Description
This Spicy Crawfish Queso is a creamy, cheesy dip filled with tender crawfish tails and a kick of heat from pickled jalapenos and Rotel. Perfect for game day or a party appetizer, this quick and easy queso combines savory Cajun flavors with melty cheddar and Oaxaca cheese for a deliciously gooey dip to enjoy with chips, pita, or toasted bread.
Ingredients
Seafood and Aromatics
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 16 oz Crawfish tails (frozen and thawed)
- 3 Garlic Cloves (minced) or 3/4 tsp garlic powder
Queso Ingredients
- 10 oz Can Rotel with green chiles (undrained)
- 1/6 cup Pickled jalapenos (chopped, with juice)
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup Oaxaca cheese (shredded; can substitute Monterey Jack)
- 1 tbsp Slap Ya Mama seasoning (or any preferred Cajun seasoning)
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- Cook Crawfish: In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning and to release the garlic’s aroma.
- Sauté Crawfish: Add the thawed crawfish tails to the skillet and sauté them for 2-3 minutes until heated through and slightly cooked, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from heat and set aside.
- Prepare Queso Base: In a medium pot, combine the undrained Rotel, chopped pickled jalapenos with their juice, shredded cheddar and Oaxaca cheeses, and the Cajun seasoning. This mixture will form the flavorful base of the queso.
- Mix Cornstarch and Milk: In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the milk until fully dissolved. This will help thicken the queso as it cooks.
- Cook Queso: Pour the milk and cornstarch mixture into the pot with the cheese and Rotel. Place the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes until the queso is melted, smooth, and gooey. Make sure the cornstarch activates and the cheese fully melts.
- Add Crawfish: Stir the sautéed crawfish into the melted queso mixture until the seafood is evenly distributed throughout the dip.
- Serve: Transfer the spicy crawfish queso to a serving dish. Optionally, top with chopped green onions for garnish. Serve the queso warm with your choice of dippers such as tortilla chips, pita wedges, or toasted mini toasts.
Notes
- For a milder queso, reduce or omit the pickled jalapenos.
- To keep the queso warm and melty longer, serve in a small slow cooker or heated fondue pot.
- Substitute Oaxaca cheese with Monterey Jack if it’s not available.
- If frozen crawfish tails are not available, cooked fresh or canned crawfish can be used.
- Use fresh garlic for best flavor, but garlic powder is an acceptable shortcut.
- Adjust seasoning to taste with additional Cajun seasoning or salt.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
