This warm, homemade Pepper Jack Queso dip is a fun and easy appetizer that everyone will love. It’s absolutely bursting with flavor, ultra-creamy, and has the perfect amount of spice.
And if you are a little more sensitive to spicy foods, have no fear! Queso pepper jack isn’t super spicy, and the amount of extra jalapeños and canned green chilis aren’t enough to completely cut through all of the ooey gooey cheese, cream, and evaporated milk.
Homemade Pepper Jack Queso
If you have searched far and wide for the best white queso recipe, look no further. This queso with pepper jack cheese is our family’s absolute favorite, hands down. It has so many layers of flavor, thanks to the base of minced onion, garlic, and jalapeño.
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My favorite way to eat this pepper jack cheese sauce is with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and olives but we’ve given you plenty of other ideas below, along with even more yummy pepper jack cheese recipes to try.
What to Serve with Homemade Pepper Jack Cheese Queso
- Bread. Bread is always a great choice! Try serving with homemade breadsticks or freshly baked bread cut into chunks and lightly toasted in the oven.
- Veggies. For an easy shortcut, I like to purchase pre-cut veggie trays from the supermarket and then arrange the veggies on a platter. No one will ever know the difference!
- Pretzels. The store-bought crunchy kind taste great, as do our favorite homemade Soft Pretzel Bites.
- Crackers. Any type of cracker will work great.
- Burrito– Try this Queso Dip along side our Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito with all the fixing for a fun Mexican Fiesta!
- Salsa– Try it with our homemade salsa, it can be ready in about 5 minutes.
Key Ingredients
- Pepper Jack Cheese – make sure you use brick cheese instead of pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese is made with a non-caking coating and your queso will never get as creamy.
- Cornstarch – this helps to thicken the queso slightly.
- Red Pepper – you could substitute any other color of bell pepper, too.
- Jalapeño – fresh jalapeños are our fav! If you want to tone down the spice, you could either reduce the amount, eliminate it completely, or use green chiles.
- Evaporated Milk – this adds to the creaminess.
- Heavy Cream – any type of cream will work.
- Canned Green Chilis – you should be able to find these in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store.
- Spices – in this queso we use garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes. You can adjust the seasoning to your own liking if you wish.
How to Make Pepper Jack Queso
- Prep the ingredients. In a small bowl, add the shredded Pepper Jack cheese and sprinkle the cornstarch over the top. Gently mix to coat, then set aside. In a food processor, with the grater attachment on, grate the onion, red pepper, jalapeño and garlic (Note: if you don’t have a food processor, you can dice them with a knife).
- Saute the veggies. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the onion and vegetable mixture. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft but not brown.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook. Add the evaporated milk, cream, green chilies, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, red pepper flakes and the reserved shredded cheese. Mix together, then simmer on low and stir until the cheese is melted and smooth.
- Serve. Transfer the warm queso to a serving bowl and serve with fresh veggies or tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Queso is generally thicker than fondue and something you’d find at your favorite Mexican Restaurant. It is often filled with chunks of onions, pepper, jalapenos, sausage, or pico de gallo.
To make queso Blanco, when making a queso dip, use Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or White American Cheese.
Store your leftover queso cheese dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave gently or transfer to a saucepan and reheat over low heat, stirring constantly.
I love to serve this cheese dip with tortilla chips, pretzel bites, sliced veggies, or drizzled over nachos, tacos, or baked potatoes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- If you are serving a crowd, it works great to make the Pepper Jack Queso and keep it warm in a slow cooker.
- If you need to reheat your queso, put it into a saucepan with a splash of milk and warm over medium heat while stirring until smooth again.
- In order to keep this a white queso, we like to use white onion.
- Do not try and use pre-shredded cheese! It will never melt smoothly like brick cheese will because it contains an anti-caking coating.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: Leftover queso can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: either microwave or transfer to a saucepan with a little milk and heat over medium heat, stirring until nice and creamy.
Pepper Jack Queso Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded from a brick
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, cut into large chunks
- 1/2 whole red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 1/2 whole jalapeno, deseeded
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces canned green chilis, drained
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the shredded pepper jack cheese and sprinkle the cornstarch over the top. Gently mix to coat, then set aside.
- In a food processor with the grater attachment on, grate the onion, red pepper, jalapeno and garlic (or dice with a sharp knife).
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion and vegetable mixture. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft but not brown—about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the evaporated milk, cream, green chilies, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, red pepper flakes, and the reserved shredded cheese. Mix together, then simmer on low and stir until the cheese is melted and smooth.
- Transfer the warm queso to a serving bowl and serve with fresh veggies or tortilla chips. Enjoy!
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This homemade Pepper Jack Queso dip is absolutely bursting with flavor, ultra creamy and has the perfect amount of spice. It’s a fun and easy appetizer that everyone will love.
Categories:
Appetizers, Cheese, Dips, Game Day, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Reader Favorites, Tex Mex, Vegetarian,
Hello. I thought the queso was delicious but my mother felt it was a tad too sweet for her liking. Could you leave the peppers and onion out of the recipe or would it change the consistency?
Thank you!
Maybe just do half of the peppers and onions. They had sweetness and flavor too.
I’m gonna need all the chips! This is so creamy and decadent, absolutely delicious!
My family love pepper jack cheese, and especially queso! This never fails to be a hit.
What do you do with the green chilies? Drain the can chop the chilies? When are they added? Same question about the jalapeños.
Hi Kelly – we’ve updated the recipe and answered your questions there!
Can I use half and half and how much?
Hi there, you can try with half and half if you’d like. You would want to do an equal substitution of half and half for cream.
Great recipe, but when do you add 1/2 cup cream and what kind of cream ?
I’ve update the recipe card. Thanks for pointing that out! Add the cream when you add the evaporated milk. Heavy whipping cream or really any cream will do. I hope you love it as much as we do!