The best queso recipe for any party, made with velveeta cheese and ground beef, easy Rotel Dip. Get ready to dip your favorite chips into this tasty homemade dip made on the the stove top.
This is an easy go-to dip during football season and the holidays. It's the perfect addition for any Saturday night football game. It's also perfect for New Years Eve parties and social get togethers.
This dip is so tasty and better yet you can easily make it your own style. Add sausage instead of ground beef for a little extra flavor. It makes the perfect sausage cheese dip. You can add extra hot peppers or even onions.
We made ours on the stove top, it's super quick and easy, but you could also make it in the slow cooker or crockpot to keep it warm during a party.
Try our other tasty dips and sauces like Smoky Red Pepper Crema, our classic hummus recipe, and Wingstop Ranch Dressing. These are great additions to any get together. We've added this dip to our Pretzel Dip list.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results.
- Ground Beef- Made with hamburger, we suggest getting a high quality of ground beef so there isn't as much fat. You can also use a ground sausage, or even ground turkey for a leaner but tasty meat.
- Rotel- Rotel is full of flavorful spices. It makes making this dish easy because you don't have to add anything extra in. If rotel is too spicy for you, look for off-brand or milder versions.
- Velveeta- We suggest getting brand velveeta. It has better melting qualities making for a smoother tastier dish. We recipe tested this with a variety of cheeses and found that Velveeta was the only one to give us the results we wanted. It makes for a better consistency.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Rotel Dip
Use these process shots to help with making the recipe. It's always helpful to have a visual on how to make something.
- In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef. You want to make sure there is no pink in the middle.
2. Once the hamburger is brown, drain the excess fat. You don't want that in your dip!
3. Cut the velveeta into squares and add it to the drained hamburger. Add the rotel. Don't drain the rotel!
4. Cook on medium heat until the velveeta is completely melted. Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Hint: Don't leave any pink in the hamburger while cooking. You don't want just the outside brown.
Substitutions and Variations
Use these process shots to help get the results you are wanting. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for best results.
- With cream cheese- Add 8 oz cream cheese and 8 oz velveeta.
- Smoked- Set the smoker to 225°, make as directed, then smoke for 2 hours in an aluminum pan, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Without meat- You can make this vegetarian by eliminating the ground beef. To add more flavor, cook a diced onion instead of the beef.
- In oven-cook beef then put all together in an aluminum pan, bake at 250° until everything is melted together, stirring every 20 minutes.
- Spinach- Add some green but adding 1-2 cups of chopped spinach when melting the cheese.
- Seafood Style- Make this a fun seafood variation by adding cooked mini shrimp instead of beef.
- Sausage- Instead of ground beef, cook ground sausage for more flavor.
- Corn- Add 1 cup of corn when melting the cheese.
- with ground turkey- I love ground turkey and use it instead of ground beef as much as possible. It has great flavor and is a leaner meat.
- vegan-Make this without Velveeta to make it a vegan dip. Here is a great recipe for vegan queso. Be sure to not use the hamburger as well and add diced onion instead.
Helpful Hints
One of our favorite variation is making this with cream cheese and sausage. It adds so much flavor! Add 8 ounces of cream cheese and 8 ounces of velveeta. Instead of browning ground beef, brown your favorite ground sausage.
Want this tasty dip more mild? Use mild Rotel.
Want it spicier? Add 2 chopped jalapeños (medium/hot) or 2 chopped habaneros (very hot, always use gloves when handling habaneros) at the same time as the ground beef to allow the peppers to cook and soften with the beef.
How To Serve
This dip is best served with your favorite tortilla chips. You could even serve it with Doritos. Try dipping pretzels, or even vegetables in this easy recipe.
This is best served hot and makes a great addition to parties, get togethers, super bowl parties, and New Years Eve parties.
Storing Rotel Dip
Store prepared dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When ready to serve again, reheat in the microwave or a crockpot/slow cooker. You can even reheat it on the stove top again.
This recipe can be frozen in an airtight freezer friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat.
Top tip
Cook until the velveeta has completely melted. As you cook it, there will be little chunks of velveeta left- be patient until they are completely melted for the best results.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Rotel Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounce ground beef
- 16 ounce velveeta cheese
- 10 ounce Rotel
Instructions
- Heat ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. While cooking, chop Velveeta into chunks. Cook beef through until no pink remains. Drain out any excess grease. Add velveeta and Rotel and heat on medium low until cheese is completely melted.
- Serve warm with chips or other dipping things such as pretzels. Enjoy!
Notes
- We made this in pan, but you can absolutely make it in a slow cooker. Brown the ground beef, then transfer it to a slow cooker/ crock pot along with the Rotel and Velveeta and cook on low until it's all melted. Stir before serving.
- For extra flavor use ground sausage instead of ground beef.
- For a tasty variation use 8 ounces of cream cheese, 8 ounces of velveeta and ground sausage.
- Serve leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove or in a slow cooker until hot.
- Want to make it hot? Add jalapenos (medium/hot) or habaneros (very hot) at the same time as the ground beef.
Nutrition
Rotel Dip is an easy recipe to make. Begin by cooking the ground beef on the stovetop until it's fully cooked. Afterward, drain any excess fat. Then, add slices of Velveeta and a can of Rotel, making sure you don't drain the excess liquid. Proceed to cook over medium heat until the cheese has entirely melted. Serve the dip while it's warm and ready to enjoy.
Yes, you can freeze velveeta and rotel dip. Make sure to put the dip in a freezer friendly, airtight, container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat thaw in the refrigerator and then heat in the microwave, stove top, or crockpot.
Rotel can last up to 5 days if stored properly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
If you don't like the consistency of your dip you can make it thinner by adding a small amount of milk. Add the milk while stirring. Add only a little at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for.
Dip your favorite tortilla chips, Doritos, pretzels, and vegetables into this tasty recipe.
Andrea says
This rotel dip is so tasty, I made it with velveeta and used the sausage substitution. It made the perfect game day dip for a Saturday football party.
Eva says
This was SO simple and delicious! Loved it. Will definitely make again.