Creamy Rotel Cheese Dip with Velveeta & Ground Beef
Jan 07, 2024 Updated Aug 23, 2026
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Table of Contents
- What Is Rotel Dip?
- Rotel Dip Ingredients
- How To Make Rotel Cheese Dip with Velveeta & Beef
- How to Make Classic Two-Ingredient Rotel Dip
- My Top 10 Tips for the Best Rotel Dip
- Rotel Dip Variations
- How to Serve Rotel Dip for a Party
- What To Serve With Rotel Dip
- FAQs
- Show Me Your Rotel Cheese Dip
- Rotel Dip Recipe with Velveeta and Ground Beef
- Shop This Post
Rotel dip (AKA Velveeta cheese dip) is one of my favorite recipes to break out when entertaining–especially for game days and taco nights! It’s insanely easy to make and in our house, it’s a huge hit with kids and adults alike, which makes everything simpler.
Classic Rotel dip is a hot cheese dip typically made with just two ingredients: Velveeta and a can of RO-TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies. For my version, I also use seasoned ground beef to make it extra hearty and flavorful.
I love that I can set the slow cooker, give the dip an occasional stir, and keep it warm while guests help themselves, which means less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the party.
For more appetizer ideas, try my Beer Cheese Dip, Easy Cheese Pimento Dip, Dirty Martini Dip, Crudite Platter, and Nacho Toppings Bar. Plus, take a look at all of my dip recipes!
What Is Rotel Dip?
Rotel dip is a queso-style cheese dip named after RO-TEL, a canned blend of diced tomatoes and green chilies. While queso can be made with many different cheeses, peppers, and seasonings, Rotel dip gets its signature tangy tomato flavor and gentle kick specifically from RO-TEL.
The brand has Texas roots dating back to 1943, when Carl Roettele began canning vine-ripened tomatoes with green chilies. He shortened his last name to RO-TEL for the brand, and the flavorful canned combination eventually became a popular shortcut for queso-style dips.
Rotel Dip Ingredients
- Ground Beef: While Rotel cheese dip is delicious with just the classic Velveeta and Rotel tomatoes and chilies, I love to add ground beef to add a little extra oomph to this app! I prefer to use lean ground beef such as 90/10, because it produces less grease. Drain any excess fat after browning so the finished dip stays creamy instead of oily.
- Taco Seasoning: Adding your favorite taco seasoning into the beef gives the dip some more Tex-Mex flavor. There are so many great options at the store for different styles and heat levels, or you can even make your own!
- Velveeta cheese: For that classic orange cheese dip, you need Velveeta! But more than that, Velveeta is known for its melting ability, which is essential for a cheese dip! As long as you keep it warm, the cheese will stay smooth and silky.
- Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies: The Original flavor contains diced vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped green chili peppers, salt, and water. You can of course try one of RoTel’s other flavors, like Fire Roasted, Mexican Style, or even Extra Hot, but whatever you do, don’t drain before adding to your dip!
How Much Velveeta Do You Need for Velveeta Cheese Dip?
For every 10-ounce can of Rotel, you need 16 ounces of Velveeta cheese! Velveeta cheese is sold in 16- and 32-ounce blocks, which is part of why I love this recipe! It’s easy to make, but it’s even easier to shop for.
Which Rotel Is Best for Rotel Dip?
My favorite Rotel flavor is Original because the taco seasoning adds so much flavor! It’s also the classic ingredient for this beloved queso dip. That said, if you’re going simpler and not using taco seasoning, the Fire Roasted flavor adds an amazing depth of flavor.
How To Make Rotel Cheese Dip with Velveeta & Beef
I’m a big fan of using a slow cooker, but no matter how you choose to make it, this dip is about as easy as it gets!
Crock Pot Rotel Dip
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up into pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat and stir in the taco seasoning.
- To the bowl of a slow cooker, add the browned beef, cubed Velveeta, and undrained Rotel; cook on low, stirring once or twice, until melted and combined, about 90 minutes.
- Serve dip in the slow cooker (while on warm) with tortilla chips on the side.
