Get ready to elevate your game day spread, holiday appetizers, and late-night snacks with the absolute best homemade Baked Queso Dip (or queso fundido) you’ll ever taste! This irresistible dip is packed with flavor and it’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Whether you’re dipping chips, pouring it over nachos, or simply enjoying it straight from a spoon, this hearty and spicy dip is sure to satisfy everyone’s cravings.
Made with a blend of gooey melted cheese, lean ground beef, onions, peppers, and plenty of flavorful spices, every bite is a cheesy dream that will have you believing that this is the ultimate comfort food you need in your life on the reg.
Why You’ll Love this Queso Fundido Recipe
Honestly, we’re huge fans of this queso fundido recipe for so many reasons! For starters, it’s incredibly simple to make and requires just one dish. That means that cleanup is as much of a breeze as making it!
It’s also creamy, flavorful, and packs just enough of a kick of heat. Basically, this queso dip is everything you’ve been missing in life. It’ll become your new go-to for football season, holiday parties, weekend treats, and everything in between!
What Is Queso Fundido?
Also referred to as queso flameado, queso fundido is a type of queso dip that consists of warmed melted cheese and spicy meat such as ground pork sausage. Most commonly, it also contains hot jalapeño peppers that have been carefully folded in.
Is There a Difference Between Queso Fundidio and Queso Dip?
Both queso and queso fundido start with a base of melted cheese. However, homemade queso is thinned out with milk or cream and typically has a much more mild flavor. Meanwhile, fundido is not thinned out, meaning it has a much thicker consistency. It also contains veggies and meat not found in plain queso.
What Is Traditional Queso Made Of?
The ingredients found in queso depend on what type of dip you’re eating. For instance, In most recipes, queso blanco is made with cow’s milk. Meanwhile, queso fresco can be made from a combination of cow and goat milk. Furthermore, queso fundido is most often created with Oaxaca cheese.
Using a combination of Velveeta, cream cheese, and gouda, our homemade queso isn’t exactly authentic, but it sure is tasty!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Admittedly, the ingredients in our queso fundido dip aren’t exactly authentic. However, they are easy to find and create an incredible flavor that even the pickiest of guests will love! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cheese – A combination of Velveeta, cream cheese, and Gouda cheese, makes for a liquid sauce that’s rich and filled