Creamy Chili Cheese Dip (homemade or canned chili)

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Fast and creamy Chili Cheese Dip Recipe with strong chili, freshly grated cheese, salsa and cream cheese. Use your favorite homemade chili recipe, like our popular smoked chili, or the canned chili bought at your favorite grocery store.

Also known as Chili Con Queso, this chili dip takes about 50 minutes if you use our homemade chili recipe, or 20 minutes if you use canned chili. We use this chili recipe to make our famous Chili Cheese Fries.

Other dip recipes to try: Rotel Dip, Smoked Queso, Smoked Cream Cheese, Cowboy Candy, 4-Ingredient Guacamole, and Refried Bean Dip.

Chili Cheese Dip

Chili cream cheese dip is one of our go-to Game Day appetizers because it’s inexpensive, quick to make, and always a hit with the crowd.

Overhead shot of plain chili in a silver soup pot.

Chili cream cheese dip

This basic chili recipe is our favorite chili when used as a topper or queso maker. It’s quick to make, full of flavor and the perfect consistency (THICK)!

To make it, you’ll need basic chili ingredients and a pound of ground beef. See the recipe card below for the full list of chili ingredients.

Canned Chili

When using canned chili, only 4 ingredients are needed to make cream cheese with chili.

  • Cheddar and/or Pepper Jack Cheese
  • Canned Chili
  • cream cheese
  • salsa

grated cheese, chilli and cream cheese in a silver saucepan.

Beans or no beans?

Ah, the age-old debate. It’s up to you. Like beans? Just toss a can of drained kidney beans with the homemade chili, or grab a canned chili with beans.

The most important thing to remember

While this looks like a cut-and-dry recipe, there is one VERY IMPORTANT STEP you don’t want to screw up. Freshly grated cheese can and does become gritty if heated too quickly. So when we call low heat, keep low heat.

pan queso

When making skillet queso recipes, we transfer the queso to a small saucepan after it’s ready to preserve the heat and texture.

If you don’t want to use a crockpot, using a cast iron skillet is ideal, as the cast iron retains heat longer than a non-stick or aluminum skillet, allowing the queso to stay warm longer.

Melted rotel dip in a black skillet alongside chips.

Crockpot version

This dip in the crockpot takes longer than it does on the stovetop, but it’s more hands-off. Plus, you don’t need to transfer it to another vessel to keep it warm when serving as a party appetizer.

To make crockpot queso, place chili, cheese, cream cheese, and salsa in a small or medium-sized crockpot and stir. Set the temperature on low for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Once the cheese is completely melted, turn the heat down to warm to avoid grainy cheese.

Dipper Ideas

While nothing beats fries and chili dip with cream cheese, we think there are a few other “dipper” options to consider:

  • Baguette (or other sliced ​​bread)
  • cracker
  • Arepa con queso
  • Fresh vegetables – carrots and peppers
  • Potato Chips
  • pretzel bites
  • pita chips
  • rinds

Overhead shot of queso with pico de gallo.

topping ideas

All the toppings that belong on a bowl of chili belong on this dip. Here are some of our favorite chili toppings to add:

Pro Party Tip: It’s extremely easy to adapt this popular dip to suit different tastes. For example, when we’re done, we’ll split the batch in two and toss one with cayenne pepper or diced jalapeno for those folks who like a little spicy queso. The other half is left untouched for those folks who like bland queso.

where to use

Add this dip to your favorite chili cheese based recipes or even Mexican recipes. I mean, queso fajitas sound amazing, right? Here are a few we would serve it on:

Overhead shot of loaded potato wedges.

variations

Velveeta Chili Cheese Dip

To use Velveeta in place of freshly grated cheese, simply omit the cheddar and add 16 ounces of your favorite Velveeta flavor. You can set the stovetop to medium or low because you no longer have to worry about gritty cheese.

Hormel Chili Cheese Dip

To make Hormel Chili Dip, simply use a canned Hormel brand chili. No further edits are required.

Green Chili Queso

Use equal parts your favorite Chili Verde recipe in place of the ground beef chilli to prepare. If using our Mexican Chili Verde, be sure to shred the pork or chicken and cook an additional 10-15 minutes to thicken the liquid.

Green chilli stew in a white bowl.

expert tips

  • Since the ground beef is drained, you can use any percentage of fat. It doesn’t matter for the end product.
  • You have to grate the cheese! Don’t buy pre-shredded cheese, as it’s coated with cellulose, which keeps it from melting. Break out your cheese grater and get to shredding.
  • Get a nice mix of cheeses to add flavor. We love using a blend of 75% cheddar and 25% peppermint.
  • Make it up to 3 days in advance to reduce prep time if serving at a party.
  • Due to its dairy use, we do not recommend freezing queso. Cream cheese recipes are notorious for having an “off” texture after thawing.

drink pairings

You can’t go wrong reaching for a Michelada, Margarita, Mexican Mule, Beermosa or an ice cold beer.

Tortilla chip is dipped in yellow party dip.

Chili cheese dip in a cast iron skillet with fries.

Chili Cheese Dip

Fast and creamy Chili Cheese Dip loaded with bold chili, freshly grated cheese, salsa and cream cheese. Use your favorite homemade chili recipe, like our popular smoked chili, or the canned chili bought at your favorite grocery store.

Preparation time: 5 protocol

Cooking time: fifteen protocol

Total time: 20 protocol

Course: starter

Kitchen: American

Keyword: Game Day Appetizer, Green Chili Recipes, Queso Recipes

Servings: 8th portions

Calories: 337kcal

Author: Darcey Olson

USES OF CANNED CHILI

  • Place the chili, cheese, cream cheese, and salsa in a medium saucepan and stir. Turn the heat to LOW (*Note 2) and stir frequently.

  • Continue stirring and heat until cheese is completely melted and chilli is warm throughout, about 15 minutes.

  • Serve immediately or transfer to a warm crockpot.

USING HOMEMADE CHILI

  • Preheat a medium-sized skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat.

  • Add the ground beef and cook until browned (about 8-10 minutes), breaking into small crumbles with a wooden spoon.

  • Push the ground beef to one side of the pan and add the onions to the other side. Cook until onions are soft, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic to the onions and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  • Stir in the chilli powder, cumin, paprika powder and salt and cook for 1 minute.

  • Stir in the diced tomatoes, beef broth, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 15 minutes).

  • Remove from the heat and let the chili cool for 10 minutes before moving on to the next step (to make sure the cheese doesn’t turn gritty).

  • Add the cheese, cream cheese, and salsa to the chili and stir. Turn the heat to LOW (*Note 2) and stir frequently.

  • Continue stirring and heat until cheese is completely melted and chilli is warm throughout, about 7-8 minutes.

  • Serve immediately or transfer to a warm crockpot.

Hint 1 – You must shred the cheese! Don’t buy pre-shredded cheese, as it’s coated with cellulose, which keeps it from melting. Break out your cheese grater and get to shredding.
Note 2 – Freshly grated cheese can and does become gritty if heated too quickly. So when we call low heat, keep low heat.
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is calculated using our homemade chili.

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 8thG | Protein: 19G | Fat: 26G | Saturated Fatty Acids: 13G | Polyunsaturated fat: 1G | Monounsaturated fatty acids: 8thG | Trans fats: 1G | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 696mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 1G | Sugar: 4G | Vitamin A: 822ie | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 2mg

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