This homemade pimento cheese recipe is an easy Southern classic made with just three ingredients: sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and diced pimentos. Serve it as an easy snack or appetizer with crackers or vegetables, in sandwiches, on burgers, in grits, in quesadillas, and more.
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If you’re looking for even more crowd-pleasing appetizers, don’t miss this 4-ingredient spinach dip, this easy buffalo chicken dip recipe, pepperoni rolls, Bisquick sausage balls, Mom’s crab dip recipe, and these Crock Pot grape jelly meatballs, too!
i must sing your praises for this recipe. i have tried several pimento and cheese recipes that i have found but none satisfied me. this one absolutely did. very quick and easy to make. only three ingredients. the recipe is great as written and i have made it a few times that way…
– Kevyn
A Simple and Easy Recipe for Pimento Cheese is Always Best
I was raised on pimento cheese, since it’s one of my mom’s all-time favorite foods. While I’ve tried zillions of versions over the years, this particular homemade pimento cheese recipe is the best I’ve ever tasted. An added bonus? You only need 3 ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep to stir together your own batch!
Pimento cheese is a popular Southern spread or relish that includes cheese, mayo, and pimentos. It’s often called the “pâté of the south,” “Carolina caviar,” and “the caviar of the South,” and is typically served with crackers or vegetables, or spread between pieces of bread to make sandwiches. It has a creamy taste (from the mayo), but a chunky texture from the grated cheese and diced pimentos.
While some versions include additional ingredients such as horseradish, cream cheese, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, jalapeños, onions, garlic, or dill pickles, our family agrees that the classic combination of just sharp cheddar, mayonnaise, and pimentos is the absolute best. Pimento cheese is not spicy, but instead tastes like a rich, creamy sharp cheddar spread.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- I prefer sharp cheddar cheese, but you can substitute with mild cheddar or extra-sharp cheddar cheese — whatever you like!
- Use a high-quality full-fat mayonnaise, since this is an important ingredient in your cheese spread. We like Duke’s brand best.
- Just a little 4-ounce jar of pre-diced pimentos goes straight into the bowl. You don’t even have to strain off the liquid from the jar!
- Allow the pimento cheese to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before serving. This will make it softer and easier to spread.
- If you’re preparing pimento cheese sandwiches, you’ll need approximately ⅓ – ½ cup of the cheese spread per sandwich. This recipe will make about 6-7 sandwiches. For 10 to 15 sandwiches, for instance, you’ll need to double the recipe. For 50 sandwiches, you would need about 25 cups of pimento cheese spread (or about 7 batches of this recipe).
How to Make Pimento Cheese
This three ingredient dish couldn’t be easier! The simple pimento cheese recipe doesn’t require a hand mixer, stand mixer, or any other fancy equipment, and you don’t even need to wash too many dishes at the end. Just a box grater, a spoon, and some elbow grease will do the trick! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Grate about 1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese by hand or with a food processor, and then transfer it to a large bowl. Since you’re only using three ingredients in this recipe, it’s really important to choose the highest quality cheese and mayonnaise that you can find. Grab a really great block of sharp cheddar — that’s the flavor that you will taste the most! Do not use pre-shredded cheese from a package. It’s best if you grate the cheese by hand or in a food processor just before using.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and the pimentos (with their juices).
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the grated cheese and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve!
Serving Suggestions
There are so many different ways to enjoy this Southern staple. For instance, homemade pimento cheese is great on top of crackers, spread inside celery sticks or as a dip for carrot sticks and other vegetables, and as a filling for a grilled cheese sandwich or other sandwiches — including a classic Southern tomato sandwich or a BLT. It’s also delicious scooped with tortilla chips or other corn chips like Fritos, mashed with yolks for deviled eggs, stirred into grits, rolled up in tortillas and sliced as pinwheels for appetizers, as a topping on grilled burgers, hotdogs, or this corn fritters recipe, melted inside quesadillas, or just slathered on a slice of white bread whenever the craving strikes!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the pimento cheese up to 3 or 4 days in advance. Store the cheese spread in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Do not freeze pimento cheese, since mayonnaise tends to separate when it’s thawed.
This recipe is so simple and absolutely delicious! I actually cut the recipe in half because it’s just me and my sweet husband. We love it as grilled pimento cheese sandwiches on my iron skillet griddle. Awesome!
