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Spicy Queso Dip

June 20, 2021 by Great Grub, Delicious Treats

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This spicy queso dip is a great recipe that is perfect for game day, family gatherings or any night of the week! The perfect dip for the next super bowl party as well. It’s a quick and simple recipe that uses only a handful of ingredients. You can also make it ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about cooking on the big day. Plus, your guests will be wowed by this unique twist on traditional cheese dip.

Two white bowls, on a wood cutting board, filled with spicy queso topped with sliced green onions and cilantro.

Spicy Queso Recipe

This recipe for homemade queso with a kick is absolutely amazing. With only a few ingredients this dip comes together in no time. You can use this dip with tortilla chips, veggies like carrots, celery or peppers, or even on a sandwich.

What is Queso?

Queso is a Mexican cheese dip made with American cheese and Pepper jack cheese combined with seasonings, milk and in this case jalapeños. Some recipes use other cheese as the base of the recipe but I have found that this is the best combination for my spicy queso.

Two white bowls filled with spicy queso sitting on a wood cutting board with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cilantro and sliced green onions along side of the bowls.

What’s the Best Cheese for Queso Dip?

Some queso dips use different types of cheese, but to me the best is a combination of American and Pepper Jack. I love how the cheese melts together and I love how to flavors combine perfectly. Plus since I am adding jalapeños to this recipe to make it spicy, the bite of the pepper jack is perfect.

How to Store Cheese Sauce

Queso can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. I usually make it on the weekend and then have some leftover for the week. You will want to keep it in an airtight container to keep it from drying out.

How to Reheat Queso?

To reheat, simply cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for one minute until hot. Stir as needed. You can also reheat the cheese sauce on the stove top. You will want to make sure to stir the queso often so that it does not burn.

Two white bowls, placed on a wood cutting board, filled with spicy queso.

How do you make spicy queso dip?

I am adding jalapeños to the queso in order to add flavor and make it spicy. You want to cook the jalapeños, along with the onions, first so that they are tender before adding the remaining ingredients. You want to remove the seeds and the membranes in order to keep the queso from being too spicy.

How to Thicken your Cheese Sauce?

If the cheese sauce is too thin, you can add cornstarch to the queso in order to thicken it. You can also use flour or roux, but I find that the cornstarch mix with cheese is just perfect and make a nice sauce for dipping chips into! You can also cook the cheese sauce longer until it thickens.

Can I Use Rotel Instead of Tomatoes

I like to use fresh jalapeños and fresh tomatoes in order to give the queso the best flavor. If you truly want to use something canned, you can use Rotel instead of the fresh tomato and you can use jarred jalapeños. Or you can use the Rotel that has jalapeños already in the can, just make sure to drain the liquid.

A white bowl filled with spicy queso and a close up shot of a tortilla chip that has been dipped into the queso.

Spicy Queso Dip Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Yellow onion, diced
  • Jalapenos, diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • Garlic
  • Tomato
  • American cheese
  • Pepper jack cheese
  • Milk

(Actual measurements are in the recipe card below.)

A double collage photo of spicy queso dip, one photo is a chip that has the queso on it and the other photo is a white bowl filled with spicy queso.

How to Make Spicy Queso Dip

  • In a large frying pan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add finely diced onions and jalapeños. Cook until tender then add garlic and finely chopped tomatoes and continue cooking for an additional minute or two.
  • Next, add both types of shredded cheese and reduce to medium low heat stirring until cheese has melted then add milk. Stir.
  • Continue cooking until hot and bubbly, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Top with sliced green onions and cilantro, if desired, and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Try This Delicious Queso Recipe Today

A 3 photo collage of a white bowl filled with spicy queso placed on a wood cutting board.

Here are a few more delicious game day appetizers that can be found on the blog:

  • Cream Cheese Avocado Bacon Bites
  • Cheese Ground Beef Empanadas
  • Chicken Fried Steak Bites
  • Hot Corn Salad

And here is a delicious 7 Layer Bean Dip from Deliciously Seasoned you might enjoy as well.

A close up shot of spicy queso in a white bowl and a small white bowl filled with queso in the background.

Spicy Queso Dip

This Spicy Queso is an easy and delicious appetizer recipe perfect for game day, family gatherings, and is a popular super bowl party appetizer that everyone enjoys
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8
Calories 335 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tomato, finely chopped
  • 3 cups American cheese, freshly shredded
  • 1½ cups Pepper Jack cheese, freshly shredded
  • 1 cup milk
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large frying pan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add onions and jalapeños. Cook until tender then add garlic and tomatoes and cook for an additional minute or two.
  • Reduce heat to low, add both types of cheese. Stir until cheese has melted then add milk. Stir.
  • Continue cooking until hot and bubbly, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Top with sliced green onions and cilantro, if desired, and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Notes

Nutritional values are approximate.
 
Please note that these values can change with different brands and any modifications made to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 16gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 1018mgPotassium: 206mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 894IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 752mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Easy Appetizer Recipe, Queso Recipe, Spicy Queso, Spicy Queso Dip
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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2 white bowls filled with spicy queso and the title of the recipe on top of the photo.
A white bowl sitting on a wood cutting board filled with spicy queso.
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Filed Under: All Recipes, Appetizers, Dips Tagged With: Game Day Appetizer, Party Food, Queso Dip, Spicy Queso

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Donna Young

    June 21, 2021 at 1:14 pm

    so Velveeta? Thanks
    Donna

  2. Donna Young

    June 21, 2021 at 1:26 am

    Hi what do you call American Cheese? Velveeta? I am a Canadian, we have lots of cheeses but none called American.. Thanks! Donna

    • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

      June 21, 2021 at 1:05 pm

      Hi Donna,
      Here we can purchase American cheese in a block form, not just slices (like Kraft American cheese slices). So it’s like a block of cheddar or mozzarella. I hope that answers your question. :)

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Welcome to Great Grub, Delicious Treats! Hello, my name is Terri and I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm a self taught cook/foodie at heart, mom to three kids, photographer and have a love for amazing food. I left my full time job of being a hospice admissions RN, which was super tough and extremely sad, and at times, very rewarding to be there for the patients and families to blog full time which I absolutely love. I hope you enjoy, and check out, all of the delicious recipes on my site while you're here! And don't forget to sign up to receive every new recipe right to your email. Thanks again for stopping by! :)

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