Believe it. Quickest ever. And so good!
Homemade Jalapeño Cheese Sauce is so good and so much easier than you think. Rich, creamy, loaded with melty cheese and spicy (or not so spicy if that’s your mood) jalapeños. Believe me when I say you’re going to want to put this stuff on everything.
Queso is my kryptonite guys. You know the queso I’m talking about… that movie theatre, convenience store, rock concert queso you love? The only reason I will accompany my husband to sporting events queso? That incredibly creamy, slightly spicy, ridiculously good cheese sauce that you just can’t stop with? Yeah, you know.
If you know me at all you know I have a deep love of store-bought queso and all of it’s fake cheese cousins out there in the world (fake cheese rules!). So you will receive no judgement from me if you continue buying jars of queso from the store for your queso emergencies. I guarantee you there are a couple jars in my pantry at this very moment.
But! If you want to level up your queso game with the bare minimum of effort because maybe you don’t want to pop a jar open in front of your dinner guests because you want them to believe you care about them more than that then you are in the right place. There’s no roux, no excessive simmering. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s really, really good.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Jalapeño Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch cayenne
- 1 jalapeño seeds removed, finely diced (about 2 Tbsp)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 slice American cheese
Instructions
- Combine the half and half and cornstarch in a small saucepan over low-medium heat.
- Add in the garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne and the jalapeño. Mix well.
- Stir frequently until the mixture comes to a simmer. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Mix until completely combined and smooth.
Jalapeño Cheese Sauce recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Half and Half – if I don’t have this on hand I just use half heavy cream and half whole milk. If you want to make this recipe vegetarian or vegan you can use a coconut cream or your favourite plant based cream.
Cornstarch – this is what thickens the sauce quickly and easily without having to make a flour roux. It whisks into the cream seamlessly.
Pantry Spices – I use chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne to bring all the queso flavours to this dip.
Jalapeño – fresh, not pickled. I advise taking the seeds out so you don’t have a bunch of seeds in your sauce. If you want extra heat just increase the amount of cayenne. No subs here. I know you’ll see recipes with canned green chiles out there, but for me it’s gotta be fresh jalapeños.
Cheese – we’re using a combination of sharp cheddar and American cheese. The cheddar for maximum cheesy flavour and the American for maximum creaminess.
Jalapeño Cheese Sauce Recipe Variations:
Extra Spicy Version – just increase the amount of cayenne pepper in the recipe. A little at a time, taste for heat as you go.
Habañero Version – use a Habañero pepper instead of a jalapeño and be prepared for mouth fire!
Jalapeño Cheese Sauce Recipe, how to make it…
Whisk the half and half together with the cornstarch in a small-ish sauce pan over low-medium heat. Stir in some garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and a little cayenne. Finely dice a fresh jalapeño pepper and add it in. You do want to remove the seeds here so your queso isn’t full of pepper seeds.
Stir this all frequently as it heats up. It will start to bubble and thicken. Let it simmer gently for a couple more minutes, stirring often.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the shredded cheddar and the American cheese. Stir well until the cheese is completely melted and mixed in. I will be silky and super dreamy. If you find it too thick just add in a little more cream. If it feels a bit thin, don’t panic. It will thicken up as it slightly cools.
Stir until the transforms into a silky, dreamy cheese sauce. If it’s too thick, add a splash more half and half. Too thin? Give it a minute—it’ll thicken as it sits.
You’re done. Apply this cheese sauce to everything… my fave is to top my Loaded French Fries with it and I highly recommend you do the same (I also use my Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe for those fries thanks for asking).
looking for some recipes that work well with this Jalapeño Cheese Sauce recipe? try these…
- My Homemade Chicken Taco Seasoning would be perfect to use to make some tacos or nachos or burritos that you can top with this queso.
- I use this sauce on my Taco Loaded French Fries along with my Buffalo Ranch all the time.
- This might be controversial, but sometimes I dip my Grilled Chicken Nuggets or my Spicy Chicken Tenders into this queso…. so good!
If you like this Jalapeño Cheese Sauce Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!
