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This keto queso recipe is the perfect low-carb appetizer! Whether you need to make a holiday party appetizer or you just want a game-day snack, you’ll love this ultra-rich keto cheese sauce dip.
Whether you need a dish to whip up for a holiday party appetizer, or you just want a tasty weekend snack – this keto queso is where it’s at! It’s ultra-rich thanks to the heavy cream, cheddar, and cream cheese, and has the perfect little kick from the green chiles. My family devours this whenever we make it! Let’s teach you how to make your keto queso!
IS QUESO KETO?
Many people ask ‘can you eat queso on keto’ ‘is queso keto friendly’?’ Queso can be keto-friendly depending on how it’s made. However, many versions follow the traditional Mexican use of roux with flour to create the thickness you’re used to. Because of that, the carb count can quickly increase to a level that may not be optimal for your low carb diet.
With this queso recipe, we’re using heavy cream and cream cheese to act as the main thickeners, which not only keeps the carb count down but also adds a ton of filling fats.
HOW TO MAKE KETO QUESO
To make this dish, you’ll only need a few simple ingredients:
- Butter
- Onion
- Heavy cream
- Cream cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Can of Rotel tomatoes & chiles
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cumin
You’ll start by melting your butter in a pot over medium heat, and then add your onion. Yes, I know that onion adds a few extra carbs to this dish overall – but we only use a quarter cup and that little bit sautéed in butter adds quite a depth of flavor.
Next, you’ll stir in your heavy cream, cheddar, and cream cheese. Keep stirring this frequently so everything gets all melty and smooth.
Lastly, mix in a drained can of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, salt, pepper, and cumin. Similar to the onion, I recognize that the Rotel adds a few extra carbs. You can leave this out if you’d like to nudge down the net carbs, but I love the flavor dynamic with the Rotel in there.
The result is a very thick, rich queso. I love it with the chunks of tomatoes and chiles and onion. It’s just so delicious.
If you want it to be a bit creamier or thinner, you can either a) leave out the Rotel, and/or b) use extra heavy cream. The flavor won’t be quite as good but it would give you more of a nacho-cheese style sauce rather than as-is which is more of a thick sauce/dip.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
This keto queso makes about 8 servings. Each serving contains 20 grams of fat and just 3.5 grams of net carbs.
The macronutrient breakdown is as follows:
- 80% fat
- 13% protein
- 7% carbohydrate
A pretty nice breakdown for a keto dieter!
Keep in mind you’ll want to make sure you choose good, low-carb options for eating with this queso, and make sure to add those into the total net carbs for your snack/meal.
HOW TO USE KETO QUESO
Here are some great options for items to dip or other ways to use this delicious low carb cheese sauce dip. The carb counts listed after each option are for that food itself; it doesn’t include the dip as well.
DIPPERS
- Slice 3 medium stalks of raw celery and dip that into this queso. (3 stalks = 4.2 g carbohydrate, 1.8 g fiber, 2.4 g net carbs)
- Dip with sliced raw bell pepper (1 medium = 5.5 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3.5 g net carbs)
- Dip with raw cauliflower (1 cup = 5.5 g carbohydrate, 2.5 g fiber, 3 g net carbs)
- Scoop the queso with sliced cucumbers (1 cup slices = 4 g carbohydrate, 0.6 g fiber, 3.4 g net carbs)
- Use pork rinds as a dipper! (0 g carbs)
- Try it with theselow carb tortilla chips(1 serving = 4.8 g carbohydrate, 2.9 g fiber, 1.7 g net carbs)
- Scoop the dip on thesepepperoni chips(0 g carbs)
OTHER WAYS TO USE THIS:
- Drizzle the queso over the cooked broccoli (1/2 cup cooked = 5.6 g carbohydrate, 2.6 g fiber, 3 g net carbs)
- Stir the queso into cooked cauliflower rice (1/2 cup cooked = 4 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g net carbs)
- Scoop the dip into lettuce wraps with chicken, pulled pork, or steak (4 large leaves = 1.2 g carbohydrate, 0.8 g fiber, 0.4 g net carbs)
- Make a bun-less burger topped with queso. (0 g carbs)
- Sub out the cheddar cheese and tomatoes for queso in ourketo taco bowls.
FAQs
Can Queso Be Left Out?
You can leave queso out safely for up to two hours. Because it’s sitting in the temperature “danger zone”, bacteria can grow rapidly and you shouldn’t leave it out for longer than that. We recommend leaving out what you’re eating, and saving any leftovers for another day.
Can You Refrigerate Leftover Keto Queso?
With the proper storage, you absolutely can! Transfer your leftover queso to a tightly covered container and store it in the fridge. This will keep for 3 to 4 days. Store-bought ones can last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and if kept in the freezer it will last for 3 months before it loses the quality of its taste.
Can You Add Meat To The Queso Itself?
Sure! You can add cooked ground beef, chorizo, or sausage to this queso recipe. I also like adding pork cracklings.
Can You Use A Different Type Of Cheese?
Although cheddar is the perfect choice, you can substitute or add a different kind of cheese to the recipe. You can use whatever cheese you find like Monterey jack, Pepper jack, and Colby jack. You can even add mozzarella to add texture and a new flavor to your queso.
Keto Queso – Low-Carb Creamy Recipe
4.50 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Servings 6
Calories 306 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 10 ounces canned Rotel tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp cumin
Instructions
Heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, until tender.
Add the heavy cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. Stir frequently until the cheese is melted and well combined (about 2-4 minutes).
Add the can of drained Rotel tomatoes and chiles, salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir and cook for a minute or two until everything is warm and well combined.
Serve with sliced celery, keto chips, pork rinds, or over chicken/steak. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 11gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 485mgPotassium: 214mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1016IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 308mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
