Chile Verde con Queso (Green Chile with Cheese)

This creamy, cheesy Mexican classic, Chile Verde con Queso (green chile with cheese), brings the smoky richness of roasted green chiles to your table. In just 20 minutes, you’ll have an easy, versatile dish perfect for smothering burritos, filling gorditas, adding a savory kick to your morning eggs, or serving as a flavorful side dish.

Our first Christmas season as a married couple my husband, Matt, and I decided to host a dinner party for our closest friends.

Nervous about cooking my parents' recipes for a crowd, on the night before the party, I enlisted my mom and dad's help to be my coaches and taste-testers. They generously tasted, offered feedback, and even assisted with the main dishes.

When the night was over, I had pans full of fluffy Mexican Red Rice, creamy Mexican Refried Beans, spicy Chile Colorado with Pork, and today's recipe for a delicious chile con queso.

If you're a fan of gooey, melted cheese and fiery-roasted chiles, you will be amazed at this recipe!

Jump to:

• What is Chile con Queso?
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• What Type of Chiles to Use
• Roasting Green Chiles
• How to Make Chile con Queso
• FAQ
• Recipe

What is Chile con Queso?

Chile con queso translates to chili (or chile) with cheese. The Mexican dish is prepared with roasted green chiles that have been peeled and chopped. Those are then mixed with tomato, onion, garlic, milk, and cheese resulting in a creamy, cheesy and spicy dish. It is often served as an appetizer, side dish, or filling.

Chile con queso may also be referred to as rajas con queso, although you'll find many recipes called the latter tend to use poblano chiles and cream.

You may also be familiar with the Tex-Mex chile con queso, which is more of a creamy cheese dip served with tortilla chips. That version is usually made with yellow or white cheese, a mixture of spices, and chiles and may incorporate ground meat, such as beef or sausage.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Great Flavor: The delicious dish is the perfect blend of spicy, creamy, and cheesy.
• Versatile: Serve it as a side dish, topping, filling, or a dip.
• Easy and Fast: Once the chiles are roasted (which is actually pretty easy), the rest of the recipe comes together in about 15 minutes.
• Meatless: This is a great meatless and vegetarian option.
• Make it Dairy-Free: It is easy to make a dairy-free and vegan version of this recipe, just check out my "Tips and Variations" section at the end of post.

Check out these other delicious recipes that feature roasted green chiles, Roasted Green Chile Pastel de Papa, Grilled Rajas con Papas, Roasted Green Chile Guacamole.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Roasted Green Chiles: Use either roasted Pueblo, Hatch or Anaheim chiles. Find out more about these chiles and how to roast them below.
• Tomato: One small tomato adds sweetness, acidity, and a touch of tanginess to the dish.
• Onion and Garlic: These aromatics provide depth of flavor and enhance the overall taste.
• Chicken Broth: Broth adds richness and depth to the sauce. You can also use water but the result won't have as much flavor.
• Milk: Use either unsweetened, original almond milk or regular milk.
• Shredded Cheese: Use a white Mexican cheese that melts well such as asadero, Chihuahua, Oaxaca, or Mexican muenster. If you cannot find these, use Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
• Oil: You'll only need a little bit of oil for sautéing. I prefer using a mild-tasting olive oil or refined avocado oil for frying and sautéing as they are healthier than other oils.
• Salt and Pepper: Use Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper for the best taste.

See recipe card for quantities.

What Type of Chiles to Use

My favorite chiles to use for this recipe are Anaheim, Hatch, or Pueblo. All four will add not only a delicious flavor, but a great spicy kick, especially Hatch and Pueblo Hatch and Pueblo are in season in the late summer to early fall, but Anaheim peppers can usually be found year round.

You can also use poblano peppers. However, poblanos are mild with a different flavor profile than the others so they won't add any spiciness to the dish.

Another option is to use frozen roasted chiles. Those can be found in the freezer section of many grocery stores or order them online from places like The Hatch Chile Store.

I do discourage you from using canned green chiles. In my experience, they do not add any spice and contain additives that tend to add a different and less desirable flavor to the recipes.

Roasting Green Chiles

Roasting green chiles is a simple process that can be done on your stovetop, under the broiler, or even on your grill. For added convenience, roast large batches of green chiles and freeze them for later use. Check out my blog post for detailed instructions on how to roast green chiles at home.

1. Roast the Chiles: Begin by roasting, peeling and either dicing or slicing the green chiles into strips.

2. Sauté Vegetables: Sauté diced onion, diced tomato, and diced garlic in a medium pot. Add the diced green chiles and stir to combine.

3. Add Liquids: Add milk and chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper.

4. Simmer: Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

5. Add Cheese: Turn the heat to low and add the shredded cheese. Once the cheese is melted, turn off the heat and serve.

How to Serve

There are so many different ways to serve this tasty green chile. Here are some specific ways you can serve it:

• Breakfast: With fried or scrambled eggs, huevos rancheros, Papas con Huevo or Huevos con Tortilla
• As a topping: Smothered on burritos or a gravy for Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• As a meatless meal: Potato Patties with Chile con Queso
• As a filling for burritos, gorditas or quesadillas
• With a side of Frijoles Refritos or Mexican Red Rice

Chile con queso is what my family uses to make green chile tamales. Just leave the milk out so the chile is not as soupy and you have the perfect filling for amazingly delicious tamales.

Storing and Reheating

Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

To reheat, add the chile to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until warm. You can also microwave it in a microwaveable safe bowl until steaming and heated through.

Before reheating, you may want to add some extra grated cheese and milk as those ingredients tend to dry up the longer the chile is stored.

Tips and Variations

• For more spice, add 1-2 diced jalapeños or serranos during for an extra kick.
• Hatch and Pueblo chiles will add the most spice. Anaheims can be spicy, but it all depends on the batch you get.
• For a dairy-free/vegan version: Substitute the milk with original, unsweetened almond milk, the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and a few sprinkles of nutritional yeast for the cheese.

FAQ

I hope you enjoy! If you try this recipe, please leave me a comment with a star rating below. Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to stay in touch, and don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter.

Recipe

Originally published October 29, 2018. Updated post September 2022 and September 2024.