This rich, creamy dip is irresistible! Each cheesy bite of our Amazing Cafe Rio Queso Copycat recipe is seasoned with just the right amount of spice to keep you coming back for more. If you have 10 minutes, and a heat source, you can make this queso!
I was standing in line one day at Cafe Rio and noticed they had QUESO on the menu. What??! I thought I knew the entire Cafe Rio menu?! One taste of their queso, and I knew a Cafe Rio copycat queso recipe was destined to be on ABK!
What is Queso?
Queso is a cheesy dip, usually served with tortilla chips. A little spicy, and a lot of cheesy goodness in every bite. Queso is not a typical or traditional Mexican dish, but it is a Southwest specialty! The original name comes from ‘Chili con Queso” or, translated, chiles and cheese.
What is Cafe Rio Queso Made of?
Good question. When I set out to make this dip, I had a plan. Buy lots of Cafe Rio queso and consume lots of Cafe Rio queso! Kathleen (my assistant) and I made more batches of this recipe than I can remember. In many testing sessions, our tasters declared that this copycat recipe tastes as good (if not better) than the Cafe Rio version!
To determine where to start, we asked employees what’s in the queso? We received answers that included: Coke, beef broth; pico, salsa fresca, sauce, grated cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and more. Okay. Well. That was not really helpful, (and I’m sure they are not supposed to share) but it’s always worth a try! When making a copycat of any recipe, I always ask the business owner before heading to the grocery store. If they don’t share I understand, but it makes sense to start at the source!
The ingredients in this copycat version are simple and straightforward. As with all other Cafe Rio combinations, I was almost certain the queso was made mostly from the 20-30 ingredients available to make tacos, enchiladas, salads, soup and burritos. And don’t forget the pico, salsas, sauces, cilantro and dressings! We took all of the ingredients at Cafe Rio into consideration.
After a few months of testing, I’m confident the ABK version of Cafe Rio’s queso is a crowd pleaser and keeper! Here are a few questions you may have about our copycat version…
Why Enchilada Sauce? To achieve just the right color and flavor, we used red enchilada sauce. The Cafe Rio queso is almost orangeish/brownish in color, which we think comes from the enchilada sauce. Fresh chopped cilantro and green onions, blended also adds to the unique color of the queso. We also tried Chipotle Chile Pepper (dried spice) and while we loved the flavor, it didn’t taste quite like Cafe Rio!
Why did you use Velveeta “Queso Blanco”, instead of fresh grated cheese? I’m guessing this will be the question most of you will have! I’ll start with – I am not a fan of shelf-stable cheese. Where is my wide-eye emoji?? But after testing grated cheese several times while making queso, I found that it just doesn’t melt up as well as “pasteurized” cheese for a dip. Also, grated cheese is easily overheated, which results in separation and a layer of oil and then little lumps of cottage-cheesy like dip, instead of smooth and creamy dip. I chose this cheese for consistency and ease of preparation, AND the flavor is most like Cafe Rio’s version. The blanco or white Velveeta is more mild in flavor than the traditional orange variety.
Why does the recipe call for canned (Rotel) or bottled salsa, instead of fresh pico? I love fresh pico, but again, this choice was made after sampling several batches made with “fresh” style salsa sold in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. I believe Cafe Rio uses a combination of pico and their “Salsa Fresca” in their queso, but it was difficult to duplicate and then expect consistency when readers try to find just the right salsa while making this recipe. I decided Rotel was the best solution!
I don’t like my queso to be too spicy, how can I adjust? The Cafe Rio version has a bit of fire to it, so I used Rotel HOT in testing, but felt like it was a little too spicy for some. I recommend regular Rotel for a bit of heat, but not too much. The mild Rotel was a little too bland after being mixed with the cheese. Also, the enchilada sauce and the green chili sauce can be found in mild, medium or hot. Adjust according to your preference!
