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You are here: Home / Recipes / Quick and Easy Nacho Cheese Recipe

Quick and Easy Nacho Cheese Recipe

02/01/21 | Appetizers, Mexican, Recipes

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This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel.

Hey, friend, you ever marvel at that super creamy nacho cheese sauce you get at restaurants and movie theaters and wish you could make it at home? I have just the recipe for you.

Photo of nacho cheese being poured into a white bowl next to tortilla chips.

This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, just as spicy (or not) as you want it to be, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel (<–my fav).

To make it, you just need 5 minutes, AND my secret creamy cheese sauce weapon: evaporated milk.

And I know this might not be something you keep in your pantry. If that’s the case, and you need cheese sauce NOW, no worries, go make my classic Homemade Cheese Sauce. It’s made with butter, milk, and flour, so you probably have the ingredients, and it’s GREAT.

But if you have evaporated milk in your pantry or are going shopping before making this, grab a can and give this recipe a try. You will not be disappointed.

What’s the Deal With Evaporated Milk?

Evaporated milk is just milk that’s been simmered over low heat until more than half of the water content has evaporated, so it’s extra creamy. It’s perfect for giving you extremely creamy cheese sauces without the heaviness of using half and half or heavy cream.

When heated together with cheese and a dash or two of hot sauce, you get something pretty magical.

Image of nacho cheese in a white bowl with tortilla chips.

How to Make Nacho Cheese Sauce

1. Toss shredded cheese and cornstarch together so your cheese gets coated and you don’t end up with any big cornstarch lumps in your sauce. The cornstarch will help thicken your nacho sauce and prevent it from curdling.

2. Heat evaporated milk over medium heat until milk just begins to simmer.

3. Remove the milk from heat and stir in the cheese, a handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and it has completely melted into the sauce. 

4. Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed. 

5. And the final, most important step: drizzle your homemade nacho cheese over something delicious, and try not to eat the entire pot. 😉

FAQ

Can I make this in advance?

Yes. Unlike a lot of cheese sauces, this sauce reheats pretty well (though it will get a little lumpy if reheated too hot and as it cools). It will solidify in the refrigerator but returns to its pourable state when reheated. To reheat:

  • On the stove: Transfer sauce to a small saucepan and reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Do not allow to come to a boil. 
  • In the microwave: Microwave in a microwave-safe dish, stopping to stir sauce every 10-15 seconds as needed until just heated through. Heads up, the sauce will pop and sizzle in the microwave.

Nacho Cheese Sauce for Parties

This recipe makes a little over 2 cups of sauce, but if you would like to make an even bigger batch, the recipe doubles with no preparation changes.

You can transfer your prepared nacho sauce to a slow cooker and keep it set to warm for a couple of hours. Fair warning, it will do that cheese sauce thing where the top sets and gets kind of sad and ugly looking, but if you give it a quick whisk, it returns to looking smooth and beautiful.

Picture of tortilla chip being dipped into homemade nacho cheese.

What to serve with nacho sauce?

Looking for more things to drizzle nacho cheese over? Try:

  • Steamed Broccoli
  • Steamed Cauliflower
  • Carnitas Nacho Fries
  • Chili Baked Potatoes

Nacho Cheese Recipe Notes

You should be able to find evaporated milk in the baking aisle next to the condensed milk. Double check the can that you’re putting in your cart and make sure that you’re getting evaporated and not condensed milk, because the two CANNOT be used interchangeably. (Though you can and should use condensed milk to make dulce de leche…)

You Might Also Enjoy

  • Easy Barbacoa
  • Carne Asada
  • Homemade Carnitas
  • Chicken Enchiladas
  • Cilantro Lime Rice
Picture of tortilla chip being dipped into homemade nacho cheese.

Quick and Easy Nacho Cheese Recipe

This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel.
4.83 from 86 votes
Print Pin
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 8 servings
Calories: 203kcal
Author: Tracy

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (12oz) freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese *
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 12-ounce can (1 1/2 cups) evaporated milk
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper plus more as needed

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine shredded cheese and cornstarch and toss to coat.
  • To a medium saucepan, add evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until milk just begins to simmer.
  • Remove the milk from heat and stir in the cheese, a large handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and it has completely melted into the sauce. 
  • Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed. Serve over nachos, fries, or steamed vegetables and enjoy!

Notes

* For best results, do not use pre-shredded cheese as it contains anti-caking additives that may prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
To keep warm, transfer mixture to a crockpot on the warm setting. Whisk occasionally.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.

Comments | 37 comments

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Comments

  1. G says

    January 30, 2022 at 11:47 am

    Added 3 types chili spices ancho, spice house chili and a New Mexico blend
    And mentioned above substituted Adobo all spice seasoning instead of salt.
    Using on nachos and taquitos.
    The taco elk meat tastes perfect.

