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Skinny Queso Dip

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A zesty chunky cheese dip with chunks of tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, onions, lime juice, cilantro and spices. Get the chips ready, this stuff is good while it’s hot!

Skinny queso, it sounds like an oxymoron, right? This is a perfect appetizer to serve for the Superbowl, I’m adding this one to the list.

I stumbled on this recipe on Slender Kitchen and curiosity got the best of me so I decided to try it out. To be honest, while I was cooking it I had my reservations. It wasn’t until I scooped some up with my chips that I found myself going for more. Luckily I had a house full of people to help me dip away, and they all gave it a thumbs up.

I served it with Beanitos black bean chips, love them! You can use any light baked chip you desire.

A few things to note: I personally thought this was best right after making, it was all cheesy and stringy. Later I microwaved the leftovers to see how it would re-heat and it was no longer stringy like it was when I first made it so this is definitely something you want to make and eat right away.

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Skinny Queso Dip

4.67 from 6 votes
3
Cals:92.5
Protein:6.5
Carbs:7
Fat:4.5
A zesty chunky cheese dip with chunks of tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, onions, lime juice, cilantro and spices. Get the chips ready, this stuff is good while it's hot!
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
A zesty chunky cheese dip with chunks of tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, onions, lime juice, cilantro and spices. Get the chips ready, this stuff is good while it's hot!
Total: 30 minutes
Yield: 11 servings
Serving Size: 1 /4 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp canola oil
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 1-2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with chiles, diced and drained
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • juice of 1 lime
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1 3/4 cups shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar, Sargento

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the milk with 3 tbsp of cornstarch to create a slurry; set aside.
  • Heat a large saucepan on medium heat; when hot add oil. Add the onions, garlic, poblano, and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.
  • Add the chicken broth and the rest of the milk. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
  • Add the slurry (cornstarch mixture) to the pan and stir; simmer a minute until it bubbles and thickens, then reduce heat to low.
  • Add the drained tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and add the cheese; stir until it melts completely. Serve immediately.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 /4 cup, Calories: 92.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 7 g, Protein: 6.5 g, Fat: 4.5 g, Sodium: 143 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g

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105 comments on “Skinny Queso Dip”

  1. My picky husband and I both loved this. I made it per recipe; used generic cheese. Put in a 1/5 qt crockpot to keep warm before and during the Super Bowl game. Just need to stir once in a while. Have reheated leftover in microwave. Will make again. Tried the Benitos chips and will definitely buy again.

  2. I’ve made this several times, and it is delicious. I would like to try to keep it warm in a mini crockpot. I see that several of you mentioned wanting to try this as well. Anyone willing to share their results? 

  3. This is very tasty, but wayyy too much lime juice. I did use Follow Your Heart cheese so that it would be dairy free, so maybe that was a factor. I upped the spices quite a bit and served it over fat free refried beans over tortilla chips for a healthier spin on nachos. Next time, I will definitely half the amount of lime juice.

  4. I’m sensitive to dairy. I make this using vegan cheese and it’s totally delicous! You would never guess it’s dairy free!

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  11. Made this for the playoff games today. Excellent. I used regular sharp cheddar only because we are not fans of reduced fat cheese. Thanks for another yummy recipe!

    1. The author mentions leftovers weren’t great reheated in the microwave., so I’d reheat in a pan on low w/a Tbsp of milk in the bottom, covered and stirring every minute or two. I rarely use the microwave as it often changes the consistently of foods. 

      I can’t rate this bc I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks good.

  12. There is a foot of snow (and counting) outside my door right now so a perfect day for this dip. I followed the recipe exactly and used a really good New York cheddar. The cilantro and lime juice add great flavor. Delicious!

  13. make sure you use good cheese…the Sargento will be what I suggest and use next time. I used a generic brand and this recipe did NOT work out. I also used the crock pot and FAILED! But alas, I am NOT giving up on it. I'm going to try again for today's game.
    Shelly

  14. This is my first time on this site, and the recipes look great. I was looking under the vegetarian dishes for a dip for my vegetarian sister and found this recipe, but then saw it has chicken broth in it. Maybe I can substitute veggie broth.

  15. hmm, sounds like it'd be good with ground turkey! I like the idea of eating with celery, which I love. maybe also good poured over chicken breast? adding to next weeks recipe list, but I may just make it this weekend for a Sunday snack!

  16. Hi Gina! I am going to make this tomorrow night, I was going to buy a little cast iron skillet to make and serve it in. What size skillet would you reccomend?

