When I show up to an event or party and see queso dip on the table I get filled with an unexplainable joy. All I crave to do is spoon it into my mouth, however, that isn't the most appropriate thing to do at someone else's home. I created this easy queso recipe so I can do all the spooning I want in the comfort of my own home!
What IS The Best Cheese For Queso?
This wasn't my first attempt at making this quest dip. I originally tried it with cheeses that don't melt down and meld together well. So, as you can imagine it was a chunky, separated, but still cheese mess. I did some research the second time and found that most people use velvetta, but velvetta is higher in carbs than I'd like. This led me to cheddar. Cheddar is reliable, melts well and tastes delicious! I also recalled that Monterey jack has a subtle flavor and is also highly used in dips! Some other great options for melty cheese are fontina, parmesan, american and good old cream cheese. If you're making nachos check this list out!
All The Best Dip Recipes Have Cheese!
Whether you're using a chip or a spoon to shovel delicious dip in your mouth I think we can all agree that all the best dips have cheese in them. For example, this queso dip. We also have a buffalo chicken dip, spinach artichoke dip and pizza dip to satisfy your cheesy dip cravings! If you don't agree try making any of the above mentioned and I'll make a believer out of you. Cheese can be strong or subtle in flavor, adds a smooth texture unlike any other, and pleases most if not all people in the room.
Easy Queso Dip
This is definitely one of those dips you'll wan't to make for game day or hosting some friends over. You can pair it with tortilla chips for your non keto friends and with celery, flackers, and pepperoni chips for yourself! We created this easy queso dip to bring something new to the low carb appetizer table in under 30 minutes!
Recipe can be quickly added to MyFitnessPal - Search "KetoConnect - Easy Queso Dip"
Easy Queso Dip | Monterey Jack and Cheddar!
Ingredients:
- 4 oz monterey jack (shredded)
- 4 oz white cheddar (shredded)
- 1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp chopped jalapeños (jarred)
- 1/4 tsp xanthan Gum
- 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
- 3 oz chorizo (optional)
Instructions:
- Optional: If you are using chorizo, cook it in the skillet first and remove once fully cooked. Drain most of the excess grease. If you aren't using chorizo omit this step.
- If you bought the cheese in blocks, shred 4 oz of each and set aside.
- Add butter and garlic to a medium-low heat skillet and mix until fragrant - about 15-20 seconds (don't let the garlic burn).
- Add heavy whipping cream and combine.
- Slowly add in the monterey jack and white cheddar cheese while combining and ensuring the cheese melts until you add more.
- Allow it to heat through and combine as you continue to mix for a couple minutes.
- Add in salt and xanthan gum and combine. Mixture will thicken slightly.
- Dice jarred jalapeños and toss into cheese and combine.
- TIP: let it heat through until it's fully combined and resembles a queso dip - you'll know when it's done! No longer than 10 minutes at this point.
- OPTIONAL: At this point you can add the chorizo back in along with diced tomatoes if you opt to use it.
Notes
Written by
Megha Barot
Megha has always been a passionate cook, but she took this to a new level after starting her keo journey in 2015. She loves creating new recipes and producing educational content for KetoConnect, which she co-founded in 2016 with Matt. Her passion for healthy eating and personal development continues to thrive. She's the proud mom of two awesome kids.
I don’t think queso is supposed to be stringy….
Can this be kept warm in a crock-pot?
Is this only 1.5g carb?! Look yammy and it’s low carb. What else do I need ?.
Yes, per serving! Recipe is for 6 servings. Enjoy!
How much is a serving?
The recipe makes 6 servings, but we don’t measure or weigh serving sizes. You can always weigh the entire dip and then divide by 6 for a more accurate measurement!
Who has a recommendation for a keto friendly chorizo?
I must have cooked the cheese too long. Not creamy but solid. I had to quit and put it in the fridge to go somewhere. I will try to incorporate some more cream and or almond milk to get it to be a smooth pourable queso. Right now, it is a soft block of very tasty cheese. hmm, I will keep trying though! Thanks for the recipe
I made it! It was delicious and quick, just what I needed after an evening presentation at our local library. I served this with a variety of cut up veggies (called something French, but I’m not, so cut up veggies works 🙂 ). I love simple and quick and made with ingredients I keep on hand. Thank you both for helping me Keto On!
Does the nutrition facts include the chorizo?
yes, it is.
Can you make this and then keep it warm in a crockpot like normal queso or will it break or become hard and what not. Wondering if you guys tried it out or not.
Thanks!
Yep that should work!
This turned into one big blob of melted cheese. I had to add way more heavy cream than called for to even get in all of the shredded cheese in the recipe. I feel like the measurements are off by a bit??
We’ll take a look and revise, but wish we knew what happened!
Is it possible some people are using pre-shredded cheese that may contain fillers and getting different results in consistency? Just a thought!
I made this and followed instructions exactly… but somehow before I even added the xanthan gum, my queso had a constisancy of chewed up gum. The xanthan made it worse. Any suggestions???
That can happen with certain cheeses, however, you say you used the same exact cheese we have in our recipe? That is odd. It’s hard to say where you went wrong – sorry! Was it like that even prior to adding the chorizo? You could try making the cheese sauce entirely first before adding any additions!
I have a child who was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and we are using Keto recipes because we have to count every carb. What size is a serving? She loves cheese dip, so definitely want to try this. Thank you!
The serving size is 1/6th of the full recipe. It should be about ~1/3 cup or so.
Tried the recipe. Loved it. No problems, except the xanthan gum. WHY use it? The queso was the right consistency with just the cheese/butter/cream combination. Great recipe as is, and better yet because of garlic and/or jalapenos. Used the queso with a keto chips recipe I found and we were in heaven.
Thanks for all your efforts in making/promoting your site.
I have used several of your recipes and enjoyed them.
Keep up the experimentaton and good work.
Great questions, Pamela! We found that the dip is great without the xanthan gum, but adding the xanthan gum gave it a bit more uniformity! If you don’t see it necessary that is great (one less ingredient)! And, thanks for sharing so others who don’t have it can still make it successfully.
Awesome recipe Matt and Megha. You had me at queso, of course. If you had to strip this down to the simplest possible recipe that still tasted “good enough.” Which ingredients would you remove besides the chorizo?
Thanks so much Ryan! You could also remove the jalape̱os and just use one of the cheeses Рmost likely Monterey jack!
Perfect, thanks! Will give it a go!
the recipe looks good,i will try it this weekend for sure as i am addicted to jalapeños
Hi, tastes delicious! Thank you… how did you make the pork fat on the side? the one in the picture, I need that in my life right now 🙂
We’re still working on that recipe. Those look good for the picture but they weren’t actually the best tasting. We’ll let you know when we get it right!