Do you love Chipotle's new queso blanco? Well, you've come to the right place. Learn how to make our copycat version, and in under an hour, you'll have enough of this addicting dip to share with all your friends and family members. It's party time!
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Ingredients
The authentic Chipotle queso uses 13 ingredients, and our recipe also uses only 13 real food ingredients. This sauce is all natural with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
- Dairy: butter, monterey jack, white cheddar, whole milk, heavy cream
- Aromatics: white onion and garlic
- Vegetables: poblano pepper, serrano peppers, roma tomatoes
- Thickener: cornstarch
- Dried Spices: chipotle chili powder, salt
Questions
What does queso blanco mean?
Queso blanco is Spanish for white cheese. In the culinary world, it is a white cheese sauce commonly used as a dip for tortilla chips.
What are the nutrition facts for this recipe?
For a ⅓ cup serving size, there is 244 calories with 6.7g carbs and 20.2g of fat. This recipe is also high in calcium. For more nutritional facts, scroll to the end of the recipe card.
Is Chipotle's queso blanco gluten free?
Chipotle's new quesco blanco, which was launched nationwide on February 27, 2020, is gluten free because it uses cornstarch as the main thickening agent. Our recipe also uses cornstarch, so people who are on a gluten free diet can enjoy it too.
Is this recipe keto friendly?
If you are on a keto diet, rest assured that our recipe is high in fat from the real cheese, whole milk, and heavy cream. This recipe is also low in carbs (6.4 g), so feel free to use this as a dip for veggies when you have your next Mexican night.
What does this taste like?
Our recipe, just like the new Chipotle queso blanco, is creamy and tastes like real melted cheese. There is a lingering tingle of mild spiciness from the three kinds of peppers and the chipotle chili powder.
What does it look like?
This Mexican white sauce is a pale salmon color due to the dried chipotle powder. It is silky smooth in texture and is thick enough to coat a tortilla chip, but thin enough to work well inside a burrito or poured over top of nacho chips. There is no goop or grittiness, just a lovely velvety smooth texture.
How long can this recipe keep?
If stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this dip should keep for up to 5 days. If you have any leftovers, don't freeze it because this sauce is dairy based and will separate and become grainy when thawed and reheated.
How can I serve this dip?
The most common way to serve this for company or a covered dish event is in a small crockpot set on warm. This will keep the dip at the right temperature and will keep it soft and smooth. Another way you can serve it is in individual ramekins, but it's best to eat this soon after dishing up, as the dip will cool off quickly.
What can I serve this with?
- Tortilla chips
- Tex Mex food: nachos, enchiladas, burritos
- Raw veggies
- Cooked broccoli or cauliflower
- Potato wedges
- Pretzel bites
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients. Coarsely grate the two cheeses, chop up the onion, garlic, tomato, poblano,, and serrano peppers. Measure out the cornstarch, salt, chipotle chili powder, whole milk, and heavy cream.
In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat.
Saute the onion, poblano, and serrano peppers until soft, stirring occasionally.
Add the minced garlic and the roma tomatoes and cook until fragrant.
Pour in the whole milk and the heavy cream.
Slowly whisk in the slurry of cornstarch and water. This will act as the main thickener for the sauce.
Keep whisking while the sauce is brought just barely to a boil, then simmer and whisk constantly until it starts to thicken. This will take some time, so be patient.
Add the dried chipotle chili powder for a little heat, smokiness, and color.
Remove the sauce from the heat and gradually add the cheese.
Whisk in the cheese in small batches until it is melted. The six cups of freshly grated cheese will also help thicken the sauce.
Taste and sprinkle in as much salt as you like. We added 3 ½ teaspoons for a batch of 7 ⅓ cups of white sauce.
Whisk in the salt, then taste again and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
Enjoy this dip warm in a large serving bowl for family members, or transfer to a small crock pot to keep warm for an event.
Variations
- Want to increase the protein? Add cooked sausage, chorizo, ground beef, or shredded chicken.
- Want other garnish ideas? Try diced jalapeños, tomatoes, or chopped cilantro.
- Want this spicier? Add more serrano peppers.
Pro Tips
- Use full fat cheese, milk, and cream for the ultra creamy texture this dip is known for.
- Use freshly coarsely grated cheese for a velvety smooth texture.
- Add the cheese in small batches after the heat is turned off for the best texture.
- Constantly stir the sauce so the bottom doesn't burn.
Other Dips You'll Enjoy
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Recipe
Copycat Chipotle Queso Blanco
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup white onion, finely chopped
- ¾ cup poblano pepper, finely chopped
- ¾ cup serrano pepper, finely chopped
- ¼ cup garlic, minced
- ¼ cup roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 ½ teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
- 2 cups white cheddar, coarsely grated
- 3 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the onion and peppers until they are soft, roughly 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a large wooden spoon.
- Add the minced garlic and the tomatoes and cook until fragrant, roughly a minute, while constantly stirring.
- Pour in the whole milk and heavy cream while whisking, then sprinkle in the chipotle pepper powder.
- In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing equal parts water to cornstarch. Mix with a fork until smooth, then gradually add it to the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. The cornstarch will make the sauce glossy and gluten free.
- Whisking constantly to prevent lumps or burnt spots, bring the sauce to a slight boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until it starts to thickened. This will take roughly 12 to 15 minutes. (It will thicken more once the cheese is added and the sauce has cooled down a bit.)
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and stir in the grated cheese in batches until it is melted.
- Taste then add enough salt to your liking. Adjust other seasonings, if necessary.
- Serve while warm. Keep the sauce warm by turning the stove to the lowest setting or transfer the queso blanco to a crock pot and keep on the warm setting.
Notes
- Make sure to grate your own cheese for this recipe. The pre-grated cheese is coated in cellulose to reduce sticking, and that will add graininess to your queso and prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
- To get the ultra creamy texture this dip is known for, use full fat cheese, whole milk, and heavy cream.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, then add the cheese in small batches.
- Eliminate the risk of the sauce burning by constantly whisking.
Wendy
This recipe was delicious. I used a smoky chipotle powder for this recipe and it was a hit at a work function. I did make a couple of adjustments. I added the chipotle powder in the last 30 seconds of the onions and peppers being sautéed and toasted the seasoning slightly before adding the liquids.
I also omitted 1 cup of whole milk as I had read that the sauce was meant to be more soup like in consistency from other reviews.
This was a good call because after whisking for what felt like forever (15 minutes on low) the queso still felt to be pretty runny. I turned up the heat and once the cheese came to a very slight boil, I immediately removed the Dutch oven from the heat and whisked for 2 minutes longer to prevent sticking but after I let it sit for 5 minutes to let the cornstarch do it’s thing. I was left with queso with perfect consistency. It was a bit more like nacho cheese but that worked well for what I needed it for.
Good flavor and texture. I think that this was far superior to what Chipotle has.
Will make this again.
Emma
Wendy, We are thrilled that you thought our recipe was far superior to what Chipotle has. Yes, it is indeed delicious.
Akansha Binjrajka
Hi, I am from India and it is very difficult to buy Monterey Jack cheese in my area. Can you please suggest any alternative to it ?
Emma
Akansha, Havarti cheese would be the closest substitute to Monterey Jack, as it has a similar texture and melts well. Enjoy!