The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
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
I am looking forward to making this dip. Is their a beer I could use in replacement for the Tuckerman pale Ale?
Hi Ashley, you can use any kind of beer that you want! 🙂 Tuckerman Pale Ale is just what I use!
Why can’t u print any of your recipes? Help.
Hi Donna! At the top of the recipe card there’s a big pink button that says print! Let me know if you don’t see it and I can email you a screenshot!
This was fantastic, I made it for the first time last night when hosting a UFC gathering, it was a hit! This will be my go to dip from now on.
Hey Lilly!! That’s so great to hear, I love this one too. (I was watching some UFC last night myself, haha!)- Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. Our 17yr. old is so addicted to this. If she had her way we would have it every night I think.
Hey Heather! I’m so happy to hear that, I feel the SAME way about this dip, hahaha! I can’t even think about it, I just want to go make a batch! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this nice comment! -Stephanie
Could this be made in the oven?
Hi Avery, this recipe requires that you brown the meat which needs to be done on the stove top as it cooks and crumbles. From there the beer needs to be added and needs to reduce as the other ingredients are added. The mixture should be stirred as the cheese melts as well. That being said, if you do that on the stove top until the mixture is combined and melted, you could cover an oven-safe skillet with foil and place it in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve. I would probably keep the oven on at 200 degrees or so.
Can this be frozen? Thank you!
Hi Chris, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it unfortunately as the consistency won’t hold up the same way once reheated.
This is my go to dip and the one I’m always asked to bring. I do use cheddar cheese sauce instead of velveeta and add in some shredded cheese that I have on hand. I love the flavor the beer adds and to combat some of the spicy (cause we love spicy) I add in a can of corn. So glad I found this recipe!
I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying this recipe!😃 I just made this last night for a small super bowl gathering. It always gets devoured!😃
I just made this at my husband’s request for cheese dip after he came home from Costco with an absurd amount of Velveeta blocks. After reading through a few recipes I decided on this one, but did have to use a few substitutions.
I used some spicy chicken sausage in lieu of the ground beef and (because the meat was already spicy) I omitted the red pepper flakes – and my family doesn’t appreciate spicy as much as I do. I used the beef broth suggestion instead of the beer and subbed in cheddar for the pepper jack. It came out great! Despite using spicy sausage and Original Ro-Tel, the dip came out very mild. If I want to make a medium spicy version next time I would use the hot Ro-Tel and maybe extra red pepper flakes.
I’m happy to hear the Queso was a hit!😀 I’m glad you were able to adjust the spiciness. My husband loves spicy and me and my daughter not so much so we always have to make adjustments. Thanks so much for the review!
Can I use any beer or is there something else I can substitute for the beer.
The info in the post has to is info, I’ll paste it here-
“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.”
Couple of things. This is really good. Word to the wise, check your box of Velveeta as it’s most likely a 2 lb. box. I also added another half box. So, what I thought was 1.5 lbs was 3 lbs. Cheesy!!!! Still really good. I also went ahead and put the whole can of beans in. This was even better reheated.
Happy to hear you liked it Scott!😀 Sounds like you made it a little extra cheesy, no harm in that!😋 Thanks for taking the time to review.
How many servings is this recipe? Thanks I’m advance!
Hi there! There are 6, it’s listed at the top of the recipe card in the middle! (For future reference)- ENJOY!! HAPPY NEW YEAR! -Stephanie