Chile con Queso Recipe
This Chile con Queso is our personal favorite cheese dip recipe after living in Texas for over 10 years! It’s easy to make in one skillet and is always a crowd-pleasing recipe. Trust us when we say, there will be no leftovers.
If you know anything about Tex-Mex cuisine, then you know you always have to have Chile con Queso. This is our homemade version of the recipe that we serve at every tailgate and large family gathering. It’s highly requested by our family and friends because it’s creamy, spicy, and so cheesy delicious.
Save The Recipe!
Add your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox+ you’ll receive all our newest recipes!
We keep the prep simple with our chile con queso by making everything in one pan. It keeps the cook time down to under 15 minutes. We like to use ground beef or fresh chorizo in the cheese mixture just like our favorite restaurant in Houston.
If you love an easy appetizer recipe be sure to also try our Copycat Chuy’s Creamy Jalapeno Dip or Slow Cooker Taco Dip.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- One pan appetizer recipe. This chile con queso is as easy as it gets. You cook everything in one pan and then serve to a crowd as a great appetizer or side dish.
- Customize the queso to your liking. You can use a different meat or omit the meat, add more spice, or try out different cheeses.
- A crowd-pleasing recipe that’s ready in under 15 minutes. Don’t stress over entertaining, this chile con queso is the perfect dish to quickly make on the stove. Plus you can even serve it out of a slow cooker so it stays warm for a while.
What is Chile Con Queso?
Chile con queso means “chili with cheese.” It’s a classic Tex-Mex dish and is usually a melted cheese dip using American cheese mixed with other types as well. You can add ground meat to the cheese dip as well as chiles and spices to make it super flavorful. We’ve been eating it for years at our local favorite Texas restaurants.
ingredients
Scroll down to the end of this post for specific ingredient amounts in the recipe card.
- Lean ground beef, chorizo or ground breakfast sausage: The protein for the chile con queso, we’ve used every option as they’re all delicious.
- Chili powder or taco seasoning: Adds a burst of Mexican-inspired flavor that is so delicious.
- Finely diced red onion: Adds a bit of zing to every bite.
- Garlic cloves: Infuses each bite with garlicky flavor.
- Green chiles: You can use the small can of the green chiles, these add mild spice but so much pepper flavor.
- Finely diced jalapeno: Adds additional spice and fresh veggie crunch. Remove the seeds if you want a mild spice level.
- Rotel (green chiles, tomatoes, and onions): Canned tomatoes with green chiles and onions that we love adding to the cheese mixture for flavor.
- Evaporated milk: Gets the consistency just right. It’s also richer in flavor than regular milk giving that creamy quality.
- American cheese: The best melting cheese for chile con queso.
- Pepper jack cheese: We love to add this to the American cheese for a bit of spice in every bite.
- Garnish Options: Our favorites include chopped fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeño, guacamole, and/or hot sauce.
Tools You’ll Need
- 9″ Cast Iron Skillet or 2 Quart Baking Dish
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Meat Chopper
- Hand Held Rotary Grater
- Cheese Shredder
How to Make chile con Queso
- In a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble preferred meat until browned and cooked through. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate. Blot to remove any excess grease. Set aside.
- To the same skillet, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the grease or add a neutral oil if needed. Over medium heat, add red onion and garlic. Cook 2 minutes or until softened and translucent.
- Stir in green chiles, jalapeño, and Rotel. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Pour in evaporated milk and American cheese. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Mix in 2 cups of the Pepper Jack cheese and cook for another minute until it’s melted.
- Fold in the cooked meat.
- Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the remaining Pepper Jack cheese on top. Place the skillet under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
- Once done, garnish as desired. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Expert Tips
- Cook the meat fully first before adding the rest of the ingredients. This is a one skillet recipe, so by cooking the meat first we are adding to much flavor already to the chile con queso from the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Drain the fat off as desired after cooking too.
