How to Make Nacho Cheese Sauce

See how to make a cheesy game day classic. It’s easy! See more

READY IN 30 mins

Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce

Read Reviews (6)

"This nacho cheese sauce recipe is not cheaper and easier to make at home, but what you lose in cost and quantity, you more than make up for in actual food content." — Chef John

Directions

Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon flour. Whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and all the flour is incorporated, 3 to 4 minutes.
Slowly pour cold milk into the butter mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, ground chipotle, ancho chile powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Reduce heat to low and add sharp Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and Muenster cheese, a handful at a time; stir until thoroughly melted. Season with salt to taste.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 30 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Note:
Test the dip with the chips you'll be serving them with, since they will affect how much salt you need to add to the dip.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 22, 2013

DELICIOUS! If you have the time and are using good cheeses, this is an amazing nacho cheese sauce. If you watch the video, you'll see how to avoid getting a grainy texture (low temp). Also..."cold milk + hot roux = no lumps." Will make this for the Super Bowl!

—Lorem Ipsum

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 07, 2013

I made this for the Redskins vs Seahawks wildcard game, and it did come together nicely, but it was deemed a bit bland. Most of my guests added some of the fresh diced jalapeño I had sitting beside it. It was nice and creamy when freshly made right before the game, but by half-time it was grainy and just awful, after sitting in a 2-qt slow cooker on "warm". Not one I'll make again, a rare miss from Chef John.

—lucylove is not a baking

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7 Ratings

Dec 25, 2012

Came out grainy. I may have done it wrong. I scorched the butter a little and the butter and flour mixture was very brownish colored. The rue didn't come together well so that may be the reason for the graininess. Aside from the texture the flavor wasn't all that great. Ancho chile powder is hard to find too. I might try again but will probably look for a new recipe. May need to use some velveeta instead of the other cheeses for texture.

—Lance

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Apr 04, 2013

this is a big big hit with my husband and his buddies......i throw in a can of rotel tomatoes as well, adjusting the flour to thicken things up to the proper consistency. i added about 1t of cayenne, but we like things really really spicy! for those of you whose nacho cheese came out grainy, lower your heat! and for those whose product came out lumpy, always remember, hot roux, cold liquid equals lump free product. yes, this is more expensive, and more work than store bought nacho cheese, but is vastly superior. another hit for chef john!!!!!!!!!!

—cathy

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Mar 21, 2013

Excellent recipe! Thank you Chef John for teaching us all how to make a proper roux! I have always had such trouble with good sauces and now that I have the beginning steps down, I have been able to create tons of successful variations. Btw this recipe can be altered to make some wonderful homemade mac and cheese. :)

—akdykes

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Feb 03, 2013

This came out very thin. I ended up adding an additional 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. The flavor was just ok for me. I actually preferred it cold when it had set up a little. The recipe was easy to follow. Went along with the video on this one!

—Carrie C.

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Nutrition

Calories
132 kcal
7%

Carbohydrates
3 g
< 1%

Cholesterol
31 mg
10%

Fat
10.2 g
16%

Fiber
0.1 g
< 1%

Protein
6.9 g
14%

Sodium
188 mg
8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce

Serving Size: 1/20 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 20
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 132
Calories from Fat: 92

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10.2g 16 %
Saturated Fat 6.5g 32 %
Cholesterol 31mg 10 %
Sodium 188mg 8 %
** Potassium 83mg 2 %
Total Carbohydrates 3g < 1 %
Dietary Fiber 0.1g < 1 %
Protein 6.9g 14 %
Sugars 1.9g
** Vitamin A 8 %
** Vitamin C < 1 %
** Calcium 26 %
** Iron 2 %
** Thiamin 3 %
** Niacin 12 %
** Vitamin B6 2 %
** Magnesium 4 %
** Folate 5 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.