My queso is too thick, how can I thin it out a bit? Cafe Rio’s queso is pourable (even at room temperature), so we knew it had some type of liquid in the mixture, which was most likely coke, water or broth. Coke? Yes, take a look this recipe for our copycat Cafe Rio sweet pork recipe, we add Coke or Dr Pepper to the sauce. Caffeine free and diet work as well as regular Coke, Pepsi or even Diet Dr. Pepper.
Can this queso recipe be made in the microwave, oven or in a slow cooker? Yes! I have made this in the microwave by placing all ingredients in a microwave safe dish (such as a silicone or glass dish) microwave for 1 minute, stir, repeat in 30 second increments until hot and the mixture is smooth when stirred. With all three versions, do not add the cilantro and green onions while cooking if making ahead. In the slow cooker, place ingredients in the slow cooker and heat over low until melty and smooth when stirred. In the oven, place ingredients in an oven proof dish, heat at 325 until melted, stir until smooth. Add the cilantro and green onions before serving.
Can queso be made ahead? Yes! This is the perfect make ahead recipe! Wait to add the fresh ingredients (chopped cilantro and green onion) until the day of serving. This dip will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before serving if waiting to add the fresh ingredients. It may also be frozen in an air tight container, then thawed overnight in the fridge and heated on the stovetop or microwave.
What you need to make Amazing Cafe Rio Queso Copycat Recipe:
- 16 oz Queso Blanco Velveeta, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup Rotel original or hot (with habanero) OR 1/2 cup pico
- 1/4 cup green chili sauce- mild, medium or hot
- 1/3 cup red enchilada sauce- regular or hot
- 2 tablespoons Coke, Diet Coke, or Dr Pepper to thin if needed
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine
- 3 stems green onion, chopped both green and white portions
I hope you love this homemade version of Cafe Rio’s queso! Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and any alterations or additions you made to the recipe!
Amazing Cafe Rio Queso Copycat
Ingredients
Please read all recipe notes before making queso!
- 16 oz Queso Blanco Velveeta, cut into cubes, see recipe notes for substitutions
- 1/2 cup Rotel original or hot (with habanero) OR 1/2 cup pico
- 1/4 cup green chili sauce- mild, medium or hot
- 1/3 cup red enchilada sauce- regular or hot
- 2 tablespoons Coke, Diet Coke, or Dr Pepper to thin if needed
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine*
- 3 stems green onion, chopped green and white portions*
Instructions
- Place cubed cheese in a 2 quart pan on stove top.
- Add the Rotel or pico, green chile sauce, and red enchilada sauce. Stir ingredients together over medium heat until the cheese is melted.
- Add the chopped green onion and cilantro to the mixture in the pan. Mix with a large spatula or spoon.
- Add the soda to the queso and stir to thin. Serve while warm with tortilla chips.
Notes
- The heat level in queso can be adjusted easily according to your preference. If you love a lot of heat, I recommend using Rotel HOT. I like Rotel MEDIUM best for this recipe. Just a bit of heat, but not too hot for young kids!
- For testing purposes I used Rosarita red enchilada sauce and for the green sauce: Herdez “Salsa Verde mild” or San Antonio Farms “Tomatillo & Hatch Chile” salsa verde. Most of the heat in this recipe comes from the Rotel, not the sauces.
- If the dip tastes too salty (sometimes this happens with certain brands of enchilada sauce and green chili sauce) I add 2 tablespoons of sour cream to the queso and heat until bubbly!
- This recipe may be made up to 5 days before serving. When making ahead, do not add cilantro and green onion until the day of serving.
- I use a teflon pan for melting the cheese for easy cleanup.
- If you like your dip super smooth, use an immersion blender and pulse in the pan after the queso is prepared.
- See recipe post for oven, slow cooker and microwave instructions.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Kathy
Husband gave it 5 out of 5, and he is a Cafe Rio queso fan. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Si Foster
Kathy! As fellow Queso fans I’m happy to hear you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for your positive feedback!
