Forget store-bought nacho sauce—homemade tastes so much better and is easier to make than you think! In under 10 minutes, you can whip up a delicious, cheesy masterpiece that’s perfect as a dip or poured over nachos. And honestly, we won’t judge if you eat it by the spoonful—it’s that good!
Pair this with our ultimate nacho recipe or drizzle it over our pulled pork nachos for cheesy kick!
Why Our Recipe
- Easy to make in under 10 minutes and uses only 5 ingredients.
- Gives you the option of using real cheddar cheese or Velveeta-style processed American cheese.
- Basic preparation with options to build more flavor and heat.
It may sound cheesy, but nacho cheese sauce is downright irresistible! Think of it as a cheese gravy—what’s not to love about that? Serve it with chips, pretzels, crackers, or use it to top your favorite nachos. You can even drizzle it over steamed vegetables or smother a baked potato with it. With so many pairing options, this sauce is perfect for anyone who just can’t get enough cheese.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Use salted butter or unsalted butter with a pinch of salt.
- All-Purpose Flour: Stick with classic all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Cayenne Pepper: Optional but gives the nacho cheese sauce a bit of a spicy kick.
- Milk:
Real Cheddar vs Processed Cheese
Let’s talk about cheese! When it comes to nacho cheese sauce, you have plenty of options, each delicious in its own way. Our top choice is real cheddar—preferably freshly grated sharp cheddar for its superior flavor and smoother melting.
Pre-shredded cheddar from a bag contains additives to prevent clumping, which can also affect how well it melts. Keep in mind that cheddar cheese tends to create a thinner, slightly grainier sauce.
Processed cheeses like Velveeta are another classic option for nacho cheese sauce. They result in a thicker, smoother, and creamier sauce, though some people prefer to avoid the processed taste of American cheese. The choice is yours, and each option brings its own unique texture and flavor to the table!
Build More Flavor
Diced Onions and Garlic: Sauté some finely diced onions and garlic in the butter before adding the flour. It gives the sauce a flavorful, aromatic kick!
Beer: Swap out up to half the milk for a light beer to add a rich, malty vibe to your sauce.
Cumin or Ground Mustard: Toss in 1/2 teaspoon of cumin or ground mustard for an easy way to amp up the flavor.
Taco Seasoning: A teaspoon of taco seasoning is all you need for bold, zesty, Mexican-inspired goodness.
Roasted Veggies: Roasted poblano or red peppers are a game-changer, adding a smoky-sweet touch to your sauce.
Pepper Jack or Blue Cheese: For a cheesy twist, mix in some pepper jack for a little spice or crumble in blue cheese for a tangy, creamy finish.
Build More Heat
Jalapeño, Serrano or Habanero Peppers : Finely dice fresh or pickled jalapeños and stir them in for an easy, spicy upgrade. For serious spice lovers, finely dice serrano or habanero peppers to really crank up the heat.
Hot Sauce: Add a dash of your favorite hot sauce, from mild Tabasco to sriracha, for customizable heat.
Chili Powder or Smoked Paprika: Stir in 1/4 teaspoon to create a more subtle heat.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo: Blend in 1-2 teaspoons of finely chopped chipotle pepper for smoky heat that brings a burn.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat portions in the microwave on high in 30-second increments until heated through or in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
More delicious cheese dip recipes…
Best Buffalo Chicken Dip
35 mins
Cheesy Skillet Taco Dip
25 mins
Beer Cheese Dip
10 mins
Jalapeño Popper Dip
35 mins
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Really tasty and easy to make
I made this but added some minced garlic and adobo instead of cayenne pepper.
You have got to try this cheese sauce on cooked pasta! So yummy, my kids love dunking corn dogs and chicken nuggets in the sauce! Very yummy on baked cauliflower and broccoli too. Great way to get my picky kids to eat.
This recipe is simple, yet perfectly creamy and fabulously cheesy. ❤️ It is great as is or you can alter the recipe to your personal preferences and it will still be amazing! Sometimes simple is best, and this recipe is just that!
I wish I could figure out how to make it without it going grainy. But, for me, I doubled the cayenne pepper , because with 1/8 tsp, it just wasn’t spicy enough.
If you’re using the bagged shredded cheese that will make it grainy/lumpy. Make sure you are buying the bricks of cheese and shredding it yourself. The powder coating on bagged cheese that helps it to not stick will cause problems in sauces.
Turn off heat before adding cheese. That’ll help with graininess.
My husband loves my BBQ nachos and this cheese sauce is the reason! It’s so quick to whip up, and it is so decadent! Two enthusiastic thumbs up.
Incredible!!!!!! Super creamy and cheesy and even my son liked it! And he is very picky
desperate for cheese sauce one day (right now) came across this recipe and decided to give it a try, it’s a super simple recipe, def easy to make and yummy. I subbed cornstarch for the flour and used real cheese it came out nice and thick and creamy (cornstarch with the butter will have this effect vs the flour which leaves the grainy texture) but ultimate, nice heat/spice – will def make again!
This recipe works like magic, I am obsessed with this and keep on returning. You can also use chilli powder instead of the cayenne pepper which is really handy. This is no joke and works amazingly.
Love this recipe, no complaints.
Great recipe couldn’t find velveeta here in uk so I used 2/3 applewood smoked cheddar and 1/3 mozerella needed a bit more milk and pepper as the mozerella makes it stringy but went amazing on top of our nachos and chicken salsa