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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Sauces

    2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce

    Published: Jun 3, 2022 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    154 shares
    • 62
    Diet: Gluten Free / Vegetarian
    Jump to Recipe
    Nacho Cheese sauce with a text title overlay.
    Nacho Cheese sauce with a text title overlay.

    This is such an easy recipe, and perfect for throwing together when you have unexpected guests. The whole family will love this 2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce that is made with cheese slices. Smother over tortilla chips for a super comforting snack. This is so simple, even the most novice cooks can master this!

    A plate of nachos covered in cheese sauce with a bowl of more sauce next to it.

    This is a super budget friendly recipe, that uses just 3 ingredients - and one of those is optional. A rich, smooth and indulgent cheese sauce can be made with just cheese slices and milk and then a little chilli sauce for flavour.

    All made in the microwave, this takes just 2 minutes to make. You don't even have to use it for nachos, as it is a great dip for vegetables or you can even used it for a quick and easy mac and cheese recipe.

    If you are looking for some other cheesy recipes to try, then why not try our Air Fryer Baked Camembert, Cheese and Onion Rolls, Epic Cheese Sandwich, Cheese Straws, 10 Minute Cream Cheese Pasta or Chorizo Mac and Cheese.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Ingredients needed
    • How to make nacho cheese sauce - Step by step
    • What to put nacho cheese sauce on
    • Storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Extra tips
    • More sauce recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • Quick - This is ready in just 2 minutes and all done in the microwave.
    • Comfort food - A smooth cheese sauce smothered over tortilla chips is total comfort food.
    • Serves a crowd - You can easily double or triple this recipe if you are serving a crowd.
    • Adaptable - Feel free to adapt it to make it as spicy or as mild as you like.
    • Cheap - Using cheese slices makes this a budget friendly recipe.

    Ingredients needed

    All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.
    • Cheese singles - I will say that this is by far from the healthiest recipe in the world! This recipe uses processed cheese singles, as that gives the smoothest nacho cheese sauce. We wanted the kind that you get in the cinema and this recipe is exactly that. You can use slices of cheddar, but you won't get the same results.
    • Milk - This helps to thin the nacho cheese sauce out a little and make it nice and smooth and creamy.
    • Chilli sauce - This is optional, but we love the flavour it adds. We used Sriracha, but you can use your favourite chilli sauce.

    A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

    How to make nacho cheese sauce - Step by step

    One: Shred the cheese and put into a microwave safe bowl.

    Shredded cheese slices in a white bowl.

    Two: Add the sriracha.

    Chilli sauce drizzled over the cheese.

    Three: Add the milk.

    Milk added to the cheese and chilli.

    Four: Microwave for one minute. Stir and then microwave for a further 30 seconds, until melted.

    Melted cheese sauce in the bowl.

    What to put nacho cheese sauce on

    We love eating this as a snack or a starter, however, it also goes well as part of a bigger Mexican feast. Here are some of our favourite Mexican recipes that this goes perfectly with:

    • Chicken Burrito Bowl
    • Vegetable Fajitas
    • Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
    • Chipotle Black Bean Stew
    • Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
    • Chicken Quesadillas
    • Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas
    • Easy Chilli Con Carne

    Another way we love to serve this is on burgers. Make an epic beef burger, load it with chilli and then pour some of this nacho cheese sauce on it. Totally indulgent, but amazing. Try it on our Mexican Burger. It's also pretty good drizzled over fries.

    Cheese sauce dripping off of a tortilla chip.

    Storage

    This nacho cheese sauce does not store well, so it is best eaten fresh and try to only make as much as you will be eating. However, if you want to keep this warm whilst your guests are eating it, then you can put it into a fondue pot or slow cooker to keep it warm and melted.

    You can reheat it in the microwave a couple of times to get it back to a melty consistency too.

    Tortilla chips smothered on nacho sauce with a bowl of sauce in the background.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What cheese is best to use?

    We used processed American cheese singles. We wanted to make this a budget friendly and easy recipe. Cheese singles are cheap to buy, and they last a long time in the fridge. You can use freshly grated cheddar instead if you prefer.

