Torchy's Tacos Copycat Queso Dip Recipe (2024)

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About This Torchy’s Queso Recipe

People, there is absolutely nothing that I love more than a delicious dip. Especially when I can accompany it with a nice, cold beer. And lots of good friends. And preferably on game day.

So when Torchy’s Tacos opened here in Denver, I was thrilled to try their queso. It’s basically the best I’ve ever had. So I HAD to replicate one of my favorite restaurant recipes at home for those times when no one wants to go out to eat but me.

If you aren’t familiar with Torchy’s Tacos yet- let me tell you a bit about the restaurant. Their slogan is “Damn Good Tacos”- and I’d say that about sums it up. It’s an Austin, Texas-based Mexican restaurant chain that is starting to spring up all over the Southwest.

Torchy’s is a modern taco joint with a full bar and a full menu of tacos. The tacos have creative names- like The Barnburner or the Tipsy Chick. They also have super creative ingredient combinations like Jamaican Jerk chicken inside a taco.

I love that you can choose a corn or flour tortilla with every taco too- so you don’t just have to stick with the same type of tortilla every time. You can also choose a different salsa with each taco that you order, which is a super fun touch.

EVERYONE loves Torchy’s queso dip. Seriously. It so so so so SO good. It’s like regular green chile queso dip on steroids. There is a combination of processed cheese and “real cheese” that gives the dip a fun kick and a lot of texture. Then a bit of Torchy Diablo sauce is drizzled on top and a ball of guacamole is dropped right into the middle.

I use evaporated milk in this easy recipe to cut down on the saturated fat, and it makes the cheese sauce so smooth and creamy. The dip is popular on the Keto diet, and it’s one of the easiest copycat recipes on the planet.

The cheese is perfectly smooth- and not as cheesy are just regular nacho cheese dip like you get at sporting events. It’s garnished with hot sauce, chopped onions and cilantro, and some queso fresco. Hot sauce is drizzled on top to give a nice kick- but the dip itself isn’t too spicy so most kids still love it. Here’s the recipe.

Torchy’s Queso Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Velveeta cheese
• 4 oz evaporated milk
• 2 oz canned green chilis
• 1 tablespoon minced white onion
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
• 2 tablespoons queso fresco (optional garnish)
• Hot sauce for drizzling
• Tortilla chips for dipping
• Guacamole (optional)

Instructions:

Combine Velveeta, evaporated milk, and green chiles in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on half power, one minute at a time, stirring frequently until completely melted and combined.

You can also make this on the stovetop, heating on medium heat and stirring until the cheese is melted.

Transfer into a dipping bowl. Drizzle hot sauce over it. Garnish with onion, cilantro, and crumbled queso fresco.

If you are adding the guacamole, you can either scoop it into a ball and put it in the bottom of the dipping bowl and pour the queso dip on top. Or, you can drop it in from the top and then garnish afterward.

This recipe doubles, triples, quadruples… very nicely. No adjustments are needed!

Substitutions/Variations

You could definitely make this queso dip recipe with shredded cheeses like pepper jack and cheddar cheese, but I think that it tastes more like a homemade queso dip when I use Velveeta, so that’s what I did!

And- at the restaurant, you can upgrade the dip by adding a ball of guacamole dropped right into the center of the dip. It’s damn delicious.

You can substitute the evaporated milk for heavy cream.

Some people add lime juice to the mixture.

Serving Suggestions

So I love to serve this dip as an appetizer before a taco night, or as part of a fun dip bar like for a New Year’s Party. It pairs super well with beer, wine, and margaritas…

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