Copycat Torchy's Queso Dip

This smoky, creamy white queso dip is a copycat version of the one from Torchy’s Tacos made with roasted green chiles and topped with guacamole, cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and a generous drizzle of hot sauce for layers of flavor that go way beyond basic queso.

My friend, Jana, recently got after me for not having a white queso dip recipe on my site and specifically requested a Torchy’s queso copycat recipe since it is her favorite Mexican cheese dip from her time living in Texas. Turns out, it’s my favorite too.

For those who haven’t visited Austin, Texas, Torchy’s Tacos is a popular Tex-Mex restaurant chain that started there as a food truck but has grown to a bunch of locations thanks to its bold, flavorful take on tacos and other Tex-Mex favorites like their green chili queso dip.

Torchy’s queso is slightly smoky with a spicy kick (at Torchy’s they use their housemade signature diablo sauce, but Cholula hot sauce works just great), and it is richer, bolder, and way more exciting than your typical Tex-Mex queso dip.

Why Torchy’s queso is better than any other!

It’s served in bowls over a scoop of fresh guacamole with a drizzle of hot sauce, shredded cheese, and chopped cilantro on top. Forget the chips, I could eat this with just a spoon.
Made with real, fresh ingredients like roasted chiles, tomatoes, and tomatillos, for the best flavor.
Creamy and smooth without using Velveeta (although you can use it if you prefer).

An overhead image of two bowls of copycat Torchy's queso dip.

A hand dipping a tortilla chip into a bowl of queso.

What You’ll Need

This is a brief overview of what you’ll need to make this queso recipe. For specific amounts and instructions, keep scrolling to the printable recipe card below.

Cheese: You cannot make queso without, well, queso. I have found that I prefer a blend of sharp cheddar and white American cheese, although other supremely melty cheeses can also work. Boar’s Head American cheese is the brand I always ask for.
Chiles: You’ll need fresh Anaheim chili peppers from the produce section. These aren’t spicy at all, so don’t worry about too much heat. You’ll also want two serrano peppers.
Tomatillos: These add a wonderful tangy kick that helps keep the queso from feeling too heavy.
Roma tomatoes: Another fresh, flavorful element, the natural sweetness of the tomatoes is brought out by roasting with the other veggies.
Half-and-half: Makes the base of the queso and helps the cheese to melt. You can also use two cans of evaporated milk or part heavy cream and part milk in place of the half-and-half.
Garlic: You want whole cloves for roasting, skins and all.
Fresh cilantro: This is a garnish added at the end, but adds a wonderful textural element as well as incredible fresh flavor.
Lime juice: Keeps the taste light and bright instead of heavy and gluey.

Queso dip ingredients on a white surface.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Roast the veggies. Start by removing the skins from the tomatillos, then arranging the whole garlic cloves, tomatillos, tomatoes, and chilis on a large baking sheet. Broil for 6-8 minutes, then remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. Turn the rest of the veggies to char and soften on the other side.
Peel and remove seeds. Once the chilis, tomatillos, and tomatoes are blistered and charred, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the produce cool until you can handle it. Peel off the charred outer skin from the chilies and tomatoes, as well as the papery skin from the garlic cloves. Remove the stems and seeds from the Anaheim and serrano peppers, running them under cool water to remove stray seeds.

Fresh peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet.

Roasted Anaheim peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes, and garlic on a baking sheet.

Make the salsa verde. In a large blender, combine one of the peeled roasted tomatoes with the roasted tomatillos, garlic cloves, serrano peppers, and salt. Blend until smooth, then set aside.

A blender with roasted tomato, garlic, and tomatillo in it.

Dice the remaining roasted veggies. Meanwhile, chop the Anaheim peppers into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Dice the two remaining roasted tomatoes also and set aside. Mince one additional garlic clove.

Roasted Anaheim peppers with stems and seeds removed on a cutting board with roasted tomatoes with skins removed and minced garlic.

Saute the veggies. In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed skillet or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds to bring out its flavor (but be carefully not to burn it), then add the diced green chilis and remaining tomatoes, sauteing for another 30-60 seconds.
Make the queso base. Add the half-and-half, cubed cheese, and ancho chili powder to the pot with the veggies. Stir frequently over medium heat just until the cheese is melted and smooth.

Sauteeing diced roasted veggies in a dutch oven.

Adding cubed white American cheese to a pot to make queso.

Add more cheese and finish. To the melted queso mixture, add the cheddar cheese and reserved salsa verde. Remove from the heat and stir until the cheese has completely melted and the queso is nice and creamy and smooth. At this point you can add a tablespoon or two of fresh lime juice, but I have found that the queso frequently splits or curdles when I do this, so I prefer to wait and serve bowls of queso with some fresh lime juice squeezed on top at the end.

An overhead image of a pot of queso with grated cheddar cheese and salsa verde being stirred in with a wooden spoon.

Garnish & serve. Although the queso is delicious as is, it’s even better served Torchy’s Tacos style by pouring a ladleful of the queso over a small scoop of guacamole in the bottom of a bowl. Sprinkle each bowl with some freshly grated cotija cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, a generous drizzle of your favorite hot sauce and a squeeze of lime juice over the top. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.

Recipe FAQ’s

How do I reheat queso dip?

This queso gets even better the longer it sits as the chilis infuse the cheese with their flavor, so you can make it ahead and let it cool, then reheat in a crockpot or oven low heat, stirring occasionally, until evenly heated and smooth again. You might need to add a splash of half-and-half or cream if the queso is too thick when reheating.

What if my queso is too thick or too thin?

If you want your queso on the thinner side, just add a little more half-and-half, heavy cream, or evaporated milk. If your queso is too thin, melt in some additional cheese to thicken it up a bit.

Where can I find white American cheese?

I have no trouble finding this in the deli section of my regular grocery stores, but I rarely see it in the regular cheese aisle. Just ask at the deli counter and they will slice it for you. You can also use regular American cheese, if you prefer, but then it’s not as much of a white queso dip.

Can I use a can of chopped green chilis?

Yes, you can replace the Anaheim peppers with two 4-ounce cans of diced green chilis.

A hand holding a chip that has been dipped in homemade queso.

Recipe Tips

Be patient. Don’t rush melting the cheese or your queso can split or turn grainy. You want to gently heat the cheese with the liquid so it melts evenly and smoothly.

Substitutions & Variations

Cheese: Velveeta (either the classic orange version or the queso blanco if you can find it) is a queso staple for many, although processed cheese will never rank high in my book. I haven’t tried this recipe yet with oaxaca cheese, but it is next on my list because it is a great, melty Mexican cheese. Other cheeses that will work well for queso include pepper jack (love it when I want more spice!) and monterey jack.
Spices: I prefer my queso without ancho chili powder instead of ground cumin, which I think can quickly overwhelm the other flavors, but you can add anywhere from ¼ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, if you want to try more spice.
Dairy: This recipe uses half-and-half, but evaporated milk works well, as does a combination of heavy cream and milk.