Easy Queso Recipe: Tex-Mex Style

An easy Queso recipe for the WIN! There is nothing better than a rich and cheesy queso that you can make right at home. Filled with herbs, spices, ground beef, shrimp, and 3 different kinds of cheese, this Tex-Mex Queso is just what the doctor ordered! Whip this up for any occasion. I'm talking kickbacks, sporting events, and a family night in.

Recipe Inspo

I'm a huge foodie! Some of my favorite foods are appetizers, bar food, and party food. I love all things fried, sauced, melted, and salted. Anything from cheeseburgers, buffalo wings, and let us not forget Queso. Queso is my weakness. My favorite store-bought Queso is Tostitos Salsa Con Queso. You have to try it. Anyways, I created this easy queso recipe because of my love for melted cheese and my love for all things Tex-Mex.

What's in this Tex-Mex Queso?

Velvety and comforting, this appetizing Tex-Mex Queso is made of the following ingredients:

• Block of Pepper Jack Cheese - provides a bit of spice.
• Block of Mild Cheddar Cheese - great for melting, adds a creamy texture and a mild sharp flavor.
• Block of Velvetta Cheese - tastes similar to American cheese but has a softer texture. It helps make this Queso more creamy and adds more character to the flavor profile.
• Half and Half - helps the ingredients mix together and thins out the thickness of the dip.
• Groud Beef - Regular ground beef will work
• Shrimp - make sure thawed and deveined. I recommend precooked shrimped to cut back time.
• Cilantro - gives the queso a better herb and nutty flavor.
• Fresh Jalapenos - Elevates the spice level.
• Medium Red Tomatoes or Rotel Canned Tomatoes - adds an acidic flavor to the queso and adds texture. Either will work fine. The Rotel Tomatoes will thin the dip out just a bit.
• Red Onion - the sweet and sharp taste blends well with cilantro, tomatoes, and jalapenos. It really amps up the Tex-Mex taste.
• Spices - Taco Seasoning, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Adobo Seasoning, Salt & Pepper

How to Make This?

This easy queso recipe can be made in less than 20 minutes. Chop up your vegetables and allow your cheese blocks to warm to room temperature. Once the cheese blocks are at room temperature, cut in cubes. In a large nonstick skillet, brown your ground beef meat, drain most of the excess oil, and add all seasonings except the taco seasoning mix. Next, add the cubed cheese blocks and the half and half, stir it into the ground beef meat slowly until melted. Then, fold the precooked, fully thawed shrimp into the melted cheese and ground beef mixture. Allow to cook for 1 minute, add the taco seasoning, and mix well. Lastly, turn off the heat and fold in your chopped vegetables. Save a little for garnishing and indulge!

Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions

A few tips to ensure this recipe is made in under 20 minutes. Pull cheese blocks out the refrigerator a few hours before your begin making this recipe to ensure they are at room temperature. Make sure the shrimp are pre-cooked and deveined. If you want this cheese dip to be less greasy/oily, melt the cheese and add all other ingredients in a separate saucepan. Remove ground beef from skillet, place on a paper towel to drain off access oil, and mix ground beef into the saucepan with other ingredients.

Serve this ooey-gooey easy queso recipe warm in a large bowl. Scoop the queso out with chips, any flavor you like. This homemade tortilla chip recipe pairs so well with this recipe. You can also serve this with warm bread or on a tortilla shell. This Tex-Mex Queso is even better the next day. Store it in an airtight container and when you're ready to eat it again just pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. If you like this recipe you may also like this Salsa Recipe, this Spicy Grilled Shrimp Guacamole Recipe, or this fantastic Taco Chili Recipe.

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