Crock Pot Queso Dip
by Sommer Collier — on Dec 29, 2025 My ridiculously easy crock pot queso dip is the most smooth, thick, rich, and flavorful cheese dip ever! It’s a dump-and-go recipe that includes only a few simple ingredients, like white Velveeta cheese and canned green chiles, and is cooked low and slow to be ready in as little as 2 hours. This slow cooker queso is effortless to make and perfect to serve as the ultimate dip-able party snack with chips!
I firmly believe there’s a queso for every occasion. Sometimes you want to make a fancy homemade cheese dip with fresh shredded cheese and lots of spices. Other times a last-minute gathering comes up and you need a no-fail queso recipe that is ready in 30 minutes or less. Then there are times you need a quick-to-prep, throw-everything-in-the-crockpot-and-rush-out-the-door type of queso to come back to later in the day… And today’s simple crockpot queso dip is the perfect recipe for those days. It’s a winning combination of four pantry staple ingredients, including evaporated milk and a whole block of Velveeta cheese, so you know it’s going to be incredible!
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Here to Party – I usually make queso in the slow cooker as a party dip for longer gatherings that can go on for hours. It’s terrific for game days, holiday open houses, long movie nights, or to enjoy on a relaxing weekend when I want to graze all day! Keep the crockpot plugged in, and the dip stays warm for at least a few hours with a good stir every 30 minutes or so.
4 Ingredients – You’ll be happy to know that there’s nothing fancy here, folks! In this recipe, I use a large block of cheese, canned green chilies, a taco packet that includes all the spices needed, and evaporated milk. Together, these basic ingredients create a cheese dip that is irresistibly thick, rich, and velvety, with just the right kick of heat and amazing flavor.
Easy to Customize – Even with only 4 ingredients, there are several ways to tweak this recipe and make it your own. Use spicy Rotel for a fiery dip, add a rustic touch and swap the seasoning packet with homemade taco seasoning, replace the evaporated milk, and/or add cooked veggies or meat for a protein boost.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- White American cheese – You can use white American cheese or a large block of Velveeta queso Blanco. They’re basically the same thing so I just buy whatever is on sale.
- Evaporated milk – This is my kinda-sorta secret ingredient to make magically creamy and thick crockpot queso. Evaporated milk is regular milk that’s had most of the water removed, so it is more concentrated and flavorful.
- Chopped green chiles – I use cans of classic Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, but you can use whatever brand you prefer. Most brands come in mild, medium, or hot levels of spiciness…Choose wisely. If I’m making cheese dip for a gathering of all-ages, I usually go with mild chiles. But when I make it for game day parties, I sometimes pump up the heat and use spicy chiles.
- Taco seasoning packet – Using a package mix of taco seasoning is super convenient and makes this recipe basically foolproof. However, if you do want to whip up your own blend, I recommend trying my homemade chicken taco seasoning recipe! It includes a generous amount of paprika and slightly less chili powder for a more mellow, slightly smoky flavor.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep – First thing I do is bring out the slow cooker, and give the crock a quick wipe down with a clean damp cloth. I have a few different capacities (because I sometimes need a different crockpot for different occasions), and any size between a 2-quart and a 6-quart will work well. Keep in mind that if the slow cooker is super large, the dip will be spread out across a larger bottom surface and less accessible for dipping.
Next, I cube the white cheese into 1-inch chunks so they melt quickly and evenly.
Dump – The cubes of cheese go into the crock first, followed by the remaining 3 ingredients.
I don’t even bother stirring at this point and simply put the lid on.
Cook (Slow) and Stir – If I’m not pressed for time and plan on serving later in the day, I’ll cook the crock pot queso dip on LOW for about 4 hours. But if I’m already in setup mode and expect guests shortly, the dip will also cook perfectly in 2 hours on HIGH.
After the timer goes off and everything has melted together, I give the gloriously creamy dip a good stir. I suggest stirring it with a rubber spatula so you can also scrape the sides of the slow cooker and get every bit of cheesy goodness evenly incorporated.
