Appetizers & Snacksbonappetit4.2
Best Queso Dip
American cheese is nonnegotiable in this homemade queso recipe, but you can swap out the Monterey Jack for pepper Jack, Gruyère, Fontina, or cheddar cheese.
👥 6 Servings👤 Sohla El-Waylly📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●grater
- ●pot
- ●saucepan
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●spatula
- ●baking sheet
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Peel and finely chop 1 small onion. Peel 3 garlic cloves. Finely chop ⅓ cup pickled jalapeños.
2
Using a box grater, coarsely grate 8 oz. American cheese (or chop/tear if using singles) and 8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese (you should have about 4 packed cups). Set aside separately.
. American cheese8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese8 oz
3
Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy, about ⏱️ 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and add chopped onions. Using a Microplane, finely grate peeled garlic into pot; season with 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ Morton kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender but haven’t developed any color, about ⏱️ 3 minutes. Add 2 tsp. ground cumin and ½ tsp. cayenne pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about ⏱️ 30 seconds. Stir in 1¾ cups whole milk and bring to a bare simmer.
. unsalted butter2 Tbsp. ground cumin2 tspwhole milk, divided2 cups
4
Meanwhile, whisk 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup whole milk in a small bowl until smooth. By mixing the cornstarch with a portion of the milk before adding it into the pot, you greatly reduce your chance of lumps. (You can also shake milk and cornstarch together in small lidded jar.)
. cornstarch1 Tbspwhole milk, divided2 cups
5
Add cornstarch mixture to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened (it should coat the back of your spatula) and cornstarch is hydrated—it should simmer for 1 full minute. This is important: If your cornstarch isn't fully hydrated, your queso will be grainy and floury rather than thick and creamy.
6
Reduce heat to medium-low and add American cheese. Stir vigorously with a spatula, taking care not to let mixture bubble, until cheese is fully melted, about ⏱️ 3 minutes.
7
Add Monterey Jack cheese one handful at a time, stirring vigorously to incorporate fully before adding the next and adjusting heat as needed so mixture doesn't bubble, about ⏱️ 30 seconds between additions and ⏱️ 4 minutes total. After adding all the cheese, stir vigorously to ensure that all cheese is melted, about ⏱️ 1 minute (it will look thick and stringy).
8
Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. pickling liquid and half of jalapeños. Taste and add more salt if needed. Garnish with remaining jalapeños.
9
Arrange chips on a platter or baking sheet. Serve queso right out of the pot so it stays warm and can be easily reheated over medium-low heat if needed. If you’re feeling real extra, set pot over another pot or large bowl filled with hot water so it stays gooey for longer. Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in January 2020 as ‘Queso, Not From a Jar.’ Head this way for more of our best Super Bowl snacks →
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