Get my Cookbooks! Velveeta Queso – (Cowboy Queso!)
This Velveeta Queso is loaded with smooth Velveeta and everything a Cowboy dreams of, including Beef, Beer, Black Beans, and more.
Pair this with my homemade salsa and guacamole, and try my easy White Queso recipe next!
Velveeta Queso
We have been making this Velveeta Queso dip for years, it instantly became one of our favorite recipes when we first made it.
Of all of my appetizer recipes, I think I’ve made this one the most. You can even make this in the Crock Pot AND up to 2 days ahead of time. Score.
How to Make it
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Brown the ground beef and drain any excess grease. Add beer and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Add Velveeta and Cheddar Jack Cheese, let it melt and stir until smooth.
Add Black Beans, Cilantro, and Red Onions. Stir to combine.
Add Rotel tomatoes and any excess tomato juice until desired consistency is reached. Stir to combine and serve!
PRO TIP: I like to use my 10-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe. Cast iron conducts heat really well and makes everything super flavorful.
Meat Variations
- Ground Turkey, Ground Sausage, and Bacon are all great meat variations!
- OR- You can go meatless if you’d like!
Beer Substitutes
- Chicken or beef broth make great beer substitutes in this recipe.
- Root beer or coke adds interesting flavors in place of beer as well.
Crock Pot Method
Can you make Velveeta Queso in the Crock Pot? Absolutely!
- Brown the meat first, then add all remaining ingredients. Heat on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.
This is the Crock Pot that I have which allows you to sear/brown meat on the stove top within the crock pot dish which eliminates cleaning an extra pan. It also automatically switches to warm if once the time is up!
Make-Ahead Method
This is an excellent dip to fully prepare ahead of time.
- After it’s prepared, let it cool, and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat it over low heat on the stove top and serve once heated through.
- This dip also fits perfectly in this 1.5 quart crock pot. Be sure to stir it on occasion if reheating in this crock.
Try These Next!
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- Homemade Salsa
-
- Jalapeño Poppers
-
- Pizza Dip
-
- Chili Cheese Dogs
-
- White Queso Dip
-
- Baked Tacos
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Velveeta Queso
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes, optional
- 3/4 cup Pale Ale, I use Tuckerman Pale Ale
- 1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
- 16 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1 14.5 oz. can Rotel Tomatoes, partially drained
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat in a large, high-walled skillet. Drain any grease once cooked through.
- Add in the crushed red pepper flakes, salt/pepper, and beer. Let the beer reduce for about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add in the cheese and let it melt, stirring occasionally.
- Once the cheese is melted, stir in the beans, red onions, and cilantro.
- Add the tomatoes. You may also add some of the juice if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Let it continue to heat through for about 5 minutes, then serve!
Crock Pot Instructions
- Brown the meat and drain the grease, then add all remaining ingredients to the Crock Pot. Heat on high for 2 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.This is the Crock Pot that I have which allows you to sear meat on the stove top within the crock pot dish which eliminates cleaning an extra pan. It also automatically switches to warm if once the time is up!
Notes
- Chicken or beef broth make great beer substitutes in this recipe.
- Root beer or coke adds interesting flavors in place of beer as well.
Nutrition
Recipe Adapted from The Cookie Rookie
This looks great! Do you think I could omit the meat entirely? Would I add less beer if I did this?
Thanks!
Hey Sara! You can surely omit the meat altogether! I’ve never done it but there’s definitely nothing wrong with it! I’d say you can probably use just about the same amount of beer but maybe a tad less just in case!! ENJOY! -Stephanie
OMG I just made this for my husbands boss’s BBQ tonight and it is AMAZING!!!! I used velveeta with jalapeño and the pepper jack cheese, WOW this is sooo good, putting it in my tried and true.
Hey Gail!! I’m SO happy to hear that! You made my day! Honestly this duo is my favorite of ALL time. I could drink it. Is that weird? Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!! 🙌🏻 -Stephanie
Tastes AMAZING! I switched out the velveta with cream cheese and it turned out just as good, one of our new favorite recipes now!!
Hey Athea! I’m SO happy to hear that!! And I really appreciate the cream cheese insight because people have asked that before! THANK YOU!!! 🙌🏻
Can you take out the beer? Is there a beer taste
Beer alternatives are outlined in the blog post! ❤️
I made this queso for a family gathering. Wow, was it a hit!! Now, that’s the way they want me to make it every time! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. Happy New Year to you and yours! Jenny
Hey Jenny! Oh my gosh that’s so great to hear! It really is the best queso ever! Thanks for letting me know how it came out, you’re the best! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I just made this for our Christmas appetizer buffet we’re having later today. It is delicious! I doubled the recipe since we are expecting around 25 guests. I did add granulated garlic and a little Mexican oregano to the ground beef while browning, just to bump up the spice in the beef, and I also used beef broth (I prefer Better Than Boullion) in place of the beer. It is so much tastier that the regular “Rotel Dip” that we’ve all made and loved forever. Heartier and more colorful, too. I’m transporting in a crock pot and will serve Doritoes Cantina Original style tortilla chips on the side for scooping. This is a great buffet dip and I expect race reviews! Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Lisa! I’m so happy that you were able to serve this as a Christmas appetizer and that everyone loved it! I’m a HUGE fan of this one, I can never stop eating it! I hope you and your family had a WONDERFUL Christmas! 🙂
have you ever used ground turkey instead?
It’s so funny that you ask that! I literally did that two days ago, it was fabulous! You must be reading my mind! 😁
What size cast iron skillet did you use for this recipe?
I used a 10 inch!
My family loves queso! And there are so many different recipes to enjoy. I made this Cowboy recipe for our July 4th celebration and it was a huge hit! I’m not fond of cilantro, so I left that out. Fabulous dip! A keeper recipe for sure! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hey Jennifer! Oh my gosh, I am a *huge* queso lover too! I have to agree with you, this recipe is so good, just a perfect combination of flavors. I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, I hope you had a fabulous fourth, it sounds like you did!! 🙂
Have you ever substituted anything for the Velveeta? Maybe a cream cheese?
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried using cream cheese, that might be a lot of cream cheese flavor but you could do a mixture of cream cheese and grated white/orange cheddar!
Could i add different beans instead of ground beef? Like pinto, Romano or kidney? We’re not vegetarian but just have a lot of ground beef recipes. Looking to add something different.
Hi Sarah! You absolutely could add different kinds of beans, I think Kidney would be the best in this dip, it’d almost become a vegetarian chili dip! I like it!
I just got finished making your dip and it’s great. I’m baking potatoes right now and going to put it on them. Yum yum
Hi Marianne! Oh my gosh! How have I not thought of putting this on potatoes?! You are a GENIUS- I see a future post for this in our future, thank you for the inspiration! You’re the best!