The BEST Moe's Southwest Grill Queso Recipe (10 Minutes To Make)

This copycat Moe's queso dip recipe is packed with flavor and it tastes just like the real thing! It's smooth, it's creamy, and it's so, so cheesy. Plus, it has just a kick of spice from the pickled jalapenos and green chiles to give it that iconic flavor. And the best part about this homemade Moe's queso recipe is that it's also super easy to make. In fact, 10 minutes is all it takes to whip up!

My Take On Moe's Queso

I think Moe's Southwest Grill has the best queso in the world. I mean, there's nothing better than getting their queso blanco as a side or addition on top of a burrito or nachos, is there?!

I definitely don't think so.

Anyway, since I get cravings for it several times a week I decided I needed to come up with a homemade version of their queso. And that's exactly where this recipe comes in. And I know I'm a little biased, but I think my version of their white queso dip might be even better than the one from the store! 

Seriously, this homemade queso is insanely creamy and it has the perfect balance of flavors from the signature cheesy blend of white American cheese, Monterey jack, and white cheddar cheese. Then, the flavor is made even better with a little kick from the pickled jalapeno juice and jalapenos, along with some green chiles. 

Gah, every bite of this stuff is better than the last.

Plus, as I said just a minute ago, all you need is just 10 minutes to make it. That's quicker than it'd take you to drive to Moe's.

All you have to do to make it is combine the ingredients in a saucepot and heat them on the stove. That's really all there is to it. Almost all of the time spent making it is just letting everything cook.

By the way, if you're looking for some tasty recipes to make to pair with this queso, a couple of my favorites are these delicious air fryer tortilla chips, or this burrito casserole. I like to dip the chips into the queso, whereas, with the burrito casserole, I'll use it as a topping for it. 

Ingredients

Another thing I love about this queso recipe is that it's made entirely with simple and fresh ingredients.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you have a few of them at home already.

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make it:

• 8oz. white American cheese, cubed
• 1 ½oz. Monterey Jack, grated
• 1oz. White cheddar, shredded
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 tablespoon butter
• ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
• 2-3 slices pickled jalapeno, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno brine 
• 4oz. can green chilies, drained and chopped
• Salt, to taste

Not too bad, right?

Ingredient Substitutions and Substitutions

I think this white queso recipe is best when it's made the way it's written. However, that doesn't mean you can't make some changes to it to suit your tastebuds.

So, with that said, I've included some simple tweaks below.

Add More Seasonings

Now, this queso already has a ton of flavor to it as is, but you can add even more flavor if you want by adding some more seasonings.

Things like garlic powder or onion powder will add a savory flavor, and you could even add some cayenne pepper to make the queso even spicier.

With that said, if you don't want any spiciness in the white queso dip, feel free to leave out the pickled jalapenos, jalapeno brine, and green chilies.

Oh, and if you want to give the dip more substance, I highly recommend adding some diced tomatoes. It brings some freshness to the dip and makes it more of a cross between a cheese dip and salsa, and it's so tasty. My wife is especially a big fan when we make the queso with that twist to it.

Switch The Cheese

This recipe calls for grated Monterey jack cheese to compliment the white American cheese and white cheddar. But you can also use pepper jack cheese, Mexican cheese, or even shard cheddar cheese in it's place.

How to Make White Queso Dip

As I mentioned earlier, this white queso recipe is really easy to make.

Basically, you'll melt the butter and milk together, melt the cheeses together, and then stir in the jalapenos, chiles, and seasonings. It's a breeze to make, and even if you've never made a cheese dip from scratch before, you'll nail this recipe.

Anyway, let's not waste any more time, let's make some Moe's queso, shall we?!

Step 1: Melt The Butter

First things first, take out a small saucepot, fill it with 2 inches of water, and bring it to a simmer on your stovetop.

Once the water is simmering, you'll want to place a heat-proof bowl over the saucepot and make sure it is not touching the water. Oh, and if you have a double boiler, you can use that instead.

Anyway, next you can add the butter and milk to the bowl and let them heat up until the butter melts completely.

Step 2: Melt The Cheese

Now that the butter is melted, you can add the white American cheese to the bowl and stir constantly using a rubber spatula until all the cheese is melted and fully incorporated into the milk and butter. This will take a  few minutes, so be patient.

Next, after the white American cheese is completely melted and combined, you can add the monterey jack cheese and white cheddar cheese to the bowl. Then let these two cheese heat in the bowl for a few minutes and stir them frequently until they melt and smooth queso forms. If the queso is too thick, you can add a splash of milk at a time to thin it out. 

Step 3: Add The Spice

Once the cheese mixture is completely smooth, you can add in the spice if you want. This step is optional, but I think it makes the dip taste even better.

So first, add the chopped pickled jalapenos, pickled jalapeno juice, green chiles, salt, and cumin to the bowl of queso. Then you can stir everything together until it's well incorporated, and you have a smooth white queso dip again. 

Step 4: Serve The White Queso

While the queso blanco is still warm, transfer the dip to your desired serving bowl and serve immediately with tortilla chips or drizzled on top of anything you want.

Enjoy!

My Recommendations For Storing Homemade Queso

This recipe for white queso dip makes about 6 servings, so it should be the perfect amount for an appetizer or to go along with a family dinner. I'm not going to lie, I've hardly ever had leftovers of this dip when I make it. It's so good warm that it's usually gone before it even cools down. 

With that said, if you end up with any leftover dip, it stores really well! To store the homemade cheese dip, just transfer it to an airtight container, and you can keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.

My Recommendations For Reheating The Queso Dip

Queso is definitely best served hot so whenever you're ready to enjoy those leftovers of it, you'll definitely want to heat 'em back up.

To do that, you'll want to transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave the dip in 10-second increments - stirring between each one - until it reaches your desired temperature.  

My Final Thoughts

Well, that's how to make Moe's queso from scratch!

I know I'm biased, but I truly think this recipe is the only one that comes close to actually tasting like Moe's queso. It just has the perfect balance of flavors and textures.

Anytime I serve this white queso, everyone goes crazy for it and can't believe that it's homemade. It's seriously that good, and I have a feeling everyone you make it for will love it too.

Anyway, I hope you like this queso as much as my family and I do. Of course, if you give this recipe a try, let me know how it goes in the comments below!

More Dip Recipes

If you're looking for some more delicious dip recipes - just like this Moe's white queso - we have a ton on the blog that you can make next!

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Qdoba queso
• Knorr spinach dip
• Cream cheese sausage dip
• Chipotle guac
• Chili cheese dip
• Rotel dip