This Crockpot Queso Cheese Dip is a real crowd pleaser. A mix of multiple cheeses and Velveeta, plus jalapeños, spices, and tomatoes for the perfect flavor. It’s great for any gathering, from Cinco de Mayo to taco night. Slow Cooker Queso is easy to make and irresistible, this smooth and creamy cheese dip is perfect for your favorite chips, tacos, or nachos!
What’s in Crockpot Queso
Any queso lover is going to love this flavorful cheese dip recipe, and it’s so easy to make in a Crockpot. Be prepared for the best (most addicting) queso dip you’ve ever tasted!
- Cheese: There’s a mix of 3 different types of cheeses in this Crockpot queso! Blocks of both white and yellow American cheese create a sharp, cheesy taste. Plus shredded Mexican blend adds even more depth of flavor.
- Velveeta: Use a block of Queso Blanco Velveeta, sliced into cubes. This creates that same smooth and creamy consistency that I love about my favorite Velveeta dip.
- Tomatoes: A can of Rotel-style tomatoes with green chiles adds texture and delicious flavor. You can use a jar of chunky salsa instead.
- Evaporated Milk: Whole fat evaporated milk helps to create a really creamy texture and get the right consistency.
- Jalapenos: Jalapeno peppers add some heat, but be sure to remove the seeds if you don’t want it to be overly spicy.
- Onion: Diced yellow onion is a great aromatic to add to this dip.
- Olive Oil: You’ll need cooking oil to saute the onion and peppers.
- Spices: I used a mix of cumin and red pepper flakes in my queso dip. You can also add chili powder for a little more spice! Feel free to use taco seasoning instead.
- Lime Juice: A hint of lime juice adds acidity and brightness.
- Cilantro: I love adding fresh cilantro, but you can skip it if you want. Parsley works too!
Pro Tip: If the cheese dip is getting too thick in the slow cooker, stir in a dash more evaporated milk to thin out the consistency.
Can I add meat to this Crockpot cheese dip?
If you’d like to add meat to this crockpot queso recipe, you can add ground beef, chorizo sausage, rotisserie or shredded chicken, or ground chicken, pork, or turkey. Be sure to use fully cooked chicken, or brown and drain ground meat before adding it in.
Set the slow cooker to WARM setting, and be sure to stir it every 15 minutes to keep it liquidy and smooth. This is perfect for parties!
I like to use a mix of cheeses for the best queso. I use Velveeta, American cheese, and a Mexican blend in this recipe. Queso blanco, pepper jack, and cheddar cheese can all be used depending on your preference.
It only takes about 30-50 minutes to fully melt and heat queso in a Crockpot.
If the texture is gritty, it’s probably been overcooked. This typically happens from keeping it on the HIGH setting for too long. As soon as it’s heated through, switch the setting to WARM or LOW while serving.
The jalapeños add a little bit of heat, but it’s well-balanced by the rest of the ingredients. Skip the jalapeños completely if you don’t want any spice. To make it spicier, keep the seeds in, add more jalapeños, or add chili powder.
Stir in a dash of flour or cornstarch if the consistency becomes too thin, watery, or runny. It will thicken up the cheese with just a small amount.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container, and keep it in refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat queso in a Crockpot on the low setting, stirring until it’s fully warmed through. Stir in more evaporated milk if it’s too thick. You can also reheat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
I don’t recommend freezing cheese dips because the texture will not hold up well when frozen, thawed, and reheated.
What to Serve with Crockpot Queso Dip
This Crockpot queso cheese dip makes enough to serve a crowd, so I always serve it as my go-to Cinco de Mayo dip (along with lots of margaritas), but it’s welcome at any party. You have to serve it with plenty of tortilla chips or your favorite dippers. And it makes a great cheese sauce for nachos, taco toppings, potato wedges, or any of your favorite Mexican dishes.
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Slow Cooker Queso Recipe
Ingredients
- 30 ounces Fire-Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies Rotel-style
- 24 ounces whole fat evaporated milk
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 pound white American block cheese cubed
- 1 pound yellow American block cheese cubed
- 1 pound Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese cubed
- 7 ounces Supremo Mexican Blend cheese shredded
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded & ribs removed, diced
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Spray a large slow-cooker with nonstick cooking spray and set the temperature to HIGH.