How to Make Rotel Dip on the Stove
- Serve warm with tortilla chips on the side.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up into pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat and stir in the taco seasoning.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the cubed Velveeta and undrained Rotel; cook, stirring, until melted and combined.
How to Make Classic Two-Ingredient Rotel Dip
For the classic meatless version, combine 16 ounces of cubed Velveeta with one undrained 10-ounce can of Rotel. Melt the ingredients on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, or heat them in the slow cooker until smooth.
My Top 10 Tips for the Best Rotel Dip
- Three things I never forget: drain the fat from the browned beef, don’t drain the Rotel, and cube the Velveeta (the smaller the cubes, the quicker it melts!).
- If you’re using a slow cooker, you can use whatever size you have on hand, but for best results: for a single recipe (16 ounces of velveeta), use a 1.5- to 2-quart slow cooker and a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker for a double recipe. This way there is less empty space, which keeps the dip texture more consistent and will keep it from drying out or thickening over time!
- The Original Rotel recipe is the biggest crowd pleaser, so I stick to that–it’s mild with a little kick! I try to avoid super polarizing ingredients when feeding a crowd. Some people are super spice-sensitive!
- The number one reason I love using a crock pot for this recipe is that it’s super easy and safe to keep warm. As long as the heat remains at 140°F or warmer, it can stay out for up to 4 hours! Without the heat, it should only stay out for 2 hours.
- When I served Rotel dip in a crock pot, a skin formed on top after about 30 minutes or so. I recommend stirring your dip every once in a while!
- If your Rotel dip is looking a little chunky or thick, make sure the heat is set to low. Then stir in room temperature or warm milk or cream a splash at a time, stirring constantly until smooth.
- For extra fast set-up, brown the beef the night before and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Quickly warm it up in the skillet or crock pot before adding the rest of the ingredients!
- When I doubled this recipe, it had to cook longer which means it didn’t melt as smoothly. To help this, I added half of the beef at first, then once the cheese started to melt, I stirred in the rest! Just make sure everything is evenly warmed before serving.
- Tortilla chips will always get eaten the fastest when you serve Rotel dip, so make sure you have extra!
- Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or pico de gallo for a beautiful finish!
Rotel Dip Variations
The classic version uses Rotel and Velveeta, but it’s easy to customize the protein, spice level, and cheese mixture to make it your own with these alternate ingredients.
Protein
- Ground turkey
- Ground chorizo
- Ground sausage
- Chopped chicken breast
- Chopped chicken thigh
- Beyond Meat
- Impossible Beef
- Tofu
- Shrimp
- Black beans
Spice
- Rotel Xtra Hot Diced Tomatoes with Ghost Peppers
- Rotel Hot Diced Tomatoes with Habaneros
- Siete Spicy Taco Seasoning
- Old El Paso Tabasco Taco Seasoning Mix
- Diced red or green onions, or onion powder
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Cilantro garnish
Cheese
- Evaporated milk
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar + 8 ounces cream cheese
- Colby Jack
- Monterey Jack
- Sour cream
- Dairy-Free Cheddar Cheese Sauce
How to Serve Rotel Dip for a Party
My recipe will comfortably serve 8 to 12 people as an appetizer, but you can very easily double all the ingredients to serve twice as many guests. The instructions remain the same, but note that everything might take just a tad longer!
The key to keeping this dip delicious is keeping it warm and melty, which is why I love to serve it in a crock pot. It’s also easy to bring to a friend’s house for game day–you’ll never have to transfer vessels and you can just heat it right back up.
When I bring Rotel dip to a tailgate or backyard BBQ, I make it in a heavy-bottom skillet (like cast-iron) and bring a sterno to keep it warm. Just make sure you have a heat-safe stand to hold the skillet over the sterno! If you want to pretty it up, use your favorite stoneware or ceramic dish, which holds heat well, but this dip usually gets devoured pretty fast!
Make Rotel Dip Ahead
Brown and season the beef up to two days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, reheat the beef to 165°F, then combine it with the Velveeta and Rotel in the slow cooker.
