Slow Cooker Queso Dip
Make game day a winner with creamy Slow Cooker Queso Dip, full of gooey, melty cheese, green chilis, veggies, and just a touch of heat!
Are you even ready to entertain if you don’t have Slow Cooker Queso Dip out for the entire crowd to enjoy? This irresistible dip is loaded with cheese, green chilis, jalapenos, tomatoes, and seasoning, and every bite tastes like a delicious touchdown!
Quality Queso
I have plenty of family members who request easy slow cooker queso dip for their game day parties, but I have to be honest- this dip is most often made for hanging out with friends and attending other low-key events like a book club meeting. I think that’s because this dip is so incredible that we don’t want to be distracted by the TV while eating! This is the perfect saute, dump, stir, and heat queso recipe and our absolute favorite with all of its glorious cheese and the perfect little kick of spice!
Start the night with a hearty Chorizo Queso Fundido dip and then move on to Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos– they even make eating amazing meals during the week a breeze!
Other Recipes to Serve with Slow Cooker Queso Dip
- The ultimate comfort food, Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is the warm hug you need on a chilly day.
- Game day grub has to include everyone’s favorite Chili Con Carne, loaded with your choice of toppings!
Ingredients
Veggies: For this recipe, you will need diced onion, minced garlic, a de-seeded and chopped jalapeno, and a large diced tomato.
Dairy: For this dip, pick up cream cheese, a Mexican blend of shredded cheese, and 2% milk.
Pantry Items: You will also need canola oil and a can of diced green chiles.
Seasoning: A little salt is needed for this queso dip.
Chips: Don’t forget to pick up plenty of tortilla chips to enjoy with this creamy dip!
How to Make Slow Cooker Queso Dip
STEP ONE: Add the canola oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Sprinkle salt over the veggies and add diced tomatoes. Cook the veggies for 2-3 minutes.
STEP TWO: Grease the bowl of the slow cooker with non-stick spray and then add the sautéed veggies. Pour in the diced green chilis, shredded Mexican blend cheese, cubed cream cheese, and 1/2 cup of milk.
STEP THREE: Stir to mix the ingredients and cook on LOW for one hour.
STEP FOUR: After an hour, stir the dip and cook for 30 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly. Add one tablespoon of milk at a time if the dip becomes too thick. Serve the dip right from the slow cooker with tortilla chips.
Tips for Success
- Slow cooker queso dip without Velveeta is just as cheesy and creamy. However, if it becomes too thick, you can thin it by adding one tablespoon of milk until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Be sure to soften and cube the cream cheese before adding it to the slow cooker, as this will help it melt quickly and more evenly.
- Queso dip and tortillas are crowd favorites, but veggies are also fantastic with this dip! Set carrot or celery sticks, sliced sweet peppers, and cauliflower florets alongside the chips. Top your tacos, burritos, and nachos with this dip as well—it’s all delicious!
How do you keep queso from burning in a crock pot?
Crock pots can come with different settings, from low/high to low/high/warming. When making queso, you will want to keep the slow cooker set to low while the dip is cooking, and once it’s ready to be served, you can turn it down to warming if your cooker has that setting. If you only have a low/high setting, keep your crock pot on low and leave the lid off. This will help keep the queso from burning but still warm and melted. Don’t forget to spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray too!
Why is my queso dip grainy?
Keep your queso creamy and not grainy by cooking the dip on low the entire time. It can be tempting, especially when you’re short on time, to crank the heat on the slow cooker too high to make the cheese melt faster, but this can cause the cheese to break. Sometimes, the quality of shredded cheese can be a factor in grainy cheese. It can be hard to tell if your favorite brand uses more non-stick agents, so try it out, and if it’s a problem, aim to use a higher quality of shredded cheese next time or grate the cheese yourself.
Slow Cooker Dips for Every Occasion
- Slow Cooker 7-Layer Chili Cheese Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Dip in a Crock Pot
- Crock Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Dip
- Crock Pot Pizza Dip
*This post originally posted on 09/26/2015.
Slow Cooker Queso Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno seeded and finely diced
- 1 large tomato seeded and diced
- Salt to taste
- 4 ounces canned diced green chiles drained
- 3 cups Colby Jack cheese shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- ½ cup 2% milk plus more as needed
- Tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Place a medium skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, cook the onion, jalapeno, and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Coat the crock of a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add the sauteed vegetables to the crock along with the green chilies, shredded cheese, cream cheese, and 1/2 cup milk. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 1 hour. Stir to combine and cook for another 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dip is too thick.
- Serve immediately or turn the slow cooker to WARM for up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
I’ve had this on low for an hour, and the texture is very rubbery and glue-like. It’s not a creamy smooth texture I’d expect. I tried adding more milk, and it’s not helping. I guess we’ll see what another 30 mins. does. I’m considering running to the store for some Velveeta to add to try to improve the texture. I’m a little uneasy since I have to serve it at a potluck in an hour… 🙁
It does take some time to melt, much slower in a crockpot than on the stove. If you are worried I would pop it into a pot and try heating it on the stove. Then you can keep it warm back in the crockpot. Hope this helps!
Did you use low fat cheese? The cream cheese is fine but if you used a low fat cheese blend it won’t melt well.
Mmmmm…I’ve got to make this!
This looks amazing Tara! I love that you used all real cheeses, sounds absolutely wonderful!
Thank you so much Sarah!