Queso poblano is a delicious, lightly spicy, smooth and creamy, Tex-Mex white cheese sauce topped with strips of roasted poblano peppers. Use it for dipping tortilla chips, or for drizzling over a burrito. It’s a great way to add authentic flavor to Tex-Mex meals. It pairs perfectly with Totopos Caseros, Guacamole, and fresh Pico de Gallo.
Queso Poblano Recipe
Queso Poblano
Equipment
- medium skillet
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- roasting dish
- glass dish with lid
- whisk or wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 large Poblano pepper – or equivalent smaller ones
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups white Velveeta cheese – cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk – preheated in microwave
- 1 tsp Tex-Mex spice blend
Instructions
Roasting the Poblanos
- Pick, wash and dry Poblano peppers.1 large Poblano pepper
- Add peppers to a roasting pan and thoroughly brush them with olive oil.1 tbsp olive oil
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Roast the peppers for 20 minutes, turning once to get an even blistering of the skin. In this image I am roasting garden tomatoes at the same time.
- Carefully transfer hot, blistered poblano peppers to a glass dish.
- Cover the dish with a tight fitting lid, and let steam for 10 minutes.
- Remove the peppers from the dish. Peel the skins off of the peppers, and discard. The steamed, blistered skins should come off easily.
- Remove the seeds and stems from the peppers, and lay them out flat on a cutting board.
- Slice the peppers into thin strips.
- Transfer to a dish, and set aside.
Making the Queso
- Cut 2 cups of white Velveeta cheese into ½ inch cubes.2 cups white Velveeta cheese
- Measure two tablespoons of butter.2 tbsp butter
- Measure one Tbsp of all-purpose flour.1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- While butter is melting, heat 2 cups of milk in the microwave for 2 minutes, or until hot.2 cups whole milk
- Add flour to the melted butter.
- Whisk or stir the flour in the butter with a spoon for one full minute to make a light colored roux.
- Reduce heat to low. Add 2 cups of hot whole milk to the roux, stirring well to incorporate. It will bubble up at first, but will settle down and thicken.
- Add 1 tsp Tex-Mex spice blend, stirring well to incorporate into the sauce.1 tsp Tex-Mex spice blend
- Gradually add the cubes of cheese, stirring constantly while the cheese melts to incorporate smoothly into the sauce.
- Serve in a warmed dish, topped with the strips of poblano. Add Pico de Gallo and Totopos Caseros for a terrific appetizer.
Notes
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Not Cheese Dip!
Yes, it is used for dipping tortilla chips. But, please don’t call it “cheese dip”! Real queso has stuff in it. It’s not just melted cheese. It is a delicious thing of beauty, and worthy of a more prestigious name.
Pro Tips
Preheat the milk
Pre-heat the milk before adding it to the hot roux. This will help it incorporate more smoothly and not clump up.
Prepare ingredients in advance
Once you start making your roux, things will move pretty fast. Have your ingredients ready to go!
Reheating leftovers
Leftover queso will keep covered in the refrigerator for a few day. To reheat, add ¼ cup milk or chicken broth, then warm gently on the stove-top or in the microwave. Stir it well to return the queso poblano to its original creamy goodness.
Roasting the Poblanos
Roasting and peeling poblano peppers is a skill that will pay off in other Tex-Mex cuisine. It’s not difficult to do, once you know how. Follow the instructions outlined in this recipe, and you will master this skill in no-time.
Roasted poblanos are great in Frijoles Charros, on Fajitas Arracheras, in tacos, salsas, and many other dishes. It’s a versatile and authentic Tex-Mex flavor that will enhance many dishes.
Variations
Cheese Options
Queso fresco is a popular option. It’s a soft, mild Mexican cheese made from goat or cow milk. It’s white, and melts nicely which makes it a good option for Queso Poblano.
Regular Velveeta can also be used. Its yellow coloring is not as visually appealing, in my opinion. In reality, any melty cheese will do. I would avoid using cheese that gets oily when melted, such as cheddar.
Pepper Options
Jalapeños can be substituted for poblanos. Use fresh jalapeños. Remove the stems and seeds, and finely chop before adding to the sauce. Do not attempt to roast the jalapeños, or remove the skin. The fumes from roasted hot jalapeño peppers will burn your eyes!
Thoroughly was your hands with soap and water after handling hot peppers. The oil will stay on your hands and fingers. You will be reminded of that if you forget and later rub your eyes!
Spices
Chile Powders
A pinch of chile powder can add a nice color and flavor to queso. Use it sparingly. Try to find a chile powder that adds just the right amount of heat and flavor to your liking. There are many chile powders with different levels of heat and flavor intensity. You definitely want to taste it to make sure you like it before adding to your food.
Instead of mixing it in, just sprinkle a small pinch on top of the queso. It will add a nice colorful presentation, and you will get a pleasant scent of the aroma when you dip your chip.
My Thoughts on Nutmeg
I have seen recipes that call for adding a pinch of nutmeg to queso. I have very strong feelings about this. Any recipe I find that calls for nutmeg that’s not pumpkin pie or hot chocolate, will cause me to instantly stop reading and go somewhere else.
I find nutmeg to be one of those cutesy ingredients that are added to dishes for the only purpose of making them slightly different. The flavor and aroma of nutmeg is overpowering, and off-putting. If you want to completely ruin what you are cooking, by all means add some nutmeg.
Related Recipes
Tex-Mex Spice Blend
Pico de Gallo
Salsa de Tomate Asado
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