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Make this easy Nacho Cheese Sauce at home with a variety of cheese options, including Velveeta, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and more. Learn my secret trick that makes this the BEST Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe you’ll find!
Serve this with Chili Cheese Dogs, French Fries, Potato Wedges, Tortilla Chips, Crusty bites of bread, or vegetables.
Nacho Cheese Sauce
Have you ever tried to replicate classic nacho cheese sauce at home, only to end up with a boring, bland result that tastes nothing like the velvety smooth nacho cheese that we all know and love?
I’ve got the secret trick to infusing this sauce with classic nacho flavor. And all it takes is 1 jalapeno, a little hot sauce, and some simple seasonings. Read on and get ready to make some nachos!
How to Make It (Summary)
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Melt butter in a saucepan and add sliced jalapeno (seeds removed). Let the jalapenos flavor up the butter for about 2 minutes. Remove and leave the butter in the pan.
- Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, until you can no longer smell flour.
- Add the milk in splashes, whisking continuously to ensure a smooth result.
- Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer. Add cayenne, hot sauce, and paprika.
- Reduce heat to low. If the base is too hot when the cheese is added, you’ll end up with a grainy consistency. Add the cheese.
- Stir continuously until melted and smooth. Serve immediately with chips! Save leftovers for Chili Cheese Dogs.
Pro Tips
- The most important step is to make sure the base of the sauce isn’t too hot when you add the cheese, or you’ll end up with a grainy consistency. Add the cheese gradually over low heat and stir to combine until fully melted.
- I find that using Velveeta is the best way to replicate classic nacho cheese sauce at home, but American, Cheddar, or Monterey Jack are all great variations of cheeses that you can use.
- Don’t use packaged shredded cheese as it contains cellulose and doesn’t melt well. Shred cheese from a block for the best creamy texture and flavor.
- Rotel tomatoes with green chilies makes a great addition to this nacho sauce.
- I use Frank’s Hot Sauce in this recipe.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Reheating
- Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add splashes of milk to loosen it up and restore it back to it’s original form.
Can you Freeze Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Nacho cheese sauce made with Velveeta can be frozen, the consistency once reheated can vary slightly but it’s not a huge difference. Let it defrost first and reheat it in a skillet as outlined above.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Box Cheese Grater– Always shred cheese from a block for creamy/melty results. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose and prevents it from melting as well in soups/sauces.
- Mini Crock– Perfect for keeping this warm for serving.
- Measuring spoons I love that these are magnetic. They keep my drawer neat.
Try These Next
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- Baked Tacos
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- Homemade Salsa
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- One Pot Taco Pasta
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- Guacamole
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- Cowboy Caviar
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- Baked Potato Slices
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Nacho Cheese Sauce
Make this easy Nacho Cheese Sauce at home with a variety of cheese options, including Velveeta, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and more. Learn my secret trick that makes this the BEST Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe you'll find!
Ingredients
- 2 Jalapenos
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 Teaspoon hot sauce
- 8 oz. cubed Velveeta Cheese, see notes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Slice the jalapenos in half. Remove the stem and seeds and cut into smaller slices.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the jalapenos (skin-side-up) and cook for 2 minutes or so, until softened. We want to transfer as much jalapeno flavor into the butter as possible without browning the butter.
- Remove the jalapenos and whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes or until you can no longer smell the flour.
- Add the milk, one splash at a time, and whisk continuously to incorporate. If it’s added too fast it could break the roux. Be sure to whisk the whole time until the milk is all incorporated.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the cayenne, hot sauce, and paprika.
- Reduce heat to low. If the base is too hot when the cheese is added, you’ll end up with a grainy consistency. Add the cheese and stir continuously until melted and smooth.
- Serve immediately with Chili Cheese Dogs, French Fries, Potato Wedges, Tortilla Chips, Crusty bites of bread, or vegetables.
Notes
- American, Cheddar, or Monterey Jack are all great variations of cheeses that you can use. I find that Velveeta is the best way to replicate classic nacho cheese sauce at home.
- Rotel tomatoes with green chilies makes a great addition to this nacho sauce.
- I use Frank's Hot Sauce in this recipe.
