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

    by Brendan Cunningham 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This Moe's Southwest Grill queso dip is packed with flavor! It has all the best parts about white queso, like a smooth and creamy cheese blend. Then it has a kick of spice from the pickled jalapenos and green chiles to give it that iconic flavor. And the best part about this Moe's copycat recipe is that it's so easy to make and only takes 10 minutes!

    A small bowl with queso served on a plate with tortilla chips.

    Table of Contents

    • The Best Moes Queso Recipe
      • Ingredients
        • Ingredient Substitutions and Substitutions
          • Add More Seasonings
          • Switch The Cheese
      • How to Make White Queso Dip
        • Step 1: Melt The Butter
        • Step 2: Melt The Cheese
        • Step 3: Add The Spice
        • Step 4: Serve The White Queso
      • How to Store Homemade Queso
        • How to Reheat Queso Dip
      • Wrapping It Up
    • More Dip Recipes
    • The BEST Moe's Southwest Grill Queso Recipe (10 Minutes To Make)
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Nutrition
      • Did you make this recipe?

    The Best Moes Queso Recipe

    I think Moe's Southwest Grill has the best queso dip 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.

    And I love it so much that I had to come up with a copycat recipe. Now, I know I'm a little biased, but I think my white queso dip might be even better than the one from Moe's! 

    Seriously, it's insanely creamy with 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 the green chiles. 

    Gah, it's just so darn good, and this white cheese dip recipe is so simple to make too.

    You need just 10 minutes total - which is quicker than it'd take you to drive to Moe's - and all you have to do is combine the ingredients in a saucepot and heat them on the stove. That's really all there is to it, and almost all of the time spent making this recipe is just letting everything cook.

    So you should have plenty of time to whip up these delicious air fryer tortilla chips to dip in the queso! Or you can make this burrito casserole and drizzle the queso on top. It's seriously so versatile, and you'll never run out of things to use with this delicious white cheese dip.

    A small bowl with queso served on a plate with tortilla chips. A tortilla chip is dipped in the queso.

    Ingredients

    This Moe's Southwest Grill queso dip recipe is made with simple and fresh ingredients. I wouldn't be surprised if you have a few of them at home already, but if not, a quick trip to the grocery store is all that's standing in the way of you and this incredible cheese dip.

    Anyway, here's what you'll need to make this white queso dip recipe:

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

    Not too bad, right?

    By the way, this queso blanco is pretty incredible eaten with this Chipotle steak and some rice, so you might want to give that recipe a try too.

    A countertop with multiple bowls containing shredded White cheddar cheese, shredded Monterey Jack, diced white American cheese, sliced jalapeño, jalapeño brine, cumin, butter, green chilies, and salt.

    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 this white cheese dip to suit your tastebuds. So, I've included some simple tweaks below.

    Add More Seasonings

    Now, this queso already has a ton of flavor, 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.

    A double boiler with melted butter and milk.

    Switch The Cheese

    This recipe calls for grated monterey jack cheese to compliment the white American cheese and white cheddar. But you can really use anything you want, such as pepper jack cheese, Mexican cheese, or even shard cheddar cheese.  

    A double boiler with melted butter and milk, taste white American cheese has been added to it.

    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 and get into this Moe's queso blanco recipe.

    A double boiler with smooth creamy cheese.

    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.

    A double boiler with shredded cheeses being added to melted white american cheese mix.

    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. 

    A double boiler with smooth melted cheese, sliced jalapeño, brine, salt, cumin, and green chilies have been added.

    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. 

    A small bowl with homemade queso.

    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!

    A small bowl with queso served on a plate with tortilla chips. A tortilla chip is dipped in the queso.

    How to Store 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. Honestly, this queso blanco is so good warm that it's usually gone before it even cools down. 

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

    A small bowl with queso on a plate with tortilla chips. A hand is dipping a tortilla chip into the queso.

    How to Reheat Queso Dip

    Whenever you're ready for another serving of queso, you'll definitely want to heat it back up.

    To do that, you can take it out of the fridge and transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl. Then microwave the leftover cheese dip in 10-second increments, stirring between each one until it reaches your desired temperature.  

    An overhead view of a small bowl with queso sitting on a plate tortilla chips on the side.

    Wrapping It Up

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

    This staple at Mexican restaurants can now be a staple in your own home! I know I'm biased, but I think this is the only recipe that comes close to tasting like Moe's queso. It just has that perfect balance of flavors with a perfectly thick and creamy texture.

    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 Moe's queso recipe as much as I/we 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!

    Check out all of these easy dip recipes:

    • Knorr spinach dip
    • Cream cheese sausage dip
    • Chipotle guac
    • Chili cheese dip
    • Rotel dip
    Print

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

    A small bowl with queso served on a plate with tortilla chips. A tortilla chip is dipped in the queso.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    This Moe's Southwest Grill queso dip is packed with flavor! It has all the best parts about white queso, like a smooth and creamy cheese blend. Then it has a kick of spice from the pickled jalapenos and green chiles to give it that iconic flavor. And the best part about this Moe's copycat recipe is that it's so easy to make and only takes 10 minutes!

    • Author: Brendan Cunningham
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings 1x
    • Category: Appetizer
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Dip

    Ingredients

    Scale

    8oz. white American cheese, cubed

    1 ½oz. Monterey Jack, grated

    1oz. White cheddar, shredded

    ⅓ cup milk

    2 tbsp butter

    ¼ tsp cumin powder

    2-3 slices pickled jalapeno, roughly chopped (optional)

    1 tbsp jalapeno brine (optional)

    4oz. can green chilies, drained and chopped (optional)

    Pinch of salt

    Instructions

    1. Fill a saucepot with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer. Place a heat-proof bowl over the saucepot and make sure it is not touching the water.
    2. Add butter and milk into a bowl and let it heat up in a bowl until the butter is melted. 
    3. Add American cheese, and using a spatula, constantly stir until all the cheese is melted and fully incorporated into the milk. It will take some time, but it will combine. 
    4. Add in Monterey Jack and white cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the queso is smooth. If needed, add more milk to thin down the sauce and reach the desired consistency. 
    5. Stir in chopped pickled jalapenos, chiles, salt, and cumin and stir until well combined. 
    6. Serve the dip warm with tortilla chips.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 191k
    • Fat: 16
    • Carbohydrates: 2
    • Protein: 10

    Keywords: moes queso, moes queso recipe, white queso dip, how to make moes queso, how to make white queso dip, white queso dip recipe, queso blanco with monterey jack cheese, white queso recipe monterey jack, white cheese dip, white cheese dip recipe, white cheese sauce recipe, queso blanco, queso blanco recipe, white queso recipe easy,

    Did you make this recipe?

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jamie

      February 10, 2023 at 8:27 am

      This was truly amazing. Legit tastes like Moes actual queso!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. PJ

      February 12, 2023 at 10:21 am

      This is real af

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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