Chile Con Queso Recipe | LaaLoosh (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between queso and chile con queso? ›

It can be made with various cheeses. Usually it is white or yellow in color. Although chile con queso is commonly called "queso", it should not be confused with "cheese dip", which is specifically cheese without the peppers.

Evaporated milk works best in queso because it doesn't have that excess of water and it can help your dip reach a delicate balance between super thick and too thin. (As in you're not constantly having to alternate between adding more milk and then more cheese.)

Queso asadero is Mexican cheese that's great for melting. It is soft, white and creamy with a mild taste, and is often used to make pizzas, quesadillas and queso fundido.

However, when people refer to “queso” in the context of food, they are usually talking about a type of melted cheese dip that is commonly enjoyed as a snack or appetizer, particularly in Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisines.

Evaporated Milk: This creates a creamy and smooth texture that is ideal for any good queso blanco. Milk, heavy cream, or half and half can be used instead, but evaporated milk has given me the best results.

Evaporated milk — make sure to buy evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk. The two cans look similar but are different. Evaporated milk help keeps the dip from separating and turning clumpy as it cools. Chile — I use canned green chiles, but you can also use jalapeno.

Thus, heavy cream can easily be substituted for recipes that call for evaporated milk. How to Substitute: For 12 ounces of evaporated milk, combine 3 ounces of whole milk and 9 ounces of heavy cream.

The Secret to Smooth Queso

The bane of every queso-makers existence is curdling. The use of cream cheese in my queso guards against this common issue. The stabilizers in the cream cheese work to prevent the cheese from curdling when heated.

What keeps queso from hardening? ›

Cheese sauce can be kept from congealing by applying enough heat to keep it semi-liquid but not enough to scorch it or dry it out. A candle or an electric heat source can be used for this.

Why won't my cheese melt? There are many reasons, but the biggest is the moisture content. The moisture content of the cheese has a great effect on the melting process. Cheese that contains higher amounts of fat will melt better than one that doesn't.

Season generously and taste as you go with tortilla chips

Aside from the main ingredients we discussed, you also want to season your queso generously. Seasonings help you achieve the right flavor and ensure you avoid doing all the work just to wind up with a bland-tasting dip.

The basic building blocks of cheese are milk protein (casein), water, fat, and salt. When heated, the protein molecules break apart and become fluid.

And while chile con queso is usually only lightly garnished with pico de gallo or maybe taco meat, queso fundido often comes capped with mushrooms, chorizo, or grilled peppers. Notably, it's traditionally served with tortillas instead of tortilla chips.

I decided to start my chile con queso recipe quest by doing a bit of research on the history of chile con queso. In its yellow, molten state it's a truly Tex-Mex creation, but there is a proper Mexican counterpart also known as chile con queso that is made with white Mexican cheese.

Scanning the internet and the supermarket shelf, we realized that the cheese sauces are divided into two basic categories: Queso Dips, which include some amount of heat, spices, and other flavorings, and Cheese Dips, which are cheese and little else.

The Best Chile Con Queso Recipe

I love this super simple chile con queso dip which can be ready in 25 minutes start to finish. What can be better than a hot and cheesy dip that's got some beef, lots of fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles and jalapeños. So you see, I am also getting my veggies in.