This crockpot white queso dip is smooth, creamy and super easy to make! It's the perfect appetizer for game day, or just any weeknight that you're craving nachos!
Jump to:
What is Queso Dip?
The literal translation of "queso" in Spanish is just "cheese". But in Tex-Mex cuisine, queso dip is melty, cheesy, liquid gold that has a chokehold on millions of Americans (myself included). It's a staple appetizer at Mexican restaurants all over the US and now you can finally make it at home!
Sometimes it's called nacho cheese dip, sometimes queso fundido (which often has chorizo), but sometimes it's just called queso. No matter what you call it, it's absolutely delicious!
Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make this crockpot queso dip!
Cheese - A combo of white American cheese and pepper jack cheese is my favorite! It's the perfect balance of creamy and flavorful. Also, make sure to use blocks of cheese as opposed to pre-grated cheese! Pre-grated cheese contains additives to keep it from clumping together, but that also prevents it from melting smoothly in a dip. Unfortunately there's no substitute for the white American cheese, as it contains sodium citrate which is what helps the queso melt super smoothly and not curdle. You can often find white American cheese at the deli counter at most grocery stores!
Evaporated Milk - Evaporated milk is the best for making cheese dip because it adds a concentrated flavor without too much extra liquid.
Green Chilies - Mild diced green chilies are the perfect way to add tons of flavor and just a tiny bit of spice to the queso.
Pickled Jalapenos - These are optional (I prefer to leave them out) but if you want a spicier queso dip, you'll definitely want to add them in for a little extra heat!
Spices - I like to use a mix of garlic powder, cumin, and ancho chili powder. But you can use whatever you like!
Lime Juice - Both the green chilies and pickled jalapenos are preserved in acid, so they add a nice tang to the queso. So don't add lime juice until the very end after you've tasted it because you might not need anymore acid!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Special Equipment
- Crockpot - I love using a small 3 quart crockpot for dips, but you can use a larger one if that's all you have.
- Slow cooker liners (for easy cleanup)
How to Make Crockpot Queso
Add the cheese, evaporated milk, drained green chilies, and spices to a small crockpot.
Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to an hour until it's melted and creamy.
Taste and add lime juice if desired.
Top the white queso dip with cilantro and enjoy!
What to Serve with White Queso Dip
This white queso dip is delicious as a game day snack or topping for tacos or nachos! I love to serve it over my chipotle beer braised beef tacos, or just dig into it with a big bag of tortilla chips!
Recipe FAQ's
Store the leftover queso dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, until melty and heated through.
If you don't use American cheese in your queso dip, you risk it curdling because American cheese contains sodium citrate which is an emulsifier that prevents separating that most other types of cheese don't contain. If you want to swap out different kinds of cheese, I recommend still using at least ¼ to ½ of the total cheese as American cheese.
Cook it low and slow and stir it often! I also recommend using a crock pot liner or spraying the insert with nonstick spray before cooking to ensure the cheese doesn't stick and burn.
More Game Day Recipes!
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers.
Also be sure to add us as a trusted site on Google so that our recipes show up more in your searches!
For more delicious, scratch-made recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on social media!
Recipe Card
Crockpot White Queso Dip
Special Equipment
Ingredients
White Queso Dip
- 8 ounces white American cheese, cubed
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, cubed
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 4 ounce can green chilies , drained
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos, optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder, substitute regular chili powder
- 1-3 teaspoons lime juice, optional
Garnish
- fresh cilantro
- green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Add the cheese, evaporated milk, drained green chilies, jalapenos, and spices to a small crockpot.
- Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to hour until it's melted and creamy.
- Taste and add lime juice if needed.
- Top the white queso dip with cilantro and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
lorraine says
DELISH!!! i did use lime juice
MC says
Can you cook it with ground meat
Kyleigh Sage says
I haven't specifically tested it, but it should work! Ground chorizo would be delish! Just make sure to brown it first and drain off any excess fat/liquid and then I'd add it once the cheese is fully melted.
Carlene says
Just like my favorite Restaurant! So good and so easy!
Brealle says
Perfect easy queso. Will make again 😋
Laura says
Searched queso recipes, bought all the ingredients but come dinner time I realized it was a slow cooker recipe (my mistake). I decided to just cook it on the stove and it turned out delicious! Great flavor and the family requested I make it again. Next time I’ll plan ahead and make it in the slow cooker.
Yeager says
I make it every game day now, I tweaked it a little not adding cumin or chili or lime because it gives some people heart burn.
Go to the deli if you have trouble finding white American
this is a keeper to pass on!
Wyatt W says
I cooked it on low for 2 hours but it seems like the cheese might’ve curdled a bit. Anyone else have this issue or do I just need to wait a little longer?
Jonna says
Yes! I came on here to ask for help because this is delicious but I’ve tried twice now, and it’s curdled both times. Maybe I’m not using the right cheese? I use tillamok pepper Jack and cheddar.
Kyleigh Sage says
Unfortunately you have to use at least some American cheese, as it contains sodium citrate which is what helps the queso melt super smoothly and not curdle! Most other types of cheese don't contain sodium citrate so you risk curdling if you leave it out.