XO
Si
Torri Mahoney
Love this recipe so much! I will be making it for every NYE, Superbowl party or anything I need to bring an appetizer to. So, so good!
Jen Taylor
So easy and so yummy. I didn’t need to thin it with soda. I found the queso blanco velvetta at my small town walmart. I used mild everything because we are not a spicy loving family, and everyone loved it!
Rachelle Dana Lindblom
My sister made this queso recipe before I could (and I’m the queso queen, I’ve requested it to be served at my funeral—who doesn’t want a nacho send off?!). Sister was right, life changing & now I’m prepared for every worthy nacho occasion— tomorrow is cinco de Mayo 😉 Muchas gracias Amiga !!
McCall
Made this for a family gathering and the bowl was basically licked clean! So good and easy to make.
Karly Adams
Oh man I wish I never found this recipe because it’s amazing and I want to make it all the time! I think that queso blanco is the key ingredient! I feel like any other queso I’ve made just doesn’t taste great. Makes me real excited for Super Bowl to roll around!
Charlcie
I go to cafe Rio just for the chips and queso. Happy to report I’ve made this a handful of times for girls nights and it is better IMO! So easy too.
Kiersten Nelson
Sooo flavorful and delicious! All of the ABK Cafe Rio copycat recipes are spot on, and this is my new favorite!
Sarah Walker
I’m a Cafe Rio fanatic and this is the closest recipe I have found to their queso! So easy and so good it’s a crowd pleaser.
Pat
I ❤️❤️❤️ all your recipes. This is a very good copy cat recipe. I blended the green salsa and tomatoes before adding since I have a son who won’t chunks. Served it at a bbq and the crock pot was scraped clean.
Laura Oblinger
So much more flavorful–but just as easy–as the basic Velveeta dip I was making. I definitely reccommed the immersion blender step. I have made it both without blending and with blending, and I much preferred the flavor and consistency of the blended dip. I also used dried cilantro in a pinch and thought the flavor was great.
Suzanne Doom
This queso is amazing! Way better than the original! My daughter who does not like queso said it is the best thing she has ever had.
Amberlee
So yummy!! This has been such a fun recipe for little get-togethers with friends! So good with chips and with homemade soft pretzels too!
Sunni
Such a yummy easy dip! Perfect appetizer to share! Everyone loved when I made this!
Jessie p
My favorite queso recipe! I always get compliments on it when I make this!
Jacque
Whether you’ve had Café Rio’s queso or not, this is the queso dip you will eat for the rest of your life! So so good!
Sara White
A friend introduced me to this recipe after eating queso at her house. It is now a favorite at our house! Super simple to make and is so, so good!! And thus began my love and following of A Bountiful Kitchen!
Dawn Thomas
This was by far the BEST queso I’ve ever made!! My family and our extended family LOVED it! I will be making this again FOR SURE!!! Thank you for sharing your talents with all of us!
Julie Call
I have only been able to use regular Velveeta and it still is a decadent, savory treat for my family every time I make this. YUM!
Nicole
I have made a few queso recipes and they were no bueno… Then I remembered seeing this recipe. I made it and the whole family loved it! Seriously, so good and it really does taste like cafe rio!
Ashley Butler
Seriously better than the original. Can’t count the amount of times I’ve made this recently! It’s 100% a family favorite. Thank you!
Lynsee
This recipe is so simple and tastes just like the queso (if not better) at cafe Rio. We serve it with a protein and black beans as a dinner all the time. It’s a family favorite.
LISA
OKAY SI… YOU’VE DONE IT AGAIN! WE ACTUALLY DID A TASTE TEST BETWEEN THE ACTUAL CAFE RIO QUESO AND THIS RECIPE. EVERYONE AGREED THEY TASTED SO SIMILAR… BUT EVERYONE ALSO AGREED THAT YOUR RECIPE WAS BETTER BY A LONG SHOT! THANKS FOR ALL THE AMAZING RECIPES THAT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING IN THE KITCHEN!