  17. Made this and it took some serious chopping work! It was good though. Next time I will use less cilantro. It seemed to overwhelm the dish. Also, only used 1 jalapeno and glad I did, it was awfully chunky. I think the leftovers will be great on nachos. All in all a delicious dish.

  18. Maybe this is more of a comment about my love affair with cheese, but I did not think this tasted cheesy at all. I love queso dip, it's one of my favorite foods. Every other recipe I've tried from Gina has been over-the-top excellente, but this one I threw out. I made it to take to a get together and just could not bring myself to serve it. And yes, I did follow all the directions and used Sargento cheese, I even tried throwing a little bit more cheese in there and it still didn't taste like cheese. Just onions, jalapenos, garlic and Rotel in a pillowy mush.

  19. YUMMY!! I made this for the Super Bowl and everyone loved it! Noone had a clue it was lowfat. I have lost 2 lbs last week making your recipes and desserts! Thank you for the light alterations. I have not told my family the recipes are lowfat and healthier or they wont touch it. What they don't know – Won't hurt them!!:)

  20. I made this yesterday for the Super Bowl, and it was great! Definitely didn't miss the fat. Thanks!

  21. So good! Just made this for a Super Bowl Party and everyone loved it. I thought it heated up okay, (not perfect, but definitely pretty normal) and it was a hit. Thanks for all your great recipes!

  22. Gina,
    What kind of crackers are those and what other types of crackers do you recommend for dips? I have such a hard time finding ones that are on the healthier side…. Thank you! 🙂

  23. How much kick does this dip have? I am kind of a wimp with spice but still want to try it out for Superbowl Sunday. It looks and sounds amazing. What would be your suggestion to mellow it a bit so the kids would eat it as well? Thanks in advance!

  24. just made this this past Saturday for a small get together and my friend (who happens to be a 'skinny bitch' (jk!!) who avoids carbs, hates spicy food, and is a VERY picky eater) couldn't stop eating this and neither could my husband. My husband says he definitely wants this at the table at the next party.

    I'm a big fan of your recipes (your chicken ropa vieja recipe has been distributed several times to different friends) and this one just hit it out of the ball park!! Thanks!

  25. I made this yesterday and it was great. People even combined some with chili and blue corn tortillas to make nachos.

  26. Carol
    I am getting my Super Bowl Goodies Menu ready and I have enjoyed all the great recipes I have made so far. The Baked Potato Soup was sooooo good. My husband raved about it. Thank you for helping on slim down.

    1. Made this last night and it was really tasty. It is very chunky but I think it depends on how large you cut things. You could probably use a good processor to chop it into smaller pieces as well. We like spicy so we used two jalapeños and it was tasty. Definitely much better than the jarred stuff or anything using velveeta. 

  27. This recipe looks AWESOME! I didn't think "skinny queso dip" was something that was actually possible but I've got to try this!

  28. Avatar photo
    Lauren Tamony

    This looks great. I have such a problem with the queso dip at restaurants! Glad you've come up with a healthy alternative, what chips did you serve it with? I'm new to the health food scene.

  29. This recipe looks delicious! I've been looking for a new appetizer to make, and I love queso. The only thing I hate is that it's so high in calories, so this is perfect!

    1. Avatar photo
      Julie Butryman

      I made it today. It was a big hit, but had left overs. Plan on having it for lunch over fat free refried beans & brown rice.

  30. Hey Gina.. love this recipe – perfect for the SuperBowl coming up.. could I keep this warm in the crock-pot ?

    1. I made this for the game last sunday and put it right in the crockpot to bring to my neighbors house. I thought it was just as good a couple hours later as it was when it was first done. All the neighbors loved it!

  31. Avatar photo
    Leanne @ The Skinny Architect

    I made this for the game on Saturday night! It was hard to stick to a serving it was so good. I ended up adding more chili powder because I really didn't think it was very spicy once the peppers were cooked down. My fiance devoured almost the entire thing he loved it so much. We will definitely be making this again!

  32. Oh my gosh this looks amazing! cheese dip for 3pp!?!?! I would totally make this to go to parties with so i can have something I know what it is and how to track it! YUM
    Read my story here: http://twotimestoomany.blogspot.com/

  33. Hi Gina,

    Do you make a weekly dinner plan? If so, would you mind sharing it on here???!!! Thanks so much!

  34. wowwww this looks soooo good!!!! Anything creamy and sort of cheesy sounds yummy right now, and what better way than to make it healthier without sacrificing the taste?! Great job with this recipe! I've never heard of Rotel tomatoes, so I'll have to check into that.