- Broil the chile con queso to finish for that delicious golden brown top. We add more pepper Jack cheese and give it a nice broil so that it’s perfectly cheesy and delicious.
- Make it as spicy as you desire. We have canned green chiles and jalapenos in our recipe. Plus the pepper Jack cheese adds a kick too. Make sure you remove the seeds of the jalapeno for a mild recipe.
- Try using different meat options. We love using lean ground beef, chorizo, or ground breakfast sausage.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through. You can also microwave until warm and melty.
We don’t recommend freezing the leftovers since they can thaw and change consistency.
For easy prep ahead, prepare all of the ingredients and then just combine when the guests arrive in a skillet. You can also hold the chile con queso in a slow cooker to stay warm through your whole party for a couple of hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually a blend of American cheese and other cheeses, ground meat, spices, and canned tomatoes or chiles.
Chili con queso is queso that has ground meat in it. We like to add ground beef, chorizo, or breakfast sausage.
This means chili with cheese, basically a cheese dip that has ground meat in it.
More Easy appetizer Recipes
Chile Con Queso Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef, chorizo or ground breakfast sausage
- 1 teaspoon chili powder or taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 4 ounce can green chiles undrained
- 1-2 seeded and finely diced jalapeno
- 10 ounce can Rotel (green chiles, tomatoes, and onions) heat level as desired
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 6 ounces American cheese
- 12 ounces pepper jack cheese
- Garnish Options: chopped fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeño, guacamole, and/or hot sauce
Instructions
- In a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble preferred meat until browned and cooked through. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate. Blot to remove any excess grease. Set aside.
- To the same skillet, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the grease or add a neutral oil if needed. Over medium heat, add red onion and garlic. Cook 2 minutes or until softened and translucent.
- Stir in green chiles, jalapeño, and Rotel. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Pour in evaporated milk and American cheese. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Mix in 2 cups of the Pepper Jack cheese and cook for another minute until it’s melted.
- Fold in the cooked meat.
- Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the remaining Pepper Jack cheese on top. Place the skillet under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
- Once done, garnish as desired. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Video
Notes
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through. You can also microwave until warm and melty. We don’t recommend freezing the leftovers since they can thaw and change consistency. For easy prep ahead, prepare all of the ingredients and then just combine when the guests arrive in a skillet. You can also hold the chile con queso in a slow cooker to stay warm through your whole party for a couple of hours. Tips:
- Cook the meat fully first before adding the rest of the ingredients. This is a one skillet recipe, so by cooking the meat first we are adding to much flavor already to the chile con queso from the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Drain the fat off as desired after cooking too.
- Broil the chile con queso to finish for that delicious golden brown top. We add more pepper Jack cheese and give it a nice broil so that it’s perfectly cheesy and delicious.
- Make it as spicy as you desire. We have canned green chiles and jalapenos in our recipe. Plus the pepper Jack cheese adds a kick too. Make sure you remove the seeds of the jalapeno for a mild recipe.
- Try using different meat options. We love using lean ground beef, chorizo, or ground breakfast sausage.
About Laura
Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more…
What type of American cheese did you use? Do single wrapped cheese slices work? or Velveeta?
I used American cheese slices form the deli 🙂 Velveeta works as well.
I used this recipe for our salsa cook-off at work today — and I WON!! 🎉 I’d been hunting all week for the perfect one and this was it. I wasn’t sure how it’d hold up cold, but everyone went wild for it! Total hit and hands-down a winner!
This has MADE my day!! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I love that you made it for your cook-off and that everyone loved it so much!! You’re #1…the best…the sweetest! THANK YOU!
FYI, Jalapeno seeds are not a source of heat. Heat is found in the spines of the Chile.
Thank you 🙂 The heat in jalapeños comes from a chemical compound called capsaicin. Capsaicin is found primarily in the placental tissue (the white pith) and the seeds of the pepper, although it can also be present throughout the flesh.