Si Foster
Lisa, what a compliment! I am honored that you guys thought that it tasted better. Thank YOU for reading ABK!
XO,
Si
Victoria
This was a bit of work because I made the salsa verde and enchilada sauce from scratch but the end result was pretty amazing. Who knew the depth of flavor the soda would add. Nice recipes.
Si Foster
Thank you, Victoria! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe. Your homemade salsa verde and enchilada sauce sound delightful and are a perfect combo with this Queso! Thanks for reading ABK!
XO,
Si
Lisa Chandler
After seeing how long it took Si to perfect this recipe, I was intrigued. Cafe Rio holds a pretty high standard with their queso, so I was leery of an imitation. I made this recipe and it definitely deserves 5 stars. I can’t tell the difference between this recipe and the restaurants. My daughter lives out of state, with no cafe Rio. She also can’t get the Blanco Velvetta Cheese. I had to pack the cheese in my suitcase, getting stopped by TSA so she could have her favorite queso. This recipe is what drove me to buy Si’s cookbook, which I am loving!
Si Foster
Lisa,
You are one dedicated mom! I’m glad TSA let you take the Velveeta on board! Also glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for your review!
XO
Si
Angela Shepherd
I made this for a youth activity and it was all the rave! Everyone wanted to know what was in it! I love how easy and yummy this recipe is! Gracias!
Si Foster
Hi Angela,
De nada! I’m so glad you were able to please the crowd at your youth event! This recipe took a little tweaking, but once we got it right, we knew it! Thank you for your kind comments and thank you for reading ABK.
xo,
Si
Daphne
Ooo I can’t wait to try this! Where did you get the chips??? They look amazing too!
Robyn
This was SO good! Thank you for putting all the effort into figuring it out and then sharing the recipe with us. This will be a regular at our house now.
Si Foster
You’re welcome Robyn! So happy you loved this recipe!
XO
Si
Jann T Williams
Just made this and it’s packed with flavor! Super easy to make. Wouldn’t change a thing. Going to serve it with BBQ burgers, chips and salad tonight.
THANK YOU!
Si Foster
Hi Jann,
Sounds delicious! When’s dinner? haha. Thank you for your positive comments and thanks for reading ABK.
xo,
Si
Carly
We made this as a super bowl snack and it was so delicious! Just as good, if not better than restaurant queso! We halved the recipe since there was just the 2 of us but it was still plenty. We eventually had to put it away, because I couldn’t stop eating it! We will definitely be saving this recipe to make again! (P.s. we found the Velveeta queso Blanco at Publix, but it was hidden on recipe bottom shelf, by the room temp parmesan cheese)
Si Foster
Hi Carly,
I am right there with you on making a small batch! In testing we ate more of this than I care to admit. In need of the hide face emoji here! Readers have had trouble fining the Queso blanco, thanks for the tip!
XO
Si
Stefanie Quinn
I made the copycat Cafe Rio queso for Super Bowl and it was a big hit! Easy ingredients to find and simple to make.
I will definitely make this again and again!
Si Foster
Thanks Stephanie! It is such a simple and delicious appetizer!
I appreciate your feedback 🙂
XO
Si
Lynda roskelley
This looks unreal thank you for posting! Where did you buy the Velveeta Queso Blanco? I’ve looked high and low (2 different Harmon’s, Smith’s, 3 Macey’s, Meier’s Meats, Days Market) and no one carries it. Help!
Ali
Me too!!!! Wahhhhhh!
jenn
I found it at Walmart.
Tara
It’s just white American cheese. Doesn’t have to be Velveeta brand. You’ll find it at the deli counter or most any grocery store. Good luck!
Si Foster
Hi Lynda,
I think this product is difficult to find at times! Regular Velveeta is also an option for substitution. Thanks for reading ABK, would love to hear back if you make this!
XO
Si