Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

14 Comments

5 from 1 vote
12 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip is a spicy, creamy, crowd-pleasing favorite that comes together in minutes for the ultimate party snack!

If you’re searching for the perfect Appetizer for your next party, we have the right recipes for you with Herb Dip, Artichoke Cheese Dip, and Black Bean Dip!

Sabrina’s Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip

Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip is spicy, cheesy, creamy, and everything you could ever want in a party or game day dip. It’s also incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is brown the beef with seasoning, then add your Rotel and Velveeta cheese and melt everything together. It doesn’t get simpler than that!

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip Recipe

Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip is a spicy, creamy, crowd-pleasing favorite that comes together in minutes for the ultimate party snack!
Yield 12 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Dip
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound ground beef , 85/15
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 16 ounces Velveeta cheese , cubed
  • 10 ounces Ro-tel Tomatoes

Instructions

  • Add the ground beef, salt and pepper to a large pot and brown well before draining the fat.
  • Add the Ro-tel, stir and cook for 30 seconds before adding in the cheese and stirring until melted.

Notes

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 821mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 399IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 1mg

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Table of contents

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About this Recipe

Serve the Rotel Dip with tortilla chips for dipping. Or make a variety of dipping options like pretzels, crackers, or bread cubes. You can also use slices of veggies like bell peppers, carrots, or celery to scoop up this flavorful crowd-pleaser. Any way you serve it, this savory, cheesy, beefy appetizer will be the hit of your next party!

Chef’s Note:

Keep Rotel Dip hot by serving it right in the skillet you cooked it in, or keeping it warm in a slow cooker. Make it the centerpiece of your appetizer, surrounded by lots of dipping options like classic tortilla chips, pretzels, cut-up vegetables, pieces of bread, or crackers. Garnish the dip with sliced jalapeños, chopped fresh cilantro, or a dusting of smoked paprika for spice and color.

Key Ingredients

  • Ground Beef: We always suggest using 85/15 ground beef for recipes. You will have a little fat to drain, but it will also give you the most flavor and tender bite.
  • Velveeta Cheese: Velveeta is a processed cheese similar to American cheese. Because it is designed to melt smoothly, it is the easiest cheese to use for melty dips like this one.
  • Rotel: Rotel is a brand name for canned diced tomatoes combined with green chilies. Drain any liquid from the can before adding to the dip recipe. You can use mild, spicy, or substitute for your favorite flavor of diced tomato, and add 4 4-oz cans of diced green chilis.

Can this be made ahead of time?

If you’d like to make Cheesy Rotel Dip ahead of time and heat it to serve, simply follow the directions as usual. Let the dip cool completely and store it in the refrigerator up to 2 days before serving. Use a slow cooker to reheat and keep the dip warm for serving, adding a little milk or cream if it’s too thick.

How to Store

  • Serve: Do not leave cooked beef at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
  • Store: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
  • Freeze: Freeze Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip in a sealed freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Alternative Cooking Techniques

Slow Cooker

  • In a skillet, brown ground beef and drain off the fat.
  • Add beef, seasoning, Velveeta, and Rotel to the Crock Pot.
  • Turn on low for 2-3 hours, or until Velveeta is totally melted. Keep on warm setting while serving.

Instant Pot

  • Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and brown the beef well, then drain the fat.
  • Add seasoning, Velveeta, and Rotel to the Instant Pot and set on slow cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring as needed. Add a little milk if needed to loosen the consistency.
  • Keep on warm setting while serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I keep Rotel Dip from getting hard?

Rotel Dip will start to get harder as it cools down. You can avoid this by serving it hot as soon as you can. I like to serve this in a small slow cooker on low or warm setting, to keep it warm the entire time.

Can I substitute the Rotel in Cheesy Beef Rotel Dip?

You can also just buy a can of diced tomatoes and a can of diced green chilies if you’d prefer.

Why is my Rotel Dip so thick?

This dip can turn out too thick for a few reasons. First, make sure you used the right ratio of ingredients. Too much Velveeta or beef can change the consistency. Also, be sure to drain the tomatoes. If your dip is still too thick, add a few tablespoons of cream to the recipe while it’s cooking.

Can I make it without processed cheese?

Yes, simply substitute the Velveeta with equal parts cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. Let your cream cheese soften to room temperature so it will easily incorporate into the recipe. Buying a block of cheddar and shredding it yourself will also ensure it melts and stirs in easily, because there will be no added ingredients. You can also substitute Slow Cooker Nacho Cheese Sauce for the Velveeta cheese in this recipe.

What is the difference between Queso Dip and Rotel Dip?

Rotel dip and queso dip are similar in that they both combine melty cheese with veggies like diced tomatoes and green chilis. The main difference is that queso dip typically does not contain meat and includes milk or cream to make it a creamier consistency, more like a cheese sauce. Rotel dip usually starts with a can of Rotel and adds Velveeta cheese and seasoned ground beef for a chunkier texture.

Variations

  • Cheese: Substitute the Velveeta with equal parts cream cheese and shredded cheddar. I recommend buying a block of cheddar and shredding it yourself. This way, there are no added ingredients that might keep the cheddar from melting properly.
  • Meat: You can substitute the ground beef for any favorite sausage, ground turkey, chicken, or even meatless crumbles. Use a spicy sausage like chorizo instead of the ground beef to kick up the flavor.
  • Seasoning: Add a packet of taco seasoning for a Tex-Mex flavor.
  • Spice Level: Make this spicier with a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
  • Oven Broiled: If you want a golden brown top to your dip, transfer the pot to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes right before serving. Only do this if you have an oven-safe pot.

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About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  2. I was wondering what I could sub. out for the Rotel tomatoes? We have a few people in the family that has major heartburn and i’d like for everyone to be able to enjoy the dip

    Reply

    1. You can substitute with canned diced tomatoes though you’ll lose a bit of the flavor. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  3. My sister lives in Houston, when She.has made this for years. She uses sausage instead of ground beef.

    Reply

  4. I make a dip similar to this. I add onion, chili powder, worcestershire, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and rice. I know the addition of rice sounds odd, but it adds a nice texture. Sometimes I’ll use half beef, half sausage. It’s hearty and great for dipping, folks love it!

    Reply