How to Store and Reheat Rotel Dip
Keep Rotel dip at 140°F or warmer while serving. If it is not being maintained at that temperature, refrigerate or discard it after 2 hours, or after 1 hour when the surrounding temperature is above 90°F.
Transfer leftovers to shallow airtight containers so they cool quickly, then refrigerate them for 3 to 4 days. You can even freeze it for up to 3 months!
To reheat, you can warm it up slowly to 165°F on the stove over low heat or microwave it in 30-second increments, stirring in between each. Be advised, if you freeze the dip it may get grainy when you reheat it, so have some warm milk or cream on hand to help smooth it back out as you warm it up (this is best done on the stove!).
What To Serve With Rotel Dip
Tortilla chips are my favorite vehicle for queso dip, but it goes well with just about anything! Try:
- Raw veggies (like my crudite platter)
- Pretzel chips
- Fritos
- Taquitos
- Pepperoni (or these Salami Chips!)
- Potatoes
- Yuca fries
- Roasted veggies (like cauliflower and broccoli)
Make Rotel Dip Part of a Bigger Spread
It doesn’t have to be a dip all on its own! When I host, I like to serve a variety of apps and tie them all together. You can use this queso dip as a topping for baked potatoes or a dipper for French fries; you can swap it in for my beer cheese and serve it with pretzels; you can serve it alongside your taco bar, fish tacos, or quesadillas; or you can use it as a base for delicious DIY Nachos!
FAQs
Queso dip is a beloved Tex-Mex cheese dip. Rotel dip is a kind of queso dip made specifically with Rotel canned tomatoes and chilies combined with Velveeta cheese.
When making Rotel dip, you should NOT drain the Rotel, as the liquid provides some much-needed moisture that helps thin out the cheese slightly.
Adding meat to your Rotel dip is completely optional! The original recipe has just two ingredients: Rotel and Velveeta.
Rotel dip is pretty mild because the peppers in Rotel’s Original recipe aren’t super spicy, but you can make it as spicy as you want by adding hotter peppers.
Rotel Original is slightly spicier than Rotel Mild. Rotel Mild was formulated specifically to reduce the heat even further.
There are a number of reasons your Rotel dip could be too thick: if there isn’t enough moisture, you cook the dip over high heat, or the dip cools significantly, it will be thicker. To thin it out, stir in a splash of cream or milk. The secret to this dip is cooking it low and slow!
To thicken your Rotel dip, try adding more Velveeta. If that doesn’t work, you can try adding a little bit of flour, a sprinkle at a time.
Your Rotel dip might be chunky if you’ve cooked it over too high heat! To remove lumps, reduce the heat and stir in a splash of milk or cream. Cook over low heat and stir constantly until smooth.
As Rotel dip cools, it will thicken. So to keep it smooth and melty, the best way to serve it is in a crockpot with the heat on low. Stir occasionally for best results!
Rotel dip can stay warm in a slow cooker for up to 4 hours as long as the heat is consistently on at 140°F or warmer. If you aren’t using a heated crock pot, it will only be safe for 2 hours.
Show Me Your Rotel Cheese Dip
I hope this post inspires you to make this recipe. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the snacks and apps you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, if you liked this recipe, please rate and review.
Rotel Dip Recipe with Velveeta and Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- 16 oz Velveeta Cheese cubed
- 1 (10-oz) can Rotel Original
- Tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up into pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning.
- To the bowl of a slow cooker, add the browned beef, Velveeta, and Rotel; cook on low, stirring once or twice, until melted and combined, 90 minutes.
- Serve dip warm with tortilla chips on the side.
Photos by Haley Hunt Davis of Salt Worth Creative. Food styling with Ryan Norton.
YUM!! I love queso! This recipe looks so quick and easy, I cant wait to bring this to the next party or event I go to!
This Rotel cheese dip is amazing! Super easy to make and full of great flavor! Thank you for sharing!
The best and easiest dip!
Thanks for reminding me about this yummy dip! Can’t wait to make it again!
Great cheese dip for any occasion. This is the best cheese dip I’ve ever tasted !