Easy and Delicious Queso Dip

Queso dip
Ooey gooey flavorful goodness: Queso Dip.

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  • Total: 45 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yield: 16 servings

This Tex-Mex classic packs a lot of flavor from cheese, diced vegetables, and seasonings. The creamy ingredients somewhat tone down the spicy elements, but just enough heat is left to make it interesting.

Chili powder is the seasoning blend used to make chili soup. It generally contains ground chile peppers, cumin, oregano, and perhaps garlic, salt, and some other herb or spice (depending on who is making it). This is a Tex-Mex creation and rarely if ever, seen in Mexico proper. Powdered chili is merely ground up dried chile peppers and is found in authentic Mexican cuisine. Either of these is acceptable to for this dish, depending on your own preferences and/or what you have on hand. If you are not sure of the spiciness of the powder you are using, start with half the amount mentioned, then add more until you reach your desired degree of piquancy.


  • 32 ounces (about 900 grams) asadero cheese (or queso quesadilla; in cubes)
  • 1 bell pepper (seeded and finely diced)
  • 1/2 cup green chiles (finely diced; if using canned, drain them first)
  • 1/4 cup onion (white or red, finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder (or powdered chile)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 cup sour cream (or Mexican crema, if available)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Combine all of the ingredients except the cream in the top pan of a double boiler—or use a slow cooker—and heat gently until the cheese melts completely. (Stir occasionally during this period.) 

  3. Immediately before serving, stir in the crema or sour cream.

  4. Pour your delicious hot queso dip into one or more serving bowls and serve with homemade tortilla chips.

  5. Enjoy!


  • Having the cream at or near room temperature when stirring it into cheese mixture will help keep your dip hot. Just take the cream out of the refrigerator before you start working on the other ingredients so that it will have time to warm up a bit.
  • If you have any leftover dip, store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Heat it in the microwave or in a saucepan over very low heat. You will need to mix it as it heats to recombine and melt the cheese.

Recipe Variations

  • Trade the diced green chiles for finely sliced roasted poblano peppers. Check the spiciness of the poblanos before adding them, as they can vary from pepper to pepper.
  • Substitute the bell pepper with canned or frozen corn kernels or a chopped and seeded tomato.
  • Omit the chili powder/powdered chile and you'll have a poblano pepper queso dip.

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