Nacho Cheese Sauce
Believe it or not, making your own salty and creamy nacho cheese sauce is actually possible!
This easy recipe is a must-try if you love snacking on Nachos, tortilla chips, and other appetizers like Air Fryer lemon pepper chicken wings. The dip is super versatile, ultra-delicious, and comes together with just some kitchen staples.
I've been experimenting with crowd-pleasing party dips lately- my apricot salsa has become a go-to for a lighter, fruity option and the cowboy butter dipping sauce is my richest, most indulgent option for chicken wings.
This nacho cheese sauce sits right between them- classic, satisfying, and versatile enough to show up at every occasion from game day to a casual midweek snack.
Quick Look
- 🔪 Prep time: 2 minutes.
- ⏲️ Cook time: 10 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 6.
- 📋 Main ingredients: Cheddar cheese, whole milk, butter, all-purpose flour, jalapeño, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, black pepper.
- ♨️ Cooking method: Make butter-flour roux 🡢 whisk in milk gradually 🡢 add spices and jalapeño 🡢 add cheese and melt 🡢 serve warm.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Pour over nachos, use as a dip for my tobacco onions, or stir into mac and cheese.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It is a preservative-free alternative to store-bought versions, it's also a genuinely versatile condiment that works with just about anything- like my homemade buffalo sauce.
- It doesn't congeal or harden when it cools down- the roux base keeps it smooth and scoopable even at room temperature, which makes it perfect to set out at a party without warming.
- Just like my jalapeno honey mustard, you can make it in advance too- refrigerate it and reheat with a splash of milk for the same fresh-made consistency.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour: Just your regular all-purpose flour. You'll need this for the roux.
- Butter: Use salted butter. I like to use my jalapeno infused butter sometimes.
- Milk: Use full fat milk here. This will help loosen up the sauce and also lend it some extra richness.
- Cheese: Here's the best part! I just used some regular cheddar cheese here. No fancy stuff!
- Jalapeno: For that nice kick of heat. Skip this if you want it to be super simple. I like adding my homemade jalapeno flakes sometimes.
- Seasonings: To season, I just used some garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Want a bit of a different flavor? Swap the cheddar cheese in the recipe for another kind of cheese. Mexican 3-cheese blend is a great choice, and so is pepperjack and Monterey jack.
- To bring a bit of extra heat to the sauce, add some more chopped jalapenos or use jalapeno infused salt to season.
- Taco seasoning can also be a great addition to this sauce, and can lend it a nice different flavor.
How to Make Nacho Cheese Sauce
Step 1: In a saucepan, heat butter and add in the flour. Cook this on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
Step 2: Slowly add in the milk and spices, and continue whisking until the mixture thickens.
Step 3: Add in the cheese and continue cooking until the cheese melts.
Step 4: Allow the dip to cool down a bit before serving.
💭Top Tip
Make sure you don't overheat the cheese sauce. Let it cook on low heat for just until the cheese seems fully melted. Take it off the heat and let it come to a smooth mixture in its residual heat.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- This nacho cheese dip will have a creamy, smooth, and slightly runny consistency when it is super hot- perfect to drizzle over fried chicken (I love teaming it up with my Air Fryer buffalo chicken tenders) and nachos. It will thicken a bit as it cools down though, but it'll have the perfect texture to serve as a dip.
- If the sauce seems too thick and you want to loosen it up, you can add a splash of milk and whisk it again, while it is still on heat. I always do this when I make my lemon sour cream sauce.
- For the best result, use medium cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese can make the sauce grainy.
- Opt for a cheese block instead of pre-shredded cheese, as the latter can have anti-caking agents which can lend the sauce a bit of a weird taste.
How to Serve Nacho Cheese Sauce
This nacho cheese sauce tastes insanely delicious when drizzled over some chicken wings or tortilla chips. I also think it could be great as a dip to go with some veggie sticks, or even with some pretzels.
If you're using it refrigerated, it should have a spreadable consistency, which makes it perfect to slather over your morning toast too!
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Your leftover nacho cheese sauce can stay fresh for up to 7 days, if not longer. Just transfer it to a clean glass jar or an airtight container and refrigerate it.
To reheat it, simply microwave it with a splash of milk or water, and stir at every 10-second interval. Avoid overheating the cheese sauce.
More Sauces to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this nacho cheese sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Nacho Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 jalapeno chopped
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat butter and add in the flour. Cook this on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Slowly add in the milk and spices, and continue whisking until the mixture thickens.
- Add in the cheese and continue cooking until the cheese melts.
- Allow the dip to cool down a bit before serving.
Notes
- This nacho cheese dip will have a creamy, smooth, and slightly runny consistency when it is super hot- perfect to drizzle over fried chicken and nachos. It will thicken a bit as it cools down though, but it'll have the perfect texture to serve as a dip.
- If the sauce seems too thick and you want to loosen it up, you can add a splash of milk and whisk it again, while it is still on heat.
- For the best result, use medium cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese can make the sauce grainy.
- Opt for a cheese block instead of pre-shredded cheese, as the latter can have anti-caking agents which can lend the sauce a bit of a weird taste.
