Beef Queso Dip — Caramelized onions, ground beef, taco seasoning, and CHEESE in this EASY queso dip everyone loves!! Great for game days, PARTIES, holidays, and events!!
Velveeta Queso Dip with Ground Beef
Just in time for football season and what I like to call the beginning of comfort food eating season, which I loosely define as fall, football season, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and holiday parties, this beef queso dip is perfect. It’s a crowd favorite and my family raves about it. Stock up on chips and watch this queso dip disappear at your next party.
It’s easy, ready in 15 minutes, and has so much flavor from ground beef, caramelized onions, taco seasoning, Ro-Tel, a sprinkling of cilantro, and of course the cheese.
I used Velveeta and while I don’t think I’ve had any since my mom used to use it to make grilled cheese sandwiches with when I was a kid, it’s absolutely perfect for the queso. It’s velvety smooth (hence the name), melts beautifully, and stays silky and smooth for a long time and doesn’t harden up like other cheeses do. It has a perfect fondue-like quality.
What’s in Beef Queso Dip?
To make this Velveeta queso dip with ground beef, you’ll need:
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Taco seasoning
- Water
- Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles
- Velveeta Original Cheese Loaf
- Fresh cilantro
- Tortilla chips
How to Make Beef Queso Dip
Brown the ground beef and onion until cooked through, then add the taco seasoning and water. Add the Ro-Tel and Velveeta and stir to combine.
Pop a lid onto the pot to encourage the cheese to melt, then garnish with fresh cilantro just before serving.
Is There a Velveeta Substitute I Can Use?
There are many queso recipes that don’t use Velveeta, but I haven’t tried them and can’t offer any substitutions that will guarantee the perfect meltiness that Velveeta lends. If you want to make a cheese dip without Velveeta, try any of the dozens of cheesy dip recipes here.
Can I Make Queso Dip in a Slow Cooker?
I haven’t tried it, but I think you could successfully make this easy queso dip in a slow cooker by first browning the beef and onions, adding the taco seasoning and water, and then transferring to the slow cooker before adding the remaining ingredients.
It would be a nice way to keep it warm for hours at a party. If you try it this way, let me know.
Tips for Making the Best Queso Dip
The Ro-Tel adds texture and some heat, but you can use the mild version if preferred. But I like the slight kick it adds to the queso dip.
I used regular spiced but reduced-sodium taco seasoning. You can use mild or hot depending on your preference for heat.
You can dip pretty much anything into this Velveeta queso dip with ground beef, but my family loves tortilla chips the best. Other dipping options include: pretzel thins, toasted bread slices, and Fritos.
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Beef Queso Dip
Caramelized onions, ground beef, taco seasoning, and CHEESE in this EASY queso dip everyone loves!! Great for game days, PARTIES, holidays, and events!!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (I used 93% lean)
- 1 medium sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- one 1.25-ounce packet taco seasoning (I used reduced sodium)
- 1/2 cup water
- two 10-ounce cans Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 32 ounces Velveeta Original Cheese Loaf, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, for garnishing
- tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven, add the ground beef, onion, and cook over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until beef is cooked through and onions are lightly caramelized. Break up the ground beef as it cooks and stir the onions frequently. If your beef is fattier than mine or there’s excess oil/water, drain it before proceeding; I didn’t need to.
- Add the taco seasoning, water (note this is less water than the packet calls for), and stir to combine.
- Add the Ro-Tel and stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the Velveeta, and cover to encourage cheese to melt. Stir every minute or so until cheese has melted.
- Garnish with cilantro before serving with chips.
Notes
- Queso is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently as necessary.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 369Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1608mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 24g
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I just had dinner but I still want to eat a whole bowl of this! Perfect snack food!
hey girl this looks oh so delish!
This goes without saying… but I love me a good melty cheesy dip. Add some chips and Margaritas and we’ll call it a night!
This is perfect for game day!
That’s exactly what I was thinking…margaritas, chips, and we have dinner covered :)
This looks so amazing! I wish I could find a good substitute for Velveeta in England! Any ideas?
I really don’t know what you could sub with.
This is the way my mom and my aunt used to make it. I loved it growing up but have never made it myself. Thanks for the nudge.
You know, when you melt Velveeta, you can add other grated cheeses, and they will usually melt right along with it. As long as they’re well mixed and you don’t overwhelm the big-V, they should stay creamy as long as they’re warm, and they won’t solidify even when they cool off. I find the V too salty, so my mom would add about half as much grated Mozzarella or Jack cheeses to reduce the salty taste.
Good point that you can add other cheeses with V and it will encourage them to stay softer as long as you don’t overwhelm it. I may try it that way!
I am always in for a good dip! This looks perfect for a game day!
Someone get me a spoon!! Or a straw!
LOVE quest, I have no doubt yours is the best ever!
Wish we were sipping some margaritas together with this!
Nifty looking dip. Perfect for watching the Buffalo Bills loose each Sunday. But Velveeta, that’s been a few years for me. But you’re probably right that it’s perfect for dip.
For this kind of dip, it really does work so well. It’s not something I use more than once a decade :) but it worked great here!
I’ll have to try this for our next office carry in–and I will most likely finish it in the crock pot. Everyone will love this and Jon would be lucky to get any leftovers!
LMK how it goes and I bet you won’t have any leftovers either!