3-Ingredient Queso Dip Recipe

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With just three simple ingredients, this queso dip recipe — from recipe developer A.J. Forget — yields a cheesy concoction that is not only visually stunning, but one that is every bit as delicious as what you pay an arm and a leg for at your favorite Tex-Mex joint. The trick here is using the magical melting powers of white American cheese as well as a little bit of milk to make a queso sauce that remains dippable for hours at room temperature, and then imbuing that queso with all of the smoky, aromatic goodness of roasted poblano peppers.

The roasted poblano peppers are added to the queso dip in two ways, both diced and pureed with the milk. The puree ensures that every chip dipped comes out with lots of earthy, smoky, and lightly spicy flavor, and the diced peppers add a layer of texture to the otherwise smooth sauce. The combination of the two makes this a simple queso dip that you will find yourself coming back to again and again — until you run out of tortilla chips, at least.

For this recipe, you just need three simple ingredients: poblano peppers, white American cheese, and a little bit of milk. Once you have all of those together, you are ready to start cooking.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Place the peppers on a tray and roast for 20-25 minutes, rotating once, or until skins are blistered all around.

Remove the peppers from the oven and place them in a sealed container to cool.

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel away the skins. (It's okay if you can't get 100% of the skin off.)

Remove the stems and seeds from the roasted peppers, then finely dice them.

Add ½ cup of the diced roasted peppers and ¼ cup milk to a blender and puree until smooth.

Add the cheese, pepper puree, and remaining diced peppers to a pot over medium-low heat.

Cook, stirring often, for around 5 minutes, or until the queso is melted and smooth.

Remove from heat, plate, and serve immediately.

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The beauty of this 3-ingredient recipe is that you really don't need to add anything else to it. The roasted poblano peppers not only give the queso a beautiful green hue, but they also imbue the dip with lots of roasty, peppery flavor. However, there are a few simple additions that you can make to take it to the next level.

For starters, a little bit of onion powder and garlic powder mixed into the melting cheese can add a lot of depth. You don't need much, just a pinch, to bring layers of aromatic flavor to the dip. If you really want to pump up the flavor, ⅛ teaspoon of each will do it, but try starting with about half that much.

Another simple addition that can balance the flavors is a little bit of acidity. Try adding ¼ teaspoon of lime juice or cider vinegar to the mixture, and give it a taste. You will see that just a bit of acid can really brighten all of the flavors. If that isn't enough, you can add another ¼ teaspoon, but we wouldn't suggest more than that, or you run the risk of your chosen acid becoming a dominant flavor.

Poblanos are a great choice for this sort of recipe because when roasted they are very aromatic, but they don't have too much heat to them. But they certainly aren't the only peppers that fit that description. For a similar queso — something with lots of flavor that still isn't too spicy — you could try using Anaheim peppers or the unique Hatch chiles. Hatch chiles are a New Mexican favorite, while Anaheim peppers are perfect for mild palates, and both would make a great queso without too much heat. But maybe you aren't looking for something on the mild side. In that case, you have options as well.

There are many types of chiles out there with all different levels of spice. We definitely wouldn't suggest going with something like just habaneros or Serranos, but adding a few spicier chiles to the mix would make this recipe a bit punchier. For starters, maybe try simply replacing some of the poblanos with jalapeños. If you really want some heat, you can throw in a Serrano as well. Roast them and peel them just like you would the poblanos, but keep an eye on them and maybe pull them from the oven earlier, as the smaller peppers will roast more quickly than the poblanos.

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