Queso Blanco in the Slow Cooker | Easy Recipe
Queso Blanco in the slow cooker is a breeze to make – easy crockpot queso! Velveeta-free, and you will not be able to stop dipping chips in it!
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Queso dip is hands-down one of my biggest weaknesses. I mean, who can resist melty cheese on a salty chip? This white queso is irresistible, just like my Mexican Spinach Dip or the beautifully colored healthy queso dip with butternut squash. The subtly sweet flavor of that one is to die for…have you guys tried it yet?
This queso blanco is perfect for upcoming Cinco de Mayo festivities. You can make it ahead and it’s ready when you are. Pop all the ingredients in your slow cooker, and three to four hours later, you’re ready to start dipping. You’ll probably want to sample a few bites now and then before it’s completely done. Quality control, right?
I purposely stay away from Velvetta cheese in this recipe and achieve a nice smooth texture with low, slow heat and a mixture of cheeses with cream cheese and milk to keep this queso nice and dippable.
Old El Paso Mild Green Chiles give this dip great flavor without overwhelming you with spiciness. I add a little extra heat with Pepper Jack cheese but since I don’t like things super hot, I keep it pretty tame by using half plain Monterey Jack cheese. If you like queso on the spicier side, go for all Pepper Jack instead of 50/50 mix. The rich flavors of the cheese are brightened up with green onions and cilantro.
PS: If you really want to get serious with your dipping, which I fully support, try cutting Old El Paso Mini Taco Boats in half, spritzing the halves with olive oil, and crisping them up in a 350°F oven for about 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. They’ll make perfect little scoops for as much queso as your heart desires!
More cheesy dips!
A couple of my favorite dips are mentioned above, and if you’re looking for more, try one of these:
- Poblano Queso Dip
- Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Baked Goat Cheese Dip with Lemon and Thyme
- Cheesy Baked Corn with Bacon and Jalapeño
- Herbed Feta Dip (one of my faves!)
- Hot Caprese Dip Recipe
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Marsala Dip
- Garlic Bread Cheese Dip from Lemons for Lulu
- Bacon Cheddar Dip from Spends with Pennies
How about some great tacos to eat with this queso blanco! Try cauliflower tacos or shrimp tacos!
Queso blanco is perfect for nachos, too. Try cauliflower nachos or vegetarian nachos.
White Queso in the Slow Cooker
White Queso in the slow cooker is easy, Velveeta-free, and you will not be able to stop dipping chips in it!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, cut into cubes
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into cubes
- 8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese (not fat free)
- 1 can (4.5oz) Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Optional: Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a small to medium size slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for four hours or until everything is melted, stirring to combine.
- Turn to warm until ready to serve (and even while serving if desired).
- Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired and serve with chips or toasted mini taco boat halves.
Notes
- If your slow cooker runs hot, you may want to turn it down to warm after two hours.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 296mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 11g
RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.
59 Comments on “Queso Blanco in the Slow Cooker | Easy Recipe”
Mine also curdled :( Do you normally stir this pretty consistently? I walked away for about an hour and that’s when it curdled. Your post doesn’t say to babysit it, but when you prepared it were you checking and stirring often?
No, I wasn’t. Unfortunately I think slow cookers can really vary in their heat levels. Did you do it on warm or low?
This turned out great! I did soft the cream cheese and whipped it before I put it in the crock pot with the other ingredients. I cooked it on low just until everything was melted and then turned my crock pot to warm. I think I scoop of salsa would also taste good mixed into this. But its delicious as is!
So glad you like it! I bet salsa would be yummy in it too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Follow the directs and this still came out grainy. Cooked on the directed temperature too….
Sorry to hear that!
Really liked this queso! It was super easy to put together. The only issue I had was that mine was a little gritty. It was definitely from the cream cheese not melting all the way even though I had the crock on for 4 hours. Next time I make it I am going to soften my cream cheese before it goes in the crock. Other than that it was amazing. Highly recommend!
So glad you liked it!
I made the recipe in a 2 qt crock pot, it doesn’t have settings though. My daughter seems to like it, however, how do I store the remainder of the queso for another day?
Covered in the fridge, and then reheat slowly.
This dip was awful. It was cheesy early on in the cooking process and then curdled like cottage cheese after 2 hours on low and was not edible. Do not make!
Sorry to hear you had that experience! Next time, try it on warm.
