Hatch Chile Queso Blanco Dip

It is Hatch Chile season and this Queso Blanco Dip is the perfect recipe to highlight the smokiness and flavor of roasted Hatch Chiles.

I have partnered up with Fry's to bring you this Hatch Chile Queso Blanco Dip recipe. All opinions and views are my own.

Where to get Roasted Hatch Chiles

During the months of July to September Fry's Food stores in Arizona will be roasting Hatch Chiles in select locations around the Valley.

The process of roasting the Hatch Chiles was so cool to watch! It takes about 5 minutes for a batch to get roasted using these special rotating grills that smoke the chiles.

You can get your fresh roasted hatch green chiles at select Fry's stores. You can buy them by the pound and even by the case! They freeze wonderfully and they can be frozen for later use in soups, salads or salsas.

Recipe Highlights

This recipe comes together easily. It only requires minimum prep and the flavor payout is great!

This roasted Hatch Chile Queso is creamy! Using a combination of real cheeses and processed cheese to achieve that silky smooth texture we all love.

This queso is great for parties, potlucks and any get-together. The smooth texture and the subtle heat from the roasted hatch Chile peppers is an irresistible combination.

If you enjoy this recipe, you will love my Smoked Queso Dip with sausage.

Fresh VS. Roasted Hatch Chile Peppers

Hatch Chile Peppers come in different levels of heat in the The Scoville Scale.

This is a measurement of the heat and pungency of Chile peppers where each pepper is assigned a Scoville Heat Unit from mild, medium, hot or extra hot.

Hatch Chile peppers range from 1000 to 8000 units in the Scoville scale depending on their heat level.

For this recipe we used medium Hatch Chile Peppers and they were the perfect addition to the creamy queso. The heat level of these medium Hatch Chiles is subtle yet pleasant.

Using fire roasted Hatch Chiles adds another layer of flavor and complexity to the taste of these peppers. It gives the Queso a smoky note, makes the peppers soft to bite and overall elevates this simple Queso dip recipe.

Hatch Chile Queso Dip Ingredients

For this recipe we used medium heat roasted Hatch Chile peppers and a combination of cheeses to achieve a smooth and creamy dip.

• Hatch Chile Peppers: The roasted peppers add incredible smokey flavor to the queso and give it an interesting aroma and texture.
• White cheddar cheese: Since this is a queso blanco (white queso) we will use white cheddar to create the base of our queso.
• Pepper jack cheese: This cheese is creamy and adds a kick of heat to the recipe.
• White processed cheese: In this case we used Velveeta to create that creamy texture in our queso. A little bit goes a long way in the recipe.
• Garlic and onions: These two aromatic ingredients are the base of the recipe and impart incredible flavor.
• Avocado oil: This is a high smoke point oil to sauté our aromatics for the recipe.
• Evaporated milk: Since this kind of milk has most of the water removed, it is creamier than regular milk and helps us achieve that creamy texture faster.
• Salt and pepper to taste: This Queso dip is super flavorful on its own. I like to hold the S&P until the end because I use only a little pinch to bring all the flavors together.

How to make this recipe

I like to make this recipe by chopping all my ingredients. The onions and garlic minced finely and all of my cheese diced in small cubes.

Once all my ingredients are prepped, I go ahead and start browning the onions until they are slightly golden brown.

Making sure you cook your onions until golden brown (without burning them), releases their natural sugars and gives the recipe a slightly sweet touch.

After the onion is caramelized, I add the garlic and let it cook until fragrant.

At this point reduce the heat to low and add the evaporated milk.

Slowly add the Velveeta cheese to create the creamy base of the queso. Then start adding the diced cheeses. Use a whisk to make sure everything mixes up smoothly.

Raise the heat to medium-low and cook for another 5-10 minutes until all the cheeses are melted and the consistency of the dip is smooth.

Add the diced roasted green hatch Chile peppers to the queso dip and taste for salt and pepper.

Serving this white Queso dip with corn lime chips gives you a nice pop of acidity with every bite.

Storage and reheating instructions

This queso is best when kept warm so when you serve it, it is ideal to keep it in a crockpot or slow cooker in the warm setting.

If the queso gets too thick, add a splash of regular milk to thin it out to your desired consistency.

You can store this queso dip in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To reheat, the best way to get back the silky-smooth consistency is to use the stove top. Add the queso to a skillet and add about ¼ cup of milk and stir until heated through. Add more milk if needed until you reach the desired consistency.

Recipes with roasted Hatch Chiles

If you bought a big batch of roasted chiles, here are some other amazing recipes you can make:

For a quick and easy appetizer that doesn't require you to turn the stove or oven up, try these Green Chile Pinwheels.

If you need a quick breakfast that is high in protein and ready on the go, try these Hatch Chile Egg Muffins.