Storage
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Reheat:
• Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add splashes of milk to loosen it up and restore it back to it’s original form.
This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of Nacho Cheese Sauce. Nutritional facts are per cup.
Nutrition
Calories: 510kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 2055mg, Potassium: 611mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 2459IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 798mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
This was sooo yummy! My kids loves it. I also added a can of green chilies to it.
Yayyyy! I’m so happy to hear that Brittany! Thanks so much for the great review!💗
Do you have to keep this heated up? Will it harden?
Hi Liza, I’m not sure how long you were thinking of leaving it out for but it does get harder the colder that it gets. Ideally it would be kept warm if serving to guests, unless it’s being eaten relatively soon after it’s served.
This recipe sounds awesome, and I can’t wait to try it! Do you think that once it is made it could be transferred to a crock pot? I feel like it might be alright, but I worry about the consistency staying smooth!
Hi Angie! YES, I have done it before, this stays smooth because of the Velveeta! I have used those little mini crocks that are for dip and I just keep it on warm! 🙂
Oh my gosh, I have made countless nacho cheese recipes that just are ok. My boyfriend and I have been low carb for about 3 years now and recently discovered some low carb corn tortillas. We just were tortured at the football game with everyone around us eating nachos lol. This recipe sounded so promising after so many I have tried. I used 7oz of American cheese (velveta has a lot of carbs) and about 3 oz of extra sharp cheddar and omitted the flour (extra cheese is enough to make it thick once it cools a bit.) I used 1/2 cup of half and half and 1/2 cup water to avoid more milk sugars and left the jalapeños in the cheese instead of removing. WOW!!! hands down the BEST canned nacho replacement I’ve ever tried!! I’ve done some recipes with some of the spices, but this combo of them with the hot sauce and jalapeños is so good. I crave the cheap stuff they serve at our HS football games and honestly, this is better but still hits that mark of flavor. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Sorry, I diced the jalapeños and left them in the cheese since we would have probably just put them on the nachos anyway 😜
I’m so happy to hear such great comments Tiesh! I know how hard it is when everyone is enjoying something yummy all around you! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
Delicious. I used cheddar cheese vs velveeta and it came out great. Making again soon and will add a bit more heat, just a preference. 🙂
My husband likes it with a little heat too. I’m so happy you liked it, thanks so much for the great review!💗
I’ve been looking to replace pizza huts nacho sauce for sometime to use with my breadsticks since they quit making it. The canned stuff at the store frankly stinks. This has just the right mixture of heat and the savory flavor of nacho cheese. A keeper for sure!!!
That’s so funny I used to love Pizza Hut nacho sauce too! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thanks so much for the great review Yvonne!💗
This nacho cheese was excellent. It was a fun addition to a taco/nacho bar I set up for a party. It would make a fun cheese at a fondue party, too! I am definitely holding onto this recipe for the future. Thanks!
(Note: I used Crystal as my hot sauce.)
A Taco/Nacho bar sounds like an amazing idea! I might do that for my hubby and his friends next week when football starts! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!💗
I am so excited to try this but want to know what type of Hot Sauce you use? There are so many out there, just not sure which to us.
Thanks
Hi Deb!! I use Frank’s Hot Sauce, it’s great in all of my recipes that call for hot sauce! 🙂
Thank you for posting this! I wanted a Velveeta based sauce recipe instead of the typical Rotel dip recipe. This came out perfectly. The texture and the flavor was exactly what I wanted. The heat can easily be adjusted by the amount of cayenne, but the amount in the recipe is just like traditional nacho sauce. I diced the buttery jalepenos and used them in omelets all week. Great job!
You’re very welcome John! I’m so happy you enjoyed this so much. Your Omelets sound amazing!🙌 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Your recipe, by far, is the best cheese sauce I’ve made for nacho night! It’s also seven-year-old approved as I’ve been struggling to make something that tastes similar to his favorite cheese sauce from Taco Bell. All other cheese sauces have failed according to my child… The jalapenos in the butter are key for that delicious hint of spicy. Thank you for this recipe! I’ll be making it from now on.
I’m so happy to hear such great comments! I put this cheese sauce on everything from hot dogs, to veggies, and french fries! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!😍