    Reply
  2. Emily says

    January 12, 2022 at 5:42 am

    5 stars
    Wow I was absolutely amazed that this turned out so smooth and creamy and tasted as close to nacho cheese as I’ve ever been able to make! I won’t ever do the butter and flour roux method again! This recipe is amazing even if you have to make substitutions! I had 1 c of frozen evaporated milk and I thawed that and used it (couldn’t believe it still worked so well!) and then I had to sub sriracha and paprika and crushed red pepper because I didn’t have normal hot sauce or cayenne and it still worked!!! I’ll be buying all the regular ingredients to keep on hand for when I make it again, though it turned out amazing with the subs. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 12, 2022 at 7:53 pm

      Love to hear it! I’m so glad it worked out for you, Emily!

      Reply
  3. Suzanne says

    October 4, 2021 at 4:34 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this yummy cheese sauce to dip our homemade soft pretzel bites in. It was super simple and quick to make and tasted delicious! I plan to use the leftovers to make nachos tomorrow. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!

    Reply
  4. Nancy says

    June 16, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    4 stars
    Made this tonight, shredded my sharp cheddar. A little gritty, but easy and tasty.

    Reply
  5. Carol says

    May 30, 2021 at 12:44 am

    5 stars
    This was so easy and delicious. I made a nacho bar for game night and this was the main cheese. The only change I had to make was using equal parts 2%milk and heavy cream because I grabbed sweetened condensed milk accidentally at the store. Still delicious!! Can’t wait to make it as is. Everyone complimented the cheese

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      June 2, 2021 at 10:01 am

      So glad to hear it, Carol!!

      Reply
  6. Colette McFarland says

    February 7, 2021 at 10:29 am

    5 stars
    This looks delicious & going to try as soon as i get some evaporated milk!
    Wondering if you have a queso dip recipe?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      February 8, 2021 at 12:23 pm

      Hope you enjoy it, Colette!! And I don’t have a queso dip, but it’s on my list!

      Reply
  7. Elliott says

    January 26, 2021 at 8:41 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe.

    Reply
  8. Marina says

    December 5, 2020 at 7:02 am

    5 stars
    Just 10 minutes for a wonderful snack, not bad at all. Thank you for a quick recipe.
    Btw, love your ingredients format, easy to print out and use as a shopping list, Tracy.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      December 6, 2020 at 7:06 pm

      So glad to hear it, Marina!

      Reply
  9. eric levine says

    November 20, 2020 at 3:59 am

    5 stars
    Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
    Thank you, Tracy!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      November 24, 2020 at 6:28 am

      I love that!!

      Reply
  10. Marybeth says

    September 16, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this and YUMMMM!!…its the bomb!

    Reply
  11. Marisa says

    August 10, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    5 stars
    Made this to put on top of nachos. I used pre shredded cheddar/jack cheese since that is what I had on hand and it turned out delicious. And for hot sauce I used tapatio. Will make again. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      August 11, 2020 at 6:30 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, Marisa!

      Reply
  12. Becky says

    July 11, 2020 at 12:24 pm

    4 stars
    It taste good it’s just not as smooth as I’d like. And I used a block of cheddar and shredded it myself. Has a bit of a gritty consistency.

    Reply
    • Helene says

      May 22, 2022 at 1:20 pm

      I would immersion blend the sauce. It will become really creamy. I do this all the time for cheese sauce!

      Reply
    • Jae says

      July 2, 2023 at 3:20 pm

      That could be due to the cornstarch. Other nacho cheese sauce recipes have suggested using Sodium Citrate or Arrow Root in place of cornstarch. Both found on Amazon, if you can’t find it locally.

      Reply
  13. Cass says

    April 18, 2020 at 12:51 pm

    Do you use orange cheddar cheese?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      April 18, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      I did, but white cheddar should work just fine as well.

      Reply
  14. Joy Gilraine says

    April 7, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    Just made it for nacho’s and it turned out great!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      April 8, 2020 at 8:06 pm

      So happy to hear it, Joy!

      Reply
  15. Sabrina says

    July 17, 2019 at 8:05 pm

    5 stars
    Can I use Siracusa hot chili sauce for the hot sauce??

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      July 17, 2019 at 8:11 pm

      Yes. It will change the flavor some, but if you like Sriracha, that shouldn’t be a problem. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  16. Luna Regina says

    June 3, 2019 at 5:09 am

    5 stars
    This is one of the best nacho cheese recipes I found and tried. Very simple, yet sharp and creamy as you said => exactly what I need! Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe, Tracy! 😀

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      June 3, 2019 at 7:36 am

      Thanks, Luna! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
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Welcome!


Hi, I'm Tracy! Welcome to Baking Mischief, where we realize that not everyone is cooking every night for a family of four. We have delicious sweet and savory recipes, mostly scaled for one or two, and we love our pop culture around here, so keep an eye out for film, book, and TV-inspired treats as well! Read more»
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