Expert Tips
Sometimes the dip can be on the thicker side. I find this happens most frequently if it is cooked on HIGH heat. To loosen it up, I keep the temperature on the warm setting and stir in one splash of milk at a time, just until my spatula glides through. Usually, one or two splashes will do the trick!
Want to thicken up the slow cooker queso dip? I’ve tested several different methods, and these are the best 3 for thickening cheese sauce:
- Cook to reduce – Need the dip to be only *slightly* thicker? Start by trying to reduce the liquid by removing the lid, turning the heat up to HIGH, and letting it continue to cook for 5-10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Make a slurry – This is one of the easiest methods for really giving the dip more body, in my opinion. I whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 4 tablespoons of milk, then whisk this slurry into the dip. I turn the crockpot to HIGH (if not already there) and let it thicken for several minutes with the lid off, stirring every minute or so.
- Add more cheese – Consider keeping a spare block of Velveeta blanco on hand for any Rotel dip emergencies, like needing a thickener. Or to have for any last-minute cheese emergency. (Admittedly, it happens more often than you might think.) Cube and stir in 1/2 a cup of cheese, or as much as you need to reach the right consistency!
Serving Suggestions
To serve, offer each guest a straw and plenty of napkins. Ok, I’m kidding about the straw, but slow cooker cheese dip really is that amazing.
If you’ve ever had queso before, chances are that you enjoyed it with tortilla chips for dipping. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here, so go ahead and simply serve the dip hot with chips and maybe some fresh-cut veggies like carrots and celery sticks. Trust me, everyone will be more than happy.
You should trust me as well when I say that this queso is way more than a melty cheese for dipping…It’s also a fabulous zesty cheese sauce! Whether you are making a batch fresh or looking for something to do with leftovers, use the dip to make classic American recipes like:
Storing and Reheating
If (big if) you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, make sure the queso dip cools completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
If you’re reheating a large batch, you can either warm it up on the stovetop or back in the slow cooker on low heat, stirring frequently. If you’re in the mood for solo snacking and need only a small amount, you can reheat it in the microwave (in a microwave-safe bowl) in 30-second increments, while stirring in between until nice and melty again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, but make sure whatever ground meat you’re using, like beef or spicy chorizo, has been cooked and drained so that you’re not adding extra fat/liquid to the dip. Same with the veggies, like extra tomatoes or bell peppers – you want to finely chop and sauté those ahead of time so that they aren’t releasing extra liquid into the dip.
P.S. If you’re looking for a super meaty and savory dip that tastes exactly like what you get at your favorite Mexican restaurant, check out my smoked queso recipe with chorizo.
If you don’t have evaporated milk on hand, you can use whole milk or 2%. Evaporated milk has a nice deep flavor that adds a little extra something to the queso, however, it’s not technically necessary.
Canned Rotel includes tomatoes, but there are several options of canned chiles that include just chiles. Like my amazing queso blanco recipe, leaving out tomatoes will create a white cheese dip that is slightly less sweet with a stronger savory focus.
Absolutely! If you need queso in a hurry (I’ve been there) add all of the ingredients to a medium pot over low-to-medium heat, and stir continuously until everything has melted together. Remove the pot from the heat once the dip has warmed through.
My opinion is that low and slow is best. It cooks the ingredients down without getting all dry around the edges of the crock, which can happen when you cook cheese dip more quickly on high. But this isn’t really a big deal, and honestly, either temperature is going to give you about the same result. So go with whatever is most convenient for you.
More Dips & Spreads
Crock Pot Queso Dip
Video
Ingredients
- 32 ounces white American cheese or Velveeta Queso Blanco
- 12 ounces evaporated milk or 1 ½ – 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces chopped green chiles mild or hot
- 1 taco seasoning packet
Instructions
- Set out a slow cooker. You can use any size of crock pot between 2 quart and 6 quart.
- Cut the American cheese into 1-inch chunks and place the chunks in the crockpot. Add the milk, green chilies, and taco seasoning packet.
- Set the slow cooker on LOW for 4+ hours, or on HIGH for 2+ hours. Once all the ingredients have melted together stir well, until smooth. *If the queso is thicker than you like, add another splash of milk and stir until smooth.
- Keep the queso on warm until ready to serve.