    Is nacho cheese sauce gluten free?

    Yes, as long as you make sure there is no cross contamination, this sauce is gluten free.

    Can you freeze nacho sauce?

    No, we wouldn't recommend freezing this sauce. It is best eaten right away.

    heart icon

    Extra tips

    • If you want some extra spicy flavour, add some chopped pickled jalapenoes.
    • A dash of paprika adds a nice smokiness to the sauce, or why not try adding a spoonful of fajita seasoning?
    • You can add in a couple of tablespoons of salsa for some added flavour too.

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      Sour Cream and Chive Dip
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      Easy Marie Rose Sauce
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      Southwest Sauce

    If you’ve tried this cheese sauce for nachos, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A tortilla chip being dipped into some nacho cheese sauce.

    2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce

    By: Dannii Martin
    Everyone will love this 2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce. It's such an easy recipe, and perfect for throwing together when you have unexpected guests.
    A circular logo saying GF.
    Gluten Free
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant.
    Vegetarian
    4.79 from 28 votes
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Sauce/Spread
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep: 1 minute min
    Cook: 1 minute min
    Total: 2 minutes mins
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 133kcal
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 10 Cheese slices
    • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
    • 2 tablespoon Whole milk

    Instructions

    • Shred 10 Cheese slices and put into a microwave safe bowl.
    • Add 2 tablespoon Whole milk and 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce.
    • Microwave for one minute. Stir and then microwave for a further 30 seconds, until melted.

    Recipe tips

    • If you want some extra spicy flavour, add some chopped pickled jalapenoes.
    • A dash of paprika adds a nice smokiness to the sauce, or why not try adding a spoonful of our Fajita Seasoning?
    • You can add in a couple of tablespoons of salsa for some added flavour too.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 645mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 343IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 372mg | Iron: 1mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Polly Hamourous

      April 27, 2023 at 1:06 pm

      4 stars
      Loved the recipe, as you said, it served a crowd! Unfortunately, my husband ate them all, you know what they say! You get to a man's heart through his belly. Nevertheless, I must say that I feel lied to, you stated that only 3 ingredients were needed so I forgot to buy the nachos :( had to eat the sauce with my hands

      Reply
      • Dannii

        April 27, 2023 at 1:50 pm

        The recipe is for cheese sauce, which is 3 ingredients. Serving suggestions are optional, which is why we don't include the nutritional information for it.

        Reply
      • syd

        June 29, 2023 at 3:32 pm

        best comment

        Reply
    2. Michelle

      June 06, 2022 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      Nachos are my favorite, and you are my hero! Perfect, easy, and so quick!

      Reply
    3. Amanda

      June 05, 2022 at 8:01 pm

      5 stars
      Love that it's so quick to whip up. It's hard to find any recipe that just takes two minutes.

      Reply
    4. Kris

      June 05, 2022 at 7:31 pm

      5 stars
      Super easy and the touch of sriracha is genius! Will definitely make again!

      Reply
    5. Liza

      June 05, 2022 at 6:57 pm

      5 stars
      What a great recipe! Sometimes there is just no substitute for nacho cheese sauce on chips, so I love being able to make it from scratch and control the quality of ingredients. So good on baked potatoes, too!

      Reply
    6. Maike

      June 05, 2022 at 2:14 pm

      5 stars
      So easy! I love recipes that I can make last-minute to feed my family of 'snackers.' This one was so easy and right up our alley.

      Reply
    7. Kushigalu

      June 05, 2022 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      Love how quick and easy this nacho cheese sauce is. Pinned.

      Reply
    8. Ieva

      June 05, 2022 at 9:45 am

      5 stars
      Although i am normally not a fan of processed cheese, this is AMAZING! It just works so well and tastes so much better in a form of a sauce! Thanks for the recipe :)

      Reply
    9. Anjali

      June 05, 2022 at 8:06 am

      5 stars
      This cheese sauce was so easy to make and tasted so delicious on nachos!

      Reply

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