cream) | After a good deal of recipe testing, we determined whole milk is best for keeping the queso smooth and dippable, even when cooled.
- Monterey Jack + Block-Style American Cheese | American cheese has a high milk content, which keeps cheese sauces extra smooth and creamy, making it amazing for queso. Look for block-style American cheese near the deli section of your grocery store.
Option: If you want to avoid American cheese altogether, use a mild cheddar instead. We initially tested this recipe with cheddar; however, it consistently created a stretchy, not-as-dippable cheese sauce. If you use cheddar, you may need to add more milk to thin it out. And if you want to stick to Velveeta, perfect! Our Velveeta cheese dip has every step you need. - Fire-Roasted Canned Tomatoes | These bring way more flavor than fresh tomatoes (like we use in this queso blanco).
- Secret Spices | Chili powder, paprika, and adobo sauce are flavor powerhouses in this queso recipe. If you happen to be from Central Texas and love Chuy's Tex-Mex queso, you'll recognize the flavor. We cracked the code — and this Chuy's salsa fresca recipe is the perfect pairing for your chile con queso!
How to Make Chile Con Queso (Chili Con Queso)
Sauté the Jalapenos and Onions | Add the oil to a medium-sized sauté pan. Once it's heated, add chopped jalapenos and onions. (Remember to remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno if you do not want spicy queso.)
Add the Flour | Add the flour and stir until the veggies are coated, about 1 minute. Flour serves as a thickener and binder for our queso, keeping the cheese and milk from separating.
Add the Milk | Add the milk a splash at a time, whisking after each addition. This little trick ensures there are no lumps in your queso, and your cheese sauce is perfectly smooth.
Add the Cheese | Grate both the American and Monterey Jack, then add to the mix and stir until melted.
Add the Tomatoes and Cilantro | Be sure to drain the tomato juices from the can before dumping them in. If you prefer fresh tomatoes, chop and seed 2 Romas. We also found the more cilantro we used, the more the taste testers enjoyed this chile con queso recipe.
Add the Spices | The addition of chili powder, paprika, salt, and adobo sauce is what really makes this queso next-level delicious.
Serve + Enjoy! | After combining all ingredients, woo your people with Tex-Mex dip heaven. Serve warm alongside some other beloved Tex-Mex recipes! If you need other dip ideas to pair with this queso, you can never go wrong with:
Don't count this queso out for a topping either! If you have taco bowls, fajita tacos or Tex-Mex beef enchiladas on the dinner calendar, this would be perfect on top!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make-Ahead | Make up to 2 days in advance.
Storage | Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat | In the microwave at 30-second increments, stirring after each interval. Stir in a splash of milk or water to loosen if needed.
Chile Con Queso FAQs
No, you can make a delicious authentically flavored chili con queso without Velveeta cheese food. A simple flour-butter roux, whole milk, and freshly grated American cheese will do the trick.
A flour-butter roux will keep made-from-scratch queso from becoming grainy in texture. In addition to the roux, a good melting cheese like American cheese keeps it smooth even when reheated.
The best melting cheese for chili con queso is freshly grated, block-style American cheese. You will most often find it refrigerated near the deli section of the grocery store.
Reheat queso at 30-second increments, covered in the microwave, stirring after each interval. If your queso is thicker than desired, stir in an additional tablespoon of water or milk until you have reached your desired dipping consistency.
Yes, you can absolutely keep queso warm in the crockpot! Be sure to leave it on the WARM setting rather than LOW or HIGH so the edges do not burn. Stir every 30 to 45 minutes, adding in an additional tablespoon of water or milk as necessary to keep your queso from thickening too much over time.
Yes! You can make it up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. When reheating, warm gently and stir in a splash of milk to loosen it back up to a smooth, dippable consistency.
Queso usually turns grainy when it gets too hot. Keep the heat low, avoid boiling, and melt cheese slowly over low heat for the smoothest texture.
Authentic Chile con Queso (without the Velveeta)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons canola or avocado oil
- 1-½ cup chopped jalapenos, core and seeds removed (about 5 medium-sized jalapenos)
- 1 cup chopped white onion (about ½ of an onion)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2-¾ cups whole milk
- 2 cups freshly grated American (or mild cheddar) cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained (or 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced)
- ¼ cup fresh, chopped cilantro leaves
- 1-¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
Instructions
- Add the oil to medium-sized saucepan and allow to come to temperature over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions and saute for about 6 minutes, until softened. Stir occasionally.
- Sprinkle over the flour and stir for about 1 minute. Slowly, add the milk a splash at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition until it reaches a pudding-like consistency. At this point you may whisk in the remaining milk.
- Allow the milk to reach a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring often. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Once the mixture has thickened slightly, reduce the heat to low. Add the cheeses and stir until completely melted.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Serve warm alongside tortilla chips and enjoy!
Nutrition
Kelly Anthony says
We loved this recipe!!
Phil says
We loved this recipe!!