5 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce

Chip dipping into a bowl of nacho cheese sauce.

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4.11 from 369 votes

5 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce

This rich and tangy homemade nacho cheese only takes about 5 minutes to make and uses only real, simple ingredients.

Cook Time5

Total Time5

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Total Cost: $2.78 recipe / $0.46 serving

Servings: (1/4 cup each)

Calories: 183.1kcal

Author: Beth Moncel

Equipment

Small Sauce Pot

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter 28g, $0.28
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour* 15g, $0.02
1 cup whole milk 8 fl oz., 237ml, $0.19
6 oz. medium cheddar shredded, (170g, about 1.5 cups) $2.25
¼ tsp salt about 0.6g, $0.02
¼ tsp chili powder about 0.5g, $0.02

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the butter and flour to a small sauce pot. Heat and whisk the butter and flour together until they become bubbly and foamy. Continue to cook and whisk the bubbly mixture for about 60 seconds.
Whisk the milk into the flour and butter mixture. Turn the heat up slightly and allow the milk to come to a simmer while whisking. When it reaches a simmer, the mixture will thicken. Once it's thick enough to coat a spoon, turn off the heat.
Stir in the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time, until melted into the sauce. If needed, place the pot over a low flame to help the cheese melt. Do not overheat the cheese sauce.
Once all the cheese is melted into the sauce, stir in the salt and chili powder. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If the sauce becomes too thick, simply whisk in an additional splash of milk.*

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

* All-purpose flour: If you're in the UK then use plain flour.

*This cheese sauce is intentionally mild and simple so it works as a base for lots of different flavors. If you prefer a bold, restaurant-style sauce, don't be afraid to season generously and adjust the thickness to your liking. I've shared some of my favorite ways to spice it up below!

Nutrition

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