Chile Con Queso - Once Upon A Chef

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Whip up my restaurant-quality chile con queso at home—a dish so deliciously creamy, cheesy and perfectly spiced, it’ll have everyone enthusiastically double dipping!

chile con queso with chips on platter

Every week, it’s the same story: my kids make a big pitch for take-out from their favorite Mexican place. They’re absolutely crazy about the food there, especially the chile con queso, a warm dip made from melted cheese, spices, and chilies. I’ve taken a few stabs at recreating this elusive queso at home, suspecting the secret might be a Velveeta-style cheese block (not exactly my go-to ingredient). But my culinary experiments were always met with a chorus of “too fancy” from my critics.

Determined not to be outdone by a block of processed cheese, I finally hit the jackpot with a recipe that’s a win-win for both my kids and me. This chile con queso is rich and creamy with just the right touch of spice. It’s perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips and makes a generous amount for a crowd. Enjoy it warm from the stove, and watch it disappear as quickly as it came together!

What You’ll Need To Make Queso

Ingredients including diced tomatoes, half and half, and shredded cheese.

I developed this recipe using pre-shredded cheese from a bag for ease and convenience, as it saves the effort of grating cheese by hand. Note that pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents to prevent clumping, which incidentally aids in thickening the queso, resulting in a perfectly smooth and creamy texture ideal for dipping.

Should you choose to grate the cheese yourself, I recommend increasing the butter and flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons each. This adjustment compensates for the lack of anti-caking agents in freshly shredded cheese, ensuring your queso still achieves that wonderfully rich and creamy consistency.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the 2 tablespoons of flour.

Cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute.

Add the 2 cups half-and-half to the pot and whisk until evenly combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, a few minutes.

Turn the heat down to low and gradually add the 2 cups grated cheese, whisking and letting it melt as you go, until all of the cheese is incorporated.

Stir in ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and 1 cup diced tomatoes and green chilies. The mixture may seem a bit thick at first, but it will thin out slightly as the tomatoes warm in the sauce.

Stirring in the salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and diced tomatoes and green chilies.

Add the 1 tablespoon cilantro, if using, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary; for more heat, add more cayenne pepper.

Transfer the queso to a bowl and serve warm with tortilla chips. If the dip cools while you’re serving it, you can reheat it in the microwave; just stop and stir at short intervals so it reheats evenly.

Chile Con Queso

By Jennifer Segal Whip up my restaurant-quality chile con queso at home—a dish so deliciously creamy, cheesy and perfectly spiced, it'll have everyone enthusiastically double dipping! Servings: 2 cupsPrep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups (8 oz) Mexican blend shredded cheese from a bag (I use Tillamook; see note)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Rotel (from a 10-oz/283-g can)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
Tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute. Add the half & half and whisk until evenly combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, a few minutes. Turn the heat down to low and gradually add the grated cheese, whisking and letting it melt as you go, until all of the cheese is incorporated. Stir in the salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, diced tomatoes and green chilies, and cilantro (if using). The mixture may seem a bit thick at first, but it will thin out slightly as the tomatoes and peppers release their juices. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary; for more heat, add more cayenne pepper. If the dip seems too thick, you can thin it out with a bit more half & half or some milk. Transfer the queso to a bowl and serve warm with tortilla chips. If the dip cools while you're serving it, you can reheat it in the microwave; just stop and stir at short intervals so it reheats evenly.

Notes

I developed this recipe using pre-shredded cheese from a bag for ease and convenience, as it saves the effort of grating cheese by hand. An important aspect to note is that pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents to prevent clumping, which incidentally aids in thickening the queso, resulting in a perfectly smooth and creamy texture ideal for dipping. Should you choose to grate the cheese yourself, I recommend increasing the butter and flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons each. This adjustment compensates for the lack of anti-caking agents in freshly shredded cheese, ensuring your queso still achieves that wonderfully rich and creamy consistency. Make-Ahead Instructions: The queso can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated on the stovetop. If it's too thick, add a bit of half and half or milk to thin it out.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (8 servings)Calories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 9gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 303mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4g Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Appetizers
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Comments

Hi Jenn,

I’ll be shredding cheese for this recipe. Do you object to swapping american cheese for the asadero portion?
- — Jillian on February 7, 2026
- Reply
- Sure, Jillian, that’s fine. Because you’ll be shredding the cheese yourself, I recommend increasing the butter and flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons each.
  - — Jennifer Segal on February 9, 2026
  - Reply
Jenn, I have gluten free folks and nut allergy folks joining us this SuperBowl. Would you just omit the flour since gluten free/nut free flours are produced on nut facilities and our guest has a fierce allergy. Or would you suggest something else? Huge fan of all you do. Best.
- — Jane C. on February 7, 2026
- Reply
- Hi Jane, I’m obviously weighing in too late to help (sorry!), but for future reference, I’d recommend a gluten-free flour like this one. (And so glad you like the recipes!)
  - — Jennifer Segal on February 9, 2026
  - Reply
Not a lot of flavor
- — Jacob on November 16, 2025
- Reply
This is different than your recipe that uses shredded pepper jack and cheddar with diced jalapeños. Is it possible to get the old recipe?
- — Amy on August 25, 2025
- Reply
- I just emailed it to you. 😊
  - — Jennifer Segal on August 26, 2025
  - Reply
Another amazing recipe!
- — Taylor on June 14, 2025
- Reply

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Welcome - I'm Jennifer Segal - Classically Trained Chef, Cookbook Author & Busy Mom

Once upon a time, I went to culinary school and worked in fancy restaurants. Now, I’m cooking for my family and sharing all my tested & perfected recipes with you here! Read more…