  35. Avatar photo
    Holly Cromer {Blacksburg, VA Wedding Photographer}

    This looks delicious! I'm such a sucker for queso and I happen to be back on Weight Watchers so I will for sure be trying this recipe out after my next trip to the grocery store.

  36. This was very good! It was pretty spicy with 2 jalapeños. Next time ill use one. I also forgot ancho powder, so I used chipotle chili powder. I didn't care for the smokiness it added. But it was cheesy and delish! I can eat a bunch of it!

  37. Avatar photo
    Ashleigh Molina

    I was at lunch yesterday and wanted the queso so bad, but it had 500 calories plus 2,000 sodium! This is amazing. Thank you Gina, you've changed my life this past year!

  38. I just made this for the game today and it was a big hit! Even my grandson liked it! It had lots of flavor and was good with chips and the rounded french bread cubes.

  39. Oh, this is a must-have Super Bowl Party recipe. Can't wait to make some….and I don't even have a favorite team this year. LOL

    BTW, I finally have the sandwich feature ready for my blog and your tuna avocado open faces sandwich will be right up front. So beautiful, healthy and tasty, too.

  40. Gina can you tell me how hot/spicey this is please? I know that is relative to the person, but my husband and I don't like anything that taste "hot" so trying to figure out what we should sub or leave out. Thanks for posting this recipe. I do want to try it soon!….lin lbprich@bellsouth.net

  41. Hi Gina,
    This looks delicious but I have 2 questions – ancho chili powder – I haven't been able to find it. Would I be able to substitute chipotle chili or regular chili powders?
    Also, no stores supply Rotel tomatoes and there are no other brands that have the tomatoes with chiles. Would you have an idea for a substitute? Salsa, maybe?
    Can't wait to try this. Thanks, as always!
    Meaghan

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      Any hot chile powder is fine! I guess salsa would work along with some canned chile peppers.

  42. Maybe it's my pregnant tummy but this doesn't look too yummy. 🙁 I keep looking at it willing myself to want it but I just don't. Oh well…I'm sure my family would love it. Low fat queso..heck yes! They'll be all over it. Maybe I'll make it anyways and the baby will change his or her mind. 😉 Thanks for sharing Gina!!!

  43. I'm going to try making this and then keeping in my mini-crock pot to keep warm during the party. There is no setting on the little crock pot, so I'm hoping it doesn't get too warm. If anyone tries something similar, please post the results.

  44. Gina

    When you list ingrediants for raw vegetables like mushrooms in your recipes, do you mean liquid or solid ounces?

    Many thanks!!!!!

  45. Avatar photo
    Avery aka Southern Belle Living Well

    Lower cal queso? Yum! I love the fact that it looks a bit chunkier, and not like a watery-cream; which is what most restaurants these days serve.

  46. Can somebody tell me why the original recipie says its 1 point but on here its 3 points? Ive compared both recipies and there really arent any differences that should effect that.

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      I think my serving size is bigger, I measured it and got under 3 cups. I suppose if you add more vegetables you can stretch it to make more servings but I got 2 3/4 cups. I figure 1/4 cup dip per person, no one would eat less than that!

  47. Avatar photo
    toohottieforthatbody.com

    Oh goody goody goody!!! You have no idea how happy this makes me! The velveeta queso was so craveworthy but so bad for you. I'm going to have to pass this off on my husband without telling it's a healthy version. We'll have to see what he says 🙂

  48. Actually, on the Slender Kitchen sight it says it is only 1 plus WW point:

    "Points: 1 Weight Watchers PointsPlus
    Servings: 16
    Serving size: 1/4 cup
    Nutritional Info: 75 calories, 2g of fat, 3.1g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 1.1g dietary fiber"

  49. Avatar photo
    Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie

    Who knew this could be skinny? Although I'd end up eating more than I should even so.

  50. I had tried that recipe a few months ago and I actually thought it was pretty gross to be honest – but yours looks so much better than the original, I may have to try it again. What did you do differently?

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      Really? I only made minor tweaks, I used a Sargento which is a good cheddar, melts nicely. My husband who is not on a diet loved it, so did my cousin. I also liked the spice it had, and the lime. I did find it needed to be adjusted with salt.

  51. Avatar photo
    claire @ live and love to eat

    This looks amazing! I like making queso with evaporated skim milk too, but this is a great option!

    1. Avatar photo
      LanaJoseph @ Garden Office Building

      Yes it doesn't and it reminds me the italiano cheesy pizza that I had recently.