📋 Chile Con Queso Recipe (New Mexican)

red tortilla chip being dipped into queso dip

📋 Chile Con Queso Recipe (New Mexican)

This cheesy Chile Con Queso is a delicious dip made without Velveeta cheese and with authentic roasted New Mexican green chiles. It's easy to make, pairs perfectly with tortilla chips, and is ideal for your Cinco de Mayo or game day celebrations!

Course Appetizer, Snack, snacks

Cuisine Mexican, New Mexican

Keyword cheese, chile con queso, dip, queso

Special Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings people

Calories 114kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Equipment

Ingredients

3 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups 1 % milk or skim/non-fat milk
4 cups grated old light/low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup salsa
1 cup chopped green roasted chiles (jar or can) drained
4 tablespoon (or more) chopped jalapeños - to your heat preference *you can use tamed jalapeños, if you don't like it spicy

Garnish:

cilantro sprigs/pieces

For Serving:

tortilla chips

US Customary - Metric

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring, until lightly browned.
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 tablespoon finely chopped onion, 3 garlic cloves
Once the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes more, add the flour and cumin and whisk into the butter mixture and cook until lightly browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Increase to medium heat and slowly pour in the milk, whisking continually until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
2 cups 1 % milk
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the shredded cheese (both kinds) a little bit (about ¼ -⅓ of it ) at a time. Stir until cheese is incorporated before adding more cheese.
4 cups grated old light/low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese, ½ teaspoon salt
Fold in the salsa, chiles and jalapeños. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm with tortilla chips.
If you like cilantro, add 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro here.
½ cup salsa, 1 cup chopped green roasted chiles (jar or can), 4 tablespoon (or more) chopped jalapeños - to your heat preference, cilantro sprigs/pieces, tortilla chips

Notes

*NOTE: Makes about 5 cups

**NOTE: You can buy green chiles at just about any grocery store, but they are not going to be the authentic New Mexican ones, but you can use Old El Paso chopped green chiles in a can.

Expert Recipe Tips:

Avoid the "Clump": The #1 mistake people make with real-cheese queso is adding the cheese too fast. Adding it in small portions over low heat ensures a perfectly smooth emulsion rather than a rubbery ball of cheese.
The "Whimsical" Garnish: To make the dip look professional, reserve a tablespoon of the chopped chiles and a few red bits from the salsa to sprinkle on top of the finished bowl.
Keep it Warm: Real cheese queso will firm up as it cools. For a party, I recommend serving this in a small slow cooker on the "Warm" setting to keep it pourable all night.
Consistency Fix: If your dip becomes too thick, simply whisk in a tablespoon of warm milk until it reaches your desired consistency.

Storage:

You can make this creamy queso dip a day or two in advance. And since it makes 5 cups, you may have leftovers. I store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, then reheat them in a microwave-safe bowl (in the microwave, of course!) It does not stand up well to freezing

Nutrition