Beefy Chipotle Queso Dip

I’ve made a lot of queso dip over the years. In my circle, we call it barf dip. I’ve made all different kinds. I’ve made it with meat and without meat. I’ve used all manner of seasonings and spices. I’ve tried making it with real cheese 100 different ways (I’m convinced that just can’t be done). But this recipe? This is my favorite queso dip recipe by far. It’s no contest. If you are headed to some sort of potluck get together, this is your showstopper. People won’t stop talking about it and they’ll be begging you for the recipe. I’m totally fine with you taking all the credit for yourself. This is really about the dip, not my ego. 😉

Here’s what you’ll need for this Beefy Chipotle Queso Dip:

• Ground beef – 2 pounds (ground chuck, ground round… whatever you prefer)
• Velveeta – 32 ounce package (it has to be Original Velveeta)
• Herdez Chipotle Salsa Cremosa – 15 ounce jar (this is *essential* and I know of no substitutes that would be exact, but you could try Good & Gather brand Creamy Chipotle Sauce or Taco Bell Creamy Chipotle Sauce if you can’t find the Herdez brand)
• Diced Green Chiles – 4 ounce can (I prefer Hatch brand, but any brand is fine)
• Taco seasoning – 2 packets (believe it or not, I prefer Taco Bell Original seasoning, but use what you like best)
• El Yucateco Habanero Hot Sauce – to taste, if desired (this is the hot sauce I’ve used for years, but you can use whatever hot sauce is your favorite)
• Sour Cream – 8 ounces (I prefer Daisy brand, but use whatever brand you prefer)

Here’s what you’ll do to make this Beefy Chipotle Queso Dip:

This is all pretty basic. I use an Instant Pot to make this, because I really like being able to brown the ground beef right in the pot and not having to dirty a skillet or the stove. If you don’t have an Instant Pot and are using a CrockPot instead, everything will be the same for you, except the first few steps below will be done in the skillet and once that’s complete, you’ll transfer the contents of the skillet to the CrockPot.

So… here we go:

Hit the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot and let it come up to temperature, add a tablespoon or two of oil (vegetable, olive, coconut… whatever oil you prefer, then dump in the ground beef. You want to really break it up, so it ends up thoroughly and evenly distributed throughout the dip when it’s all said & done. And make sure to brown it well, because it adds a lot to the flavor (think searing a steak).

Once the ground beef is browned, dump in the whole can of diced chiles, along with the liquid. Let the chiles cook a bit (for 2-3 minutes or so) to really bring out their flavor. The liquid will help to deglaze the bottom of the pot (or skillet). When you begin smell the chiles cooking, dump in the two packets of taco seasoning and add hot sauce, if desired. How much hot sauce? That’s totally up to you. It depends how hot you want it. Just remember, you can always add more later… you can’t take it out.

Stir the taco seasoning & hot sauce in really well. The juice from the canned chiles should provide enough liquid to kinda make a sauce out of the seasoning packets. If not, add a little water (but just enough to make the browned meat mixture slightly saucy… you don’t want there to be a lot of liquid or the queso dip will end up too thin).

Alright, meat is browned and seasoned. Now turn the Instant Pot to SLOW COOK – LOW. If you’re using a regular CrockPot, everything you’ve done thus far has been done in a skillet. At this point, move the seasoned meat mixture to the CrockPot and everything will be the same from this point on.

Cube the block of Velveeta into 1-2″ cubes (this just makes it melt quicker and more evenly) and dump all the Velveeta into the pot on top of the seasoned ground beef. Now dump the Herdez Chipotle Salsa Cremosa on top. Don’t even bother trying to stir it at this point. You won’t be able to. Just slap on the top of the Instant Pot or CrockPot, make sure it’s on LOW and walk away.

It’ll take a while for the Velveeta to melt. Check it after 30 minutes and try to give it a stir. Keep doing that every 30 minutes. Remember, the longer you just let it slow cook, the more the flavors meld and the better it gets. I usually get this started about 4 hours before I plan to serve it. I’ve even made it the night before and then warmed it back up the next day (if you do this, be prepared for it to take at least couple hours to warm all the way through and be ready to eat).

About half an hour before serving, stir in the whole container of sour cream. It kinda seems like a lot of sour cream, but that’s a lot of Velveeta and meat. Trust me. It’s the perfect amount of sour cream.

That’s it! That’s the best Beefy Chipotle Queso Dip you’ll ever eat.

What to serve with this Beefy Chipotle Queso Dip…

Oh… wait… you’re not just gonna eat it with a spoon, right? Well, you could. And I wouldn’t dare judge you. Tortilla chips are obviously the perfect accompaniment to this dip. A word to the wise, choose a hefty chip. This is a substantial dip and cheap, flimsy tortilla chips just won’t stand up. Blue corn tortilla chips are absolutely delicious with this dip. Fritos Scoops? Great choice. Tostitos Cantina Original tortilla chips are also an excellent choice. Even Tostitos Hint of Lime tortilla chips are a surprisingly tasty option that gives a nice bit of acidic kick to cut through the richness of the hearty dip. Pita chips? Yummy. Triscuits? Surprisingly good.

Is using chips to shovel this dip into your gaping maw with reckless abandon the only option? HELL NO! Make a burrito with it. Fill a big, soft flour tortilla with Mexican rice and Fritos… I hate refried beans, but maybe you love them… cover with a layer of this dip, followed by shredded lettuce, diced tomato and a little extra sour cream… maybe a little guac and salsa… whoo, buddy… that’s good burrito. You could even use it to make a breakfast burrito with some scrambled eggs and hash browns instead of rice & Fritos!

Put this dip on a hot dog or a brat and it’ll change your life forever. Put it on a burger. Put it on a breaded tenderloin. Yeah… I said what I said. Put it on a plate of french fries. Or tater tots. Hell, you could put this stuff on a shoe and it would still be delicious (please don’t do that… ). I think I’ve made my point. You can put this Beefy Chipotle Queso Dip on almost anything.

Now get cooking!