Skip to Content

Restaurant Style Mexican Cheese Dip

Sharing is caring!

This is the best and most authentic restaurant-style Mexican cheese dip you will ever taste.

This easy recipe for restaurant-style Mexican Cheese Dip is my favorite cheese dip in the whole world. If you go out to a Mexican restaurant and you order the cheese dip, you will fall in love.

Now you can make it at home! It only uses 3 simple ingredients and is much cheaper and lower in carbs to make at home than it is to order at the restaurant. Hit up your local grocery store for all the ingredients to make this delicious melted cheese dip.

white cheese in blue bowl with tortilla chips wide shot

Once you see how easy it is to make this cheese dip, you will want to make it again and again and again. It goes great with my Chipotle Chicken Nachos. You can even use it to top enchiladas and more.

It features delicious White American cheese I get from the deli counter and green chiles. If you don't like green chiles, you can use cayenne pepper or chili peppers to give it a little kick instead. I used whole milk as the base but you can use heavy cream or half and half. You will need more than a splash of milk so make sure you have enough on hand.

Then, add a sprinkling of garlic powder and onion powder to take it over the top.

For the cheese, Mexican restaurants use white American cheese, but some of my readers have been experimenting and some have used Pepper Jack cheese and Monterey Jack and say it is delicious with this cheese. Just make sure to use real cheese. Don't use pre-shredded or the kind that is in plastic wrappers. The type of cheese you use is very important.

This post was originally published on October 18, 2010, and republished today June 7, 2019.

How to Make Restaurant-Style Mexican Cheese Dip

This cheese dip is the best you will taste. It's just like your favorite Mexican restaurant.

You can make this cheesy dip in a double boiler over medium heat on the stove. If you don't have a double boiler, you can use the microwave or just a saucepan on the stove top on medium-low heat. Just make sure and watch it and don't let it burn or scorch.

Of course, you can always make it in a crock pot to serve on a Taco Tuesday or even for a Cinco de Mayo party!

This cheese dip is crazy delicious and super easy to make. I love to serve it in the cute little salsa bowls that you can find at most  Mexican restaurants. I purchased a set of 3 on Amazon for only $3!

We started making this a long time ago — in fact, it was when we had our first experience at a Mexican restaurant. I just started venturing out into the world of making homemade foods. My daughter and I hit the stores up looking for the ingredients to try and create our favorite cheese dip at home.

I have to say we succeeded. It turned out even better than we expected it to.

long shot of cheese dip in blue bowl with tortilla chips

You can double or triple this recipe to make enough for your next get-together. I have never tasted anything like this cheese dip. I will be honest, I like it even better than I do the actual Mexican restaurant cheese! Seriously, this is one of the best Mexican dishes I have made yet.

You can even make a big plate of nachos and serve it with ground beef, hot sauce, and serve all the delicious taco toppings and then pour this all on top.

How to Store This Easy White Queso Dip

Once it has cooled off, place it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. The cheese dip will stay good for a couple of weeks. To reheat, place the cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and heat to your desired temperature. It makes the best leftover queso dip.

Looking for other tasty Mexican-inspired recipes? Check these out

I love serving this over roasted chicken or steak and making it a thorough main dish meal. Of course, it is always great to serve on game day with all the fixings!

Have you ever made your own dips before? What are your favorite options to add in?

Yield: 2 cups

Mexican Cheese Dip

white cheese in blue bowl with tortilla chips wide shot

This is THE only cheese dip you will ever want or need. It tastes just like your local Mexican restaurant cheese dip.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound White Land O Lakes American Cheese - you have to use this brand
  • 2 tablespoons of diced green chiles, chopped super fine
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
  • 3/4 cup to 1 cup red topped milk
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cube the cheese and place in a saucepan with green chiles, garlic powder and milk.
  2. Heat on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the cheese has melted.
  3. Once it is all melted together, if the cheese is still too thick, you can add more milk to thin it out to your desired consistency
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1/4 cup

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 111Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 400mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Deborah Shelton

Thursday 25th of January 2024

Can't wait to try it!!

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 26th of January 2024

You will love it.

Dub

Thursday 4th of May 2023

Possibly asadero, but definitely not just white American and pepper Jack.

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 5th of May 2023

It is what I said it was. I talked to the people at my Mexican restaurant. She brought out the cheese and showed me what they used. White American cheese.

Dub

Thursday 4th of May 2023

This is not what Mexican restaurants use in the Midwest. It’s not just white American. There are other cheeses involved. I’ve tried every combination of white American, spices and peppers, and sometimes pepper Jack. They must be using a queso cheese, cortina or melting cheese or something like that, but it is definitely not just American and pepper Jack.

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 5th of May 2023

Where we live here-- this is what our Mexican restaurants use -- white American cheese.

Kellie

Thursday 16th of February 2023

I followed the directions PERFECTLY and I had the exact cheese it called for but for some reason my cheese and milk never combined. I read the comments to see if anyone else had the same problem, which I see that I’m not the only one. I whisked it. No luck. Just a huge disappointing mess and $ wasted.

Jennifer Sikora

Tuesday 21st of February 2023

I am sorry that you had that issue. You can watch my video here and it shows exactly how I make it. https://youtu.be/Ce0zJUZnx04v=Ce0zJUZnx04

Rick S

Thursday 12th of January 2023

I've been making this dip for over a year now and have had nothing but good comments about it. The only thing I add is either 1/2 can of green chilies or a jalapeño that I soak for 15 minutes in ice water and then dice in food processor. Over all 👍👍

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 13th of January 2023

I love hearing that. It really is the best cheese dip out there.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe