Creamy Queso Chili

At a glance

What stands out: Everything you love about chili is in this creamy queso chili, with the added excitement of a velvety cheese sauce. You may never go back to your normal chili recipe! It’s like eating queso for dinner (but a little healthier).

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large pan, saucepan
Servings: 8

You may be wondering, do we need another chili recipe? We know, we kind of get that. We've tried more than a few recipes and we have our favorites, too, like beef chili, white chicken chili, crockpot chili, vegetarian chili, even jerk chicken chili.

But dip your spoon into this chili delight and you’ll wonder why you ever liked any other kind of chili. We kid you not. This is kind of like chili with frosting. It may be a standby chili you’ve ever had. Give it a try and see what you think..

Creamy Queso Chili

Queso takes chili up a notch. You’ll find all the usual stuff in queso chili: meat, beans, peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and so on. It’s good and you could enjoy a bowlful as is, but try adding velvety pepper jack cheese sauce to the pot of chili. Now you’re talking!

It’s healthier than you would think. If you’re wondering about calories (we mean, cheese sauce, right?) don’t worry. A serving (one and a half cups) of queso chili is only 286 calories, with 22 grams of protein. Not bad, wouldn’t you say? And it’s satisfying and packed with veggies.

Queso chili is straightforward to mix. The list of ingredients looks pretty long but really, if you can chop a few vegetables, brown meat, and open cans, you can master this chili. We'll give you lots of helpful tips and substitution ideas. (Our chicken enchilada soup or chicken tortilla soup are a couple of straightforward alternatives to make, too!)

No Velveeta, please

This queso chili is made without Velveeta, a cheese product that isn’t cheese at all. Sorry if you’re a Velveeta fan but have you ever looked at the list of ingredients? Milk, water, whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, whey protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, and 2% or less of salt, calcium phosphate, lactic acid, sorbic acid, sodium citrate, sodium alginate, enzymes, apocarotenal, annatto, and cheese culture. Wouldn’t you rather make a straightforward cheese sauce with natural ingredients: milk, cheese, butter, and flour?

Erin B. Said:

“Definitely one of our favorite recipes now! So good with a little extra fresh cilantro, avocado, cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips on top!”

See More Reader Reviews

What goes in

• Ground Beef (or Turkey): Either one is fine. Choose a lean blend, such as 90/10 or 93/7.
• Red Bell Pepper, Onion & Garlic: This savory veggie trio adds so much flavor to the chili and nutrition, too. If you prefer, green, yellow, or orange bell peppers are fine, too.
• Salt, Chili Powder, Paprika: Seasoning for the chili is provided by this trio. Watch the salt because chili powder blends usually contain salt as well.
• Pinto Beans: Two cans of beans = bean power! Black beans or kidney beans are good substitutes.
• Canned Tomatoes: Use the petite diced tomatoes if you can. They blend in better so there aren’t big chunks of tomato in your spoonful of chili.
• Diced Green Chiles: We always have a couple cans of these gems in our pantry. They add so much flavor to soups and chili. We even put them in mac and cheese for a unique spin on an old favorite.
• Broth: Try to find low-sodium or no salt added broth. Choose beef broth when using ground beef and chicken broth with ground turkey. If you like a thicker chili, use less broth.
• Corn: A can of corn adds just a touch of sweetness and texture. You can also use fresh or frozen corn.
• Butter, Flour, Whole Milk: Stir these together to make a white sauce. The flour acts as a thickener for the soup.
• Pepper Jack Cheese: Shredded cheese is blended into the white sauce to make a creamy cheese sauce (queso). The pepper jack adds a bit of heat to the chili, too. Shred your own for ultimate smoothness. You’ll probably want a little extra to sprinkle on top of each serving.
• Fresh Cilantro, Lime Wedges and Tortilla Chips, for serving: Totally optional, but highly recommended.

Make Your Own Chili Seasoning

We love to make our own seasoning blends. It’s straightforward and you can limit the sodium or other additives. Try our recipe for chili seasoning. We think you’ll love it!

How it comes together

Do prep work. Before you get started, gather together all the ingredients. Open the cans, rinse and drain the beans. Chop the peppers, onions, and garlic. Shred the cheese, and measure out the milk and butter.

Brown the meat and veggies. Find your favorite chili pot. You’ll need a pretty good-sized pan or Dutch oven. Brown the meat, onions, and peppers, for about ten minutes, breaking up the big chunks of meat. Throw a little salt in to season the meat.

Add seasoning. Next, add the garlic, chili powder, and paprika to the hot pan. Stir and cook briefly until the mixture smells fragrant, just a minute or so.

Add remaining chili ingredients. Now add the tomatoes, beans, and broth. The chili will look a little soupy at this point but that’s okay. Bring it to a low boil, then turn down the heat, and simmer for fifteen minutes or so.

Make cheese sauce. We tested this a few times and found that a standby way to achieve creamy smooth queso chili was to make a cheese sauce separately and stir it into the chili right before serving. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, blending it into the butter until it’s a smooth paste and bubbling a bit from the heat. Don’t overcook it, it just takes a few seconds. Slowly stir in the milk, using a whisk to smooth out the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a low boil. Remove the pan from the heat.

Finish. When you’re ready to serve the chili, add the can of corn.

Stir in the white sauce, and then the shredded cheese. Try not to add the cheese all at once. It’s better to stir it in gradually so it doesn’t clump up or separate.

Stir in the cilantro and your queso chili is ready to enjoy!

Serve. We just know you’re going to love it! And yes, you are definitely going to want some tortilla chips to go along with it. Hmmm, or maybe from-scratch cornbread or corn muffins.

Looking for a beverage to go along with this rich chili? Try a Mexican beer like Corona or Dos Equis, with a wedge of lime. Stir up a pitcher of spicy Palomas or strawberry margarita punch. We feel a party coming on…

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Prefer vegetarian chili? Simply omit the meat and add an extra can of beans. Use vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken broth.
• Keep it warm. If desired, prepare the chili as directed and keep it warm in a crockpot to serve to guests.
• Make it a little less spicy. Use Monterey Jack instead of pepper Jack cheese. Be sure to choose mild canned green chiles.
• Make it a little more spicy. Increase the spice level of your chili by adding a ¼ teaspoon (or more!) of red pepper flakes. Add a smoky element by substituting smoked paprika for the paprika, or chipotle chili powder.

Make Ahead Ideas

Get a head start. Prep the veggies, shred the cheese, and refrigerate. If you want to get it a bit further, brown the meat and veggies; cool, put into a container, and refrigerate up to two days. This will save you about fifteen minutes.

When you are ready to continue making the chili, heat the meat mixture in the pan with the garlic and spices, and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Keeping leftovers

If you have chili left over, refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan. Don’t overheat the chili because it may separate.

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 ounces lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
• ½ large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can (15 ounce) petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 can (4.5 ounce) diced green chiles
• 3 cups low sodium beef or chicken broth (for a thicker chili, use 1 ½ to 2 cups broth)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 can (15 ounce) corn, drained
• 1 ½ cups shredded pepper Jack cheese
• ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro (extra for garnish)
• lime wedges and tortilla chips (for serving)

Method

1. In large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, sauté ground beef, bell pepper, onions, and salt for 8 to 10 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink and vegetables have softened.
2. Add garlic, chili powder, and paprika, and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Add pinto beans, tomatoes, green chiles, and the desired amount of broth (see note); bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour until combined. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat.
5. When ready to serve, stir corn into chili. Add white sauce, stirring to combine. Slowly add cheese to chili until melted. Keep warm over very low heat.
6. Stir in cilantro immediately before serving. Garnish with lime wedges and tortilla chips, if desired.

Notes

Broth/Consistency of chili: If you use the entire amount of broth (3 cups), the chili will have more of a soup-like consistency. If you prefer a thicker chili, especially if you want to use it for dipping tortilla chips, start with 1 cup of broth, adding more if needed. Remember that you’ll be adding the white sauce later in the recipe which will thin the chili down a bit.

Vegetarian chili: Omit the meat and add an extra can of beans. Use vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken broth.

Keep warm: If desired, prepare the chili as directed and keep it warm in a crockpot to serve to guests.

For more spice: Add ¼ teaspoon (or more) of red pepper flakes. Add a smoky element by substituting smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder for the paprika.