This white queso recipe is our favorite! It's creamy, easy to make, and you only need 3 ingredients. Made without Velveeta, this queso dip is one you'll want to make over and over again. Break out the chips, this queso blanco is sure to become your favorite too!
Queso blanco is also called white queso and is a creamy cheese dip made with white soft cheese.
White queso can be used for dipping, can be mixed in with various dishes, and used as a topping for Mexican favorites such as enchiladas or tacos.
Why This Recipe Works
Seriously friends, this white queso recipe is one of the easiest, best tasting, Tex-Mex dip recipes you'll find. In fact, this queso dip comes together so quickly you can be dipping your chips in within minutes after you begin to make it.
I hesitated to post this queso recipe because it's just so simple. I make this dip often, especially on game days when we want to relax and watch our favorite football teams play.
The queso is mildly spicy, but you can adjust the amount of spice easily to make it more or less spicy. If you want to make a bigger batch to share, the queso recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
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Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Cheese: For the classic Mexican restaurant-style queso, use white American cheese. It melts extremely well. You can find White American cheese at the deli counter in your market. Either sliced cheese or cheese in a block is fine.
- Half and half: I prefer this over cream or milk.
- Salsa verde: Use your favorite jarred brand. I love Herdez brand of salsa. Since this is a small batch queso recipe, I use salsa instead of opening up a can of peppers or slicing a pepper.
How To Make White Queso
- Simmer the cheese, the half & half, and the salsa verde in a small pot and stir until melted.
You can always add more or less salsa to suit your tastes and the remaining salsa can be kept in the fridge and used as a dip or in other recipes such as our Taco Casserole For One.
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Frequently Asked Questions
* I love baking a small batch of homemade tortilla chips. They can be ready in minutes and are perfect for dipping in queso.
* Drizzle queso over a Beef and Cheese Pita Pizza.
* Add to either Fish Tacos or Shrimp Tacos.
* Don't forget a Margarita! A Skinny Margarita is perfect to go along with a bowl of queso and chips.
For this easy queso recipe, I use a 1-quart saucepan. For best results use a pan of similar size.
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
Expert Tips
- If you have any leftover queso, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can purchase White American cheese in the deli section of your grocery store.
- This queso recipe can easily be doubled if you'd like to make more.
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If you’ve tried this easy white queso recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Small Batch White Queso
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ pound White American cheese
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon salsa verde
Instructions
- Place the cheese, half and half, and salsa verde in a small pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you have any leftover queso, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can purchase White American cheese in the deli section of your grocery store.
- This queso recipe can easily be doubled if you'd like to make more.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Chris says
Will this dip turn liquified after storing in the fridge, the day or two after? It happens to me with store bought queso dip…thank you!
Joanie Zisk says
It should not turn liquidy if stored in the fridge. I find that it thickens a bit - just stir it and when heated, the queso should return to the right consistency.
Kathy says
Can you use this to pour over cooked pasta for Mac&Cheese?
Is white American Cheese less processed than Velveeta, or are they about the same? And if you didn’t use the American Cheese, could you just use grated Cheddar? Thank you!
Joanie Zisk says
Kathy, pouring queso over cooked pasta is a wonderful idea. I'm sure it would be delicious.
White American cheese is not the same as Velveeta and I haven't tested this recipe with Velveeta so I can't tell you how it will turn out. I do not recommend using Cheddar cheese in this recipe because Cheddar does not melt well.
Carol says
Hi from Australia, what is half and half?
Joanie Zisk says
Half and half is half cream and half milk.
Jan kinane says
I would love to try the Queso recipe, but what is white American cheese? By the way, I LOVE your cookbook!
Joanie Zisk says
Hi Jan, I'm so glad you are enjoying the cookbook and recipes - thank you!!
American cheese is a processed cheese that is smooth, creamy, and melts very well. If you can't find White American cheese, use a good easy melting cheese. White American works best so if you use a different cheese, you might need to add more half and half and cook it longer.
lynn says
A delicious recipe and so easy to whip up when I get a craving for my "chips and dip." Thank you.
Joanie Zisk says
Hi Lynn,
I'm so happy you like the recipe. Thank you for letting us know.
Joanie
Debra says
Easy, fast and so yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
Joanie Zisk says
Debra,
I'm so happy you enjoyed the queso. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know.
Joanie
Roguewave1 says
I’ve been using White American cheese for years with a tad of chicken broth to thin and chopped Hatch Green Chili’s. Tomato, onion and/or piccadillo is nice too.
Nellie Tracy says
Such a great recipe!!
Noelle says
So simple with just three ingredients! Love it.