- Add the tomatoes, milk, lime juice, cheeses and cilantro; mix well.30 ounces Fire-Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies, 24 ounces whole fat evaporated milk, 1 lime, juiced, 1 pound white American block cheese, 1 pound yellow American block cheese, 1 pound Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese, 7 ounces Supremo Mexican Blend cheese, ½ bunch fresh cilantro
- Place the lid on top of the slow-cooker.
- Place the oil, onions and jalapeno peppers in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables until tender and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 jalapeno peppers, ½ yellow onion
- Add cumin, red pepper flakes and chili powder; stir well and cook an additional 30 seconds, stirring continuously.1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Add the sautéed vegetables to the cheese mixture and stir well.
- Replace the lid leaving it slightly ajar. Stir the cheese several times until the cheese is completely melted, about 30 minutes.
- Lower the temperature to WARM and stir about every 15-20 minutes. If needed, add a little evaporated milk if it thickens during warming.
- Serve with your favorite chips/vegetables/crackers.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Serves: About 6-8 cups cheese dip – enough to serve an entire party J
- This Queso Dip can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat in the slow-cooker before serving.
- For your cheese mix, it’s best to buy most of your cheese in chunks or blocks and grate the cheese yourself. Pre-packaged shredded cheese is mixed with non-clumping agents, which prevent the cheese from melting into a smooth sauce.
- Make sure to spray your slow cooker with non stick cooking spray before using it.
- Stir the cheese mix regularly, to help achieve and consistently smooth texture.
- If the sauce is getting too thick, add a dash more evaporated milk.
Nutrition Information
Can this be made in a 4.5 qt slow cooker?
I think it would work!
Made this recipe and it did not turn out right. Was on high for almost 2 hours and the cubed cheese was still not melted. And by the time it was in there long enough for the cheese to melt, it curdled. Will not be trying this again.
I’m so sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out for you, Brit!
The queso did not melt within 30 minutes Please change the time. It’s been over an hour on high and still not melting. Annoyed.
Hi Ashley, I’m sorry this recipe didn’t quite work out as planned for you! Make sure to cube the cheese before adding it so that it melts more quickly!
I’m making this recipe today with an experimental taco meatball. I just wanted to say, of all the recipe blogs I have made delicious food from, your format is the best. You took the time to add the ingredients for each step. I haven’t seen that before and it was extremely helpful. Time wasn’t wasted scrolling up and down trying to find what goes where at which step. Thank you
Thanks so much for your kind words, Jeremy! I hope this recipe is a hit!
Are the 1lb white american and 1lb yellow american block cheeses Velveeta also?
No, this is just regular American cheese.
Yummy recipe, I cut it in half and made it on my stove. It is perfect for Thursday night football!
Yum!!
So I’m a novice at cooking. Can I have a list of ingredients? I have no
Idea what I’m doing and I’m trying to shop for ingredients.
Hi, Carol. If you scroll to the bottom of the post, there is a printable recipe card that you can take with you to the store! You’ll need:
30 ounces Fire-Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies
24 ounces whole fat evaporated milk
1 lime
1 pound white American block cheese
1 pound yellow American block cheese
1 pound Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese
7 ounces Supremo Mexican Blend cheese
½ bunch fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 jalapeno peppers
½ yellow onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chili powder (this is optional)
This recipe was so yummy! My husband bought original velveeta vs queso blanco velveeta because that’s all they had. It was still good. We enjoyed the fresh, delicious taste vs the overly processed and simple flavor of the basic recipe we usually use. Serving size for 16 people makes a crockpot full for a large party! I couldn’t figure out servings to output amount. The notes say 6-8 cups makes a good amount for a party but the recipe is by servings.
A serving is just about ½ cup of queso!
Can I make this the night before for a work potluck and keep it up warm in the crockpot??
I would refrigerate overnight, then rewarm in the crockpot the day of!
I just made this queso dip for a party. Everyone raved about it. I wasn’t able to find the SUPREMO cheese blend, so I bought Oaxaca, Cotijo, and substituted Muenster for the Chihuahua (couldn’t find that either). The recipe doesn’t call for a large amount of the blend so I took a chance with my option. It seemed to be work. Will definitely make this again!
I’m glad you were able to adapt this recipe to your needs! Thanks for sharing!!