Beef Queso Dip

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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!!

Beef Queso Dip - Caramelized onions, ground beef, taco seasoning, and CHEESE in this FAST and EASY dip everyone loves!! Great for game days, PARTIES, holidays, and events!!

Best Queso Dip with Ground Beef

This ground beef queso dip is 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.

Beef Queso Dip - Caramelized onions, ground beef, taco seasoning, and CHEESE in this FAST and EASY dip everyone loves!! Great for game days, PARTIES, holidays, and events!!

Beef Queso Dip Ingredients

To make this queso and ground beef dip, you’ll need:

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Beef Queso Dip - Caramelized onions, ground beef, taco seasoning, and CHEESE in this FAST and EASY dip everyone loves!! Great for game days, PARTIES, holidays, and events!!

How to Make Queso with Ground Beef

Making homemade queso dip with meat is so quick and easy! Here are the basic recipe steps:

  1. Brown the ground beef and onion until cooked through, then add the taco seasoning and water.
  2. Add the Ro-Tel and Velveeta and stir to combine. 
  3. Pop a lid onto the pot to encourage the cheese to melt, then garnish with fresh cilantro just before serving. 

Recipe Tips

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.  

Beef Queso Dip - Caramelized onions, ground beef, taco seasoning, and CHEESE in this FAST and EASY dip everyone loves!! Great for game days, PARTIES, holidays, and events!!

Recipe FAQs

What’s a good substitute for Velveeta Cheese in Queso?

If you’d rather make this ground beef queso without Velveeta, I recommend following my chorizo queso recipe which is made totally from scratch using regular grated cheese. Simply replace the ground chorizo with ground beef and you’re all set!

Can I Make Beef Queso 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.

Can I make queso dip with a different meat?

Definitely! We love this queso dip with ground beef, but you can also use ground chorizo. I bet a regular ground sausage would work well too.

Can queso be PREPARED in advance?

You’re welcome to melt the beef queso until creamy and then transfer it to a Crockpot to keep it warm. You can do that about an hour before guests arrive!

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!!

What to Serve with Beef Queso

Serve this hot ground beef queso with one or more of the following:

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4.64 from 11 votes

Beef Queso Dip

By Averie Sunshine
Caramelized onions, ground beef, taco seasoning, and CHEESE in this EASY queso dip everyone loves!! Great for game days, PARTIES, holidays, and events!!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12
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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
  • ยฝ 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 thereโ€™s excess oil/water, drain it before proceeding; I didnโ€™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

Serving: 1, Calories: 369kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 1608mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Easy Mexican Dips:

Spicy Chorizo Queso — No processed cheese in this EASY queso dip that’s ready in 20 minutes!! Wonderfully spicy thanks to the chorizo! Great appetizer for holiday entertaining, parties, and game days!!

Cheesy Baked Mexican Corn Dip — A hot corn dip reminiscent of Mexican street corn!! Creamy, cheesy, spiked with lime juice, chili powder, and a serrano chile or jalapeno for a touch of heat!

Baked Triple Cheese and Salsa Tortilla Chip Dip – Loaded with 3 kinds of cheese and baked to browned, bubbly, golden perfection!

Baked Triple Cheese & Salsa Tortilla Chip Dip - Loaded with 3 kinds of cheese & baked to browned, bubbly, golden perfection! Always a hit at parties & great for Superbowl! Easy recipe at averiecooks.com

Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Salsa — A sweet and spicy salsa with a lovely smokiness from pineapple, tomatillo, onion, and garlic that are blistered under broiler and then blended with chipotle peppers! 

Layered Beef Taco Dip — A FAST and EASY layered dip with taco-seasoned cream cheese, sour cream, ground beef, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, and more!! Perfect for your next FIESTA and a guaranteed WINNER with everyone!!

Cheesy Hot Taco Dip — EASY, ready in 15 minutes, and tastes like an awesome beef taco that’s extra CHEESY in dip form and so good!! The Bakeable Tortilla Bowls are so fun! PERFECT for game day parties and get-togethers!!

Quick & Easy Blender Salsa — This easy salsa recipe will teach you how to make salsa at home in just a few minutes in the blender so you’ll never run out!

4.64 from 11 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

    1. 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!

  3. 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.ย 

    1. 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!

  4. 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!