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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Sauces

2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce

Jun 3, 2022 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 14 Comments

624 shares
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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.

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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.

More sauce recipes

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    Easy Tartare Sauce
  • A bowl of sour cream and chive dip.
    Sour Cream and Chive Dip
  • Marie Rose sauce in a prawn cocktail.
    Easy Marie Rose Sauce
  • A dish full of Southwest sauce surrounded by salad items.
    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
4.75 from 36 votes
Pin Print Save 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

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.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. Juie Bankar says

    April 01, 2025 at 2:48 pm

    Really amazing Nachooosss !!

    Reply
  2. Mahima Marwaha says

    February 18, 2025 at 10:57 am

    What a lovely recipe. Superb flavour. A real winner.

    Reply
  3. Shelleyrae says

    March 11, 2024 at 8:42 am

    4 stars
    Crude but effective, thanks!

    Reply
  4. Polly says

    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 says

      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 says

      June 29, 2023 at 3:32 pm

      best comment

      Reply
  5. Michelle says

    June 06, 2022 at 7:45 pm

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

    Reply
  6. Amanda says

    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
  7. Kris says

    June 05, 2022 at 7:31 pm

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

    Reply
  8. Liza says

    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
  9. Maike says

    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
  10. Kushigalu says

    June 05, 2022 at 2:06 pm

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

    Reply
  11. Ieva says

    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
  12. Anjali says

    June 05, 2022 at 8:06 am

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

    Reply
4.75 from 36 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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