– Brenda
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Homemade Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimentos, not drained
- 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the cheese in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine diced pimentos (with their juice) and mayonnaise.
- Add to the cheese, toss to combine, and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve as a dip with fresh vegetables, spread on bread as a sandwich, or on top of crackers.
Notes
Nutrition
Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe Variations
- I use a jar of diced pimentos for a shortcut, but you can also use whole pimentos and dice them yourself into small pieces. Remember to reserve the liquid.
- Depending on your taste preferences, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of grated Vidalia onion to the pimento cheese, stir in minced jalapeno peppers, cayenne or hot sauce for a spicy kick, or add dill pickle relish for a briny finish. Some folks like to add garlic powder, minced green olives, cherry peppers, or other spices to their pimiento cheese; however, we think that a simple recipe is best!
- This recipe yields a large amount of pimento cheese spread (about 3 1/2 cups). If you are serving a smaller crowd, you can cut all of the ingredients in half to prepare a smaller batch.
More Pimento Cheese Recipes
Pimento Cheese Grits Casserole
1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Moist Pimento Cheese Jiffy Cornbread
1 hour hr
Easy Cheese Ball Recipe
2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Originally published in June, 2020, this post was updated in April, 2025.
I can’t wait to try this!!! We’ve always eaten our pimento cheese on Fritos chips, it’s wonderful!!!! I’m not sure if that’s just an Oklahoman thing or if other people eat it like that too, but you should try it!!! We also mix part shredded American cheese and cream cheese into ours in addition to shredded cheddar. It makes it taste a little creamer.
Yes! It’s so good on Fritos or other corn chips. 🙂
i must sing your praises for this recipe. i have tried several pimento and cheese recipes that i have found but none satisfied me. this one absolutely did. very quick and easy to make. only three ingredients. the recipe is great as written and i have made it a few times that way. then, i made a few changes for my own tastes. i used 8 ounces of Vermont White Extra Sharp cheese and 8 ounces of mild yellow cheddar. rather than grating the cheeses, i used the food processor and pulsed until they were small bits.. i added one tablespoon of the liquid from the diced pimentos and 2 or 3 tablespoons of tabasco for a little kick and a cup and a half of Duke’s mayo. and used a hand mixer to combine. refridgerate it for and hour and then enjoy. so, once again, thank you for this recipe.
Thank you, Kevyn! I always love to hear how y’all change the recipes to make them your own. So glad that you enjoy the simple, delicious cheese. Always Duke’s mayo, too! 🙂
A friend gave me this recipe for pimento cheese and it’s a great variation.
1.) Instead of all cheddar use half cheddar and half smoked Gouda.
2.) Instead of pimentos use chopped roasted red peppers… the ones that come in the jars… just pat them dry before chopping.
Then it isn’t pimento cheese anymore is it
I love pimentos so I’ll stick to the recipe. It’s a keeper
This recipe is so simple and absolutely delicious! I actually cut the recipe in half because it’s just me and my sweet husband. We love it as grilled pimento cheese sandwiches on my iron skillet griddle. Awesome! Thank you Blair for sharing it with us!
Thank you, Brenda! I agree — grilled pimento cheese sandwiches on a cast iron griddle are THE BEST. 🙂
Best recipe for pimento cheese! I made it for a family reunion.. well received! Thanks for sharing!
Yay! I’m so glad that it was well received, Kathy. Thanks for letting me know!
That is exactly how I make pimento cheese. I remember growing up in North Carolina in the 50’s and eating grilled pimento cheese sandwiches. I still love them and I still make them. Love your recipes.
I’m so happy to hear that, Diane. I love a grilled pimento cheese sandwich, too. The best!!
Since my childhood, the wonder of this little dish has always been how yummy such a simple combo can be. Added ingredients just take away from it. I was looking for the amounts because I had lost my recipe. Thank you, Blair, for keeping it simple!
I’m so happy to hear that! I agree, with this dish, simple is best
i make this often but use 2 lbs of extra sharp cheese and 16 oz of velveeta (for the spreadibility) and 2 of the 4 oz. jars of diced pimientos with the juice along with 2 or 3 heaping tablespoons of salad dressing and the enough mayonnaise to make it spreadable. usually about 1/2 to 3/4 of a 32 oz jar. this is a old family recipe and everyone loves it.
Delicious, Denise! Thank you for sharing your version!