This recipe is AMAZING!! The taste is exceptional and it’s SO easy to make!!
hank you, Michaela! I’m so glad you liked it! :) Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
The dip separated/was not smooth. I used 1% milk, instead of 2%…could that have caused it to separate?
Yes, this is probably because you used 1% milk. It needs the higher fat content. Sorry to hear that happened, so frustrating!
does this re-heat well? I’m making it for a shower tomorrow morning but need to cook it tonight. How long would you suggest re-heating for
I would reheat it on warm in the slow cooker until smooth and melted. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t promise it will work. I’m a little concerned it will separate or curdle.
Hi! I normally buy original cream cheese in a pack of four. Would it change the integrity of the recipe if I don’t use reduced fat cream cheese? Thanks! :)
That should work fine!
Great flavor, but couldn’t get it to be smooth. We still ate it though!!! I whisked and stirred it a few times but it still was chunky-ish.
Oh shoot! Had it melted all the way?
I love this recipe! I was nervous mine would also turn out “gritty” based on the comments, so I decided to alter the cooking instructions a bit. I use a 6-quart crock pot and I basically cooked it on low for about 45 minutes, or until it got all melty and gooey. Then, I kept it on warm for the rest of the time. It turned out perfect!
Glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Can I add a can of rotel or will this make it to watery?
That should be alright, but I haven’t tested it. :)
Do you cook it on low for 4 hours and then change it to warm? I think the direction say ‘low’ and ‘low’
Ha, good catch! Thanks so much for pointing that out. You are correct…I updated the recipe to reflect it. Sorry about that!
Can you simply double the recipe by doubling each ingredient?
Absolutely! That will work perfectly as long as your slow cooker is large enough.
Very grainy, even with the crock pot turned to its lowest setting. Flavor was excellent tho!
Sorry to hear that! Cheese can be a little temperamental, and some crock pots run hot. Did you have it on warm or low?
Did you use pre-shredded cheese? That usually has an additive that makes it grainy when you melt it for queso. You should only use block cheeses for queso!
I agree completely! Pre-shredded doesn’t melt nicely.
Love that pepper Jack cheese! This looks so good!
Thanks Tanya!
The Queso came out fantastic when I made. Such a simple recipe I was pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out. I added jalapeño as well as some dried spicy peppers from last season and that gave it the extra slice I was looking for. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
So glad you like this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
I’m not sure what I didn’t wrong but I made this as directed and it had a very grainy texture…. the flavor was good but the texture did me in, it was almost the consistency of blended potato soup?? Any idea what might have went wrong? I planned to make this for a women’s retreat at our church, so thankful I did a trial run or it would have been a disaster.
It could be that your slow cooker overcooked it? Did you have it on warm?
About how many people will this dip serve. I’m having 10 friends over for happy hour. I have a 2 1/2 quart crock pot !! Help me!!! Lol
You should be able to serve 10 as an appetizer – are you having other apps too?
I am keeping the crock pot on low, but the cheese sauce is still turning out gritty, any ideas what could be causing this?
Thank you!
I haven’t experienced that – maybe trying turning your crockpot to warm…some run pretty hot.
Would this recipe fit in a 2 quart crockpot? thanks!
I believe it will! I hope you enjoy!
I made it yesterday my family loved it I added hamburger to it it was amazing I am going to make it again when I have my family over
Oh I’m so happy to hear that! I am loving the addition of hamburger! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Great queso! I didn’t have pepper jack cheese so used 2 monterey jacks instead. Compensated for the spice by adding 1-2T canned chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce), diced. This gave a delicious depth of smoky flavor & a good amount of spice. Easy to adjust to more spice with more chipotles, if desired. Didn’t have 4 hours. I cut up the cheeses into 1″-ish cubes in a large glass mixing bowl then microwaved at 40% power for 4 minutes. Poured all into my pre-heated 1-quart crock. Was ready in 2.5 hours. Loved it.
So happy you liked this! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment with your tips!
I thought this would be a flop. Seemed too simple. But, oh my, was it good! Restaurant-quality, in my opinion. Thank you for sharing!
Oh, hooray! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! xo
This sounds so amazing and easy. I really appreciate that there isn’t any Velveeta used because I am one of those rare people that actually HATE the stuff with a passion.
Perfect! I hope you love this recipe!
How big does the crock pot need to be for this recipe?
I use a 5 quart.
This looks so creamy and delicious.
Thank you!
I’m ALL about queso dip…. and doesn’t white queso somehow seem healthier than yellow? Whatever I have to tell myself to sit on the couch and eat this with a spoon, right?!