If you asked for “chili con queso” in a Mexican restaurant, you’d get peppers and tomatoes with cheese. The name comes from Spanish: chile con queso means “chile with cheese,” and cheese is the dish’s defining ingredient.
Chile con queso is usually a warm, creamy dip made by melting cheese with chopped chili peppers, commonly jalapeños or green chiles. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, cream, or spices may also be added, depending on the restaurant’s recipe. It is most often served with tortilla chips, though it can also top nachos, tacos, burritos, or other Tex-Mex dishes.
Although the name is Spanish and the dish has Mexican roots, the restaurant-style dip familiar across the United States is especially associated with Tex-Mex cuisine. It is often linked to Mexican preparations such as queso flameado and commonly uses cheeses that melt smoothly, including processed cheese, Monterey Jack, or regional Mexican cheeses.
A common mix-up is confusing chili con queso with chili con carne. Chili con carne is a meat-based stew, while chili con queso is a cheese dip accented with chiles. Also, “queso” alone literally means “cheese” in Spanish, but on many American menus it means this warm cheese sauce.