News

Chipotle testing new queso blanco in 3 cities

August 9, 2019

After not having much luck with its first queso attempt, Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing a new white cheese sauce. Commonly referred to as queso blanco (literally, Spanish for "white cheese"), the cheese is in 52 restaurants across Dallas, Detroit and San Diego for a limited time. It's made with aged Monterey Jack, white cheddar and serrano cheeses and poblano and chipotle peppers, according to a company press release.

"Making delicious queso with real ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives is a tough project to take on," Chef Nevielle Panthaky, Chipolte's VP of culinary, said in the release. "We listened to our guests and worked tirelessly in our kitchens to make an even better tasting queso. We are proud to have created a delicious recipe for Queso Blanco that uses only high quality, real ingredients that you can pronounce and find in your own kitchens at home."

The cheese is being tested via Chipotle's "stage-gate process," which allows the brand to capture customer feedback and iterate extensively before deciding on a national launch, according to the release.