Frederic Melton
Chipotle cheese is a blend of Monterey Jack and white cheddar. It has a rich texture and a mild, buttery flavour. The cheese is shredded and used as a topping or melted inside a quesadilla. Chipotle's cheese has a creamy texture when melted and pairs well with salsa or seasoned proteins. The white cheddar adds a tangy and complex flavour to the queso dip, while the Monterey Jack balances it out with its buttery taste.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Monterey Jack, White Cheddar, or a blend of the two |
| Texture | Rich, semi-hard, high moisture and fat content, melts easily |
| Flavor | Mild, buttery, tangy, complex |
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What You'll Learn
Monterey Jack is the main cheese used by Chipotle
Chipotle is known for its meat options, salsa varieties, and extras like guacamole. However, the chain's cheese stands out, and the main variety used is Monterey Jack. This semi-hard cheese has a rich texture and a mild, buttery flavour, which pairs well with bolder ingredients like salsa or seasoned proteins. It is a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine, having been first produced in California by Mexican Franciscan friars, and it is now an American favourite.
Monterey Jack is a popular choice for Chipotle because of its high moisture and fat content, which makes it melt easily. This is ideal for using it as a topping or in a quesadilla, or even the secret menu quesarito. Its creamy texture and mild flavour mean it does not overwhelm the other ingredients, but instead provides a complementary, gooey texture.
While Chipotle lists white cheddar as one of its ingredients, it is not used in shredded form like the Monterey Jack. Instead, the white cheddar is used in Chipotle's queso dip, alongside Monterey Jack. The aged white cheddar gives the queso a sharper taste, which is balanced by the milder, buttery flavour of the Monterey Jack.
Some customers have reported that the cheese used in their local Chipotle varies by region. While it seems that Monterey Jack is the primary cheese used, some have speculated that it may be a proprietary blend with deceptive packaging. However, a worker at a plant that produces cheese for Chipotle has confirmed it is a Monterey Jack blend, made from pasture's milk.
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White cheddar is also used by Chipotle
Chipotle is known for its meat options, salsa varieties, and extras like guacamole. However, the chain's cheese stands out, and the company uses two key types of cheese: Monterey Jack and white cheddar.
White cheddar is simply what most Americans know as cheddar, but without the addition of annatto, which gives the cheese its typical orange hue. This variety of cheese is famous for its tangy and complex flavour, which can hold its own against Chipotle's other bold ingredients like salsa and guacamole. The company uses an aged version of white cheddar, which gives its queso dip a sharper taste. This is balanced out by the buttery flavour of the Monterey Jack cheese. The queso dip is made with the two cheeses, milk, and a variety of peppers and spices.
While Chipotle lists white cheddar as one of its ingredients, it is not available as a shredded option among the other toppings. The white shredded cheese that customers see at the end of the line is a blend of Monterey Jack and white cheddar, or just Monterey Jack. This blend is a trade secret, and lower-level employees are told it is just Monterey Jack. The cheese is sourced regionally, and its taste can vary depending on the region.
White cheddar blended with roasted jalapeño peppers is also available at some grocery stores and farmers' markets.
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Cheddar is used to make Chipotle's queso dip
Chipotle's queso dip is a creamy, spicy, and lusciously gooey cheese dip that blends three cheeses, tomatoes, and peppers. The base of this recipe is white cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, paired with milk, plus a variety of peppers and spices. The white cheddar gives the queso dip a tangy and complex flavor, which can compete with the other bold ingredients in Chipotle's menu items, like salsa or guacamole. The company uses an aged version of white cheddar, which lends the queso dip an overall sharper taste that is balanced out by the buttery Monterey Jack.
While Chipotle lists white cheddar as one of its ingredients, it is not offered as a shredded option alongside the other toppings. The cheese used in the queso dip is strictly used for that purpose. The white cheddar used in the queso dip is also different from the white American cheddar variety, which is a little more mild.
Monterey Jack is a semi-hard cheese with a rich texture and a mild flavor. It pairs well with bolder ingredients like salsa or seasoned proteins. Its high moisture and fat content make it an excellent melting cheese, whether as a topping or as the main event in a quesadilla. It has a buttery taste and a creamy melted texture.
