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A small skillet of cafe rio copycat queso recipe on the table with chips, salsa and guacamole.
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4.75 from 12 votes

Best Queso Recipe (Cafe Rio Copycat)

Creamy and easy queso dip - flavored with tomato, jalapeño, onion, garlic, and green chilies. This Cafe Rio copycat is the perfect dipper for your next fiesta.  Pair it with veggies, chips, and tortillas for the ultimate party platter.  Made in minutes, this queso will be your new go to appetizer.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Total Time13 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 132kcal
Author: Kadee & Desarae

Ingredients

  • ½ yellow onion
  • 1 roma tomato
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 jalapeno seeds removed
  • ½ bunch cilantro
  • 10 ounces canned tomatoes with green chilis
  • 1 clove garlic
  • salt to taste
  • 8 ounces american cheese like velveeta
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin

Instructions

  • Combine onion, roma tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, canned tomatoes with green chilis, and garlic in a blender. 
  • Pulse until blended, but small chunks still remain.  Add salt to taste.
  • Dice American and cream cheese into 1 inch cubes.  Place in a medium sized bowl
  • Microwave cheeses for 2 minutes 30 seconds - stirring every 30 seconds - until smooth.
  • Add ¾ cup of blender mixture to melted cheese.  Add chili powder and cumin.  Stir until smooth.
  • Return to microwave and cook 30 seconds to marry flavors.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. If it's too thick you can add a bit of milk to thin it out.
  • Melt the cheese in the microwave in small increments and stir in between each. This prevents the cheese from burning.
  • For a less spicy queso, eliminate or adjust the amount of jalapeno.
  • Make it meaty: Add in some chopped chorizo or cooked ground beef at the end and heat it up.
  • Don't freeze this queso recipe. Since it's made with cheese it won't freeze very well and may end up a bit grainy when thawed out and reheated.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cups | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 121mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 5.8mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 0.5mg