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There’s nothing like heat, spicy, ooey-gooey melted cheese for appetizer dipping — and even as an unconventional binge-watching dinner; who’s judging? Actually not us, particularly when it includes a deliciosa Tex-Mex queso dip. Queso is definitely simply the Spanish phrase for cheese, however not in Texas, the place the time period developed to imply a heat, creamy dip formally identified by its full title, chile con queso. It has deeper roots in Mexico, courting again to the area’s historic Aztec civilization, the place it was reportedly often called queso chihuahua. However The Lone Star State famously tailored it for the wildly widespread assortment of Tex-Mex dishes. 

Conventional Tex-Mex queso is constructed from meltable cheeses, particularly processed ones for final creaminess and supreme scoop-ability. The precise mix of cheeses might be subjective and someday mysterious. That is why we reached out to an skilled on the subject, Michael Sambrooks, proprietor of Candente, a Houston Tex-Mex restaurant that not too long ago earned Michelin Bib Gourmand honors in 2024. 

In the event you’re new to creating queso at house, his alternative for the very best queso cheese could also be stunning. “You should utilize a mix of cheeses, however true Tex-Mex queso should embody American cheese. That is what provides it its velvety texture,” says Sambrooks. That is proper, the core ingredient is processed American-style cheese relatively than the big selection of accessible Mexican cheeses. As for precise manufacturers names, Sambrooks reveals: “H-E-B model has a block of American cheese you should purchase (shout out to H-E-B!) that’s nice; if not, Velveeta works, however the taste is a bit completely different.” 

As with most tasty meals together with dips, there’s a couple of method to make the magic. Sambrooks agrees, sharing his penchant for extra complexity in flavorful queso. “I prefer to mix cheeses,” he says. “The American [cheese] is no less than half for the feel, after which you’ll be able to mix with cheddar if you would like some additional sharpness or a Monterey jack for a milder creaminess.”

Loads of culinary devotees agree, with some queso dips pulling from a a lot wider discipline of tacky choices. They embody two meltable Mexican choices: the buttery flavored Asadero cheese and the Oaxaca cheese resembling an American string cheese. Some recipes name for the aptly named queso fresco cheese, which has a extra crumbly texture and works nicely as a queso-dip garnish. There’s additionally Colby, pepperjack, and cream cheeses, all bringing their very own defining attributes to your do-it-yourself queso dips.

To chop down on decision-making stress, many supermarkets supply pre-shredded cheese packages, together with a Mexican model mix of shredded cheeses with loads of meltable taste potential. The H-E-B store-brand cheese packet consists of two of the identical cheeses really helpful by our skilled: Monterey jack and cheddar, plus the Mexican favorites Asadero and quesadilla cheeses.

On a distinct notice, Sambrooks reveals a further ingredient for retaining do-it-yourself queso steady and easy as a substitute of grainy. “Purchase a bag of sodium citrate from Amazon,” he suggests, corresponding to this selection from It is Simply! “You can also make queso with any cheese and milk. [The sodium citrate] will give it the signature texture American cheese does.”