To make the queso dip, you can start by sauteing medium yellow onion and fresh garlic cloves, followed by jalapeños, and Roma tomatoes. You can then add milk, cream, and cream cheese, along with seasoning like kosher salt, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Finally, add in the grated sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, whisking until melted. You can serve this dip with crunchy tortilla chips or drizzle it over tacos, burritos, or any Mexican dish for an extra kick of flavor.
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Monterey Jack is semi-hard with a rich texture and mild flavour
Chipotle uses shredded Monterey Jack cheese, a semi-hard variety with a rich texture and mild flavour. It is made from pasture's milk and shredded in-store. Monterey Jack is a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine, having been first produced in California by Mexican Franciscan friars. It has a high moisture and fat content, which makes it an excellent melting cheese, perfect for quesadillas and the Chipotle secret menu quesarito. It also works well as a topping, adding a buttery taste and creamy texture to burritos, tacos, and bowls. Its mild flavour pairs well with bolder ingredients such as salsa or seasoned proteins without being overwhelming.
The cheese used by Chipotle has a dedicated fan base, with some customers adding large scoops to their veggie bowls. The company has experimented with different blends, including a mix of Monterey Jack and white cheddar, but it appears they have settled on using straight Monterey Jack, although some sources suggest it may be a proprietary blend with deceptive packaging.
Monterey Jack is a versatile cheese that can be used in a variety of dishes. Its mild flavour and melting properties make it a popular choice for those who want a creamy, buttery taste without the sharpness or tanginess of other cheeses. It is an essential ingredient in the beloved queso dip served at Chipotle, where it is paired with milk, peppers, and spices to create a gooey dip that customers happily pay extra for.
While the exact blend of Chipotle's cheese may be a closely guarded secret, it is clear that Monterey Jack plays a starring role. Its semi-hard texture, rich flavour, and melting properties make it a key component in many of Chipotle's dishes, adding a creamy, buttery taste that enhances the overall dining experience. For those who crave the taste of Chipotle's cheese, it may be worth seeking out Monterey Jack at grocery stores or trying to recreate the chain's signature dishes at home.
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White cheddar has a tangy and complex flavour
Chipotle uses a variety of cheeses in its dishes, including Monterey Jack and white cheddar. While the former is used as a shredded topping for burritos, tacos, and bowls, the latter is used to create the chain's famous queso dip.
White cheddar, the focus of this discussion, is a type of cheddar cheese that does not contain annatto, a dye that gives cheddar its classic orange hue. This omission of annatto is what distinguishes white cheddar from its orange counterpart in terms of appearance. However, the absence of dye does not alter the flavour, and white cheddar tastes the same as its orange-hued cousin.
Despite this, some people perceive a difference in taste between white and orange cheddar. This perceived difference is not due to variations in the cheese-making process but rather the result of clever food science and marketing. Food manufacturers have capitalised on the expectation that "white cheddar" should taste distinct from "regular" cheddar. As a result, they have crafted artificial flavour blends designed to mimic what consumers expect white cheddar to taste like. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in snack foods and convenience items labelled as "white cheddar flavour".
White cheddar used by Chipotle, for example, is aged, giving it a sharper and more pronounced flavour than milder, softer, and less mature cheddars. This tanginess and complexity of flavour allow it to stand up to Chipotle's bold ingredients, such as salsa and guacamole, without being overpowered. When combined with Monterey Jack cheese and other ingredients, it forms the base of the chain's popular queso dip, contributing to its beloved taste and texture.
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Frequently asked questions
Chipotle uses Monterey Jack cheese and white cheddar.
Monterey Jack cheese has a mild flavor and a rich, buttery taste and creamy texture when melted. White cheddar has a tangy and complex flavor.
Monterey Jack is a semi-hard cheese with a high moisture and fat content, making it melt easily.
The cheese is shredded and can be added as a topping or used in a quesadilla or the Chipotle secret menu quesarito.
Yes, Chipotle also uses a blend of Monterey Jack and white cheddar in their queso dip, along with milk and spices.
