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!
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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.
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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.
Krista says
LOVE this recipe! SO easy. Made it for a birthday party and everyone was asking for the recipe! 3x the batch and not a drop was left. 5/5!!!!!
Amber says
This is delicious! I used a can of rotel instead of just chilis!
Amanda says
I got the American cheese from the deli and just asked them to cut a 1-inch thick piece for me. I wasn't blown away by this....it was good but not a repeat. Maybe if used as a topping on nachos or a Mexican dish....but as a main dip, eh. Thanks for sharing though!!
Mara says
This is perfect and easy to make I will be making this again
Jess says
I made this recently for an open house, I made a huge batch (5 X's). It was a hit. I would recommend potentially shredding the cheese if making a huge batch (5 pounds total I used) as it took way too long to melt even on high due to the amount of ingredients in the crock pot.
For anyone who has trouble finding white american cheese, any deli carries it; I prefer the Land of Lakes brand. The best price around was GFS.
The Queso was a hit and I had several ask me for the recipe.
Lauryn says
Came out great!
Sidney says
This turned out EXCELLENT
Sharlie Hernandez says
I can not find White American Cheese at any of my local grocery stores. What would you suggest as a substitute?
Kyleigh Sage says
Unfortunately I don't recommend trying this without white American cheese, it contains sodium citrate which is what helps the queso melt super smoothly and not curdle.
Carolyn S says
Hey all the deli counters will sell white American cheese in bulk. Try there!
Anne Marie says
This was delicious! A big hit at our party!
Claire says
Making this for super bowl! How much should I make for a nacho bar for 12-14 adults? Nacho bar will be the main event (besides the football)!
Kyleigh Sage says
The recipe makes about 5 cups of Queso, so I don't think that would be quite enough -- so I'd probably double it and expect to have leftovers! I'm pretty sure the doubled amount would still fit in a small 3qt. crockpot, but you might want to use a larger one if you double it.
Claire Kruse says
Thanks so much! Looking forward to making it!
L says
I made it on the stovetop in about 15 minutes and it was delicious! Added all the ingredients and stirred on medium low heat until it was all melted and ready to eat. My family loved it!
Sam says
Turned out great. Definitely takes at least 2 hours in the crockpot.
Kristyn says
Just made this today and... WOW, was this good! Definitely will make this again in the future.
Emily says
I've made this exact recipe before its absolutely delicious!
Jody says
Easy and super yummy! I used medium diced green chiles. No jalapeños. Still had a pleasant kick. My 19 yr old literally bowed down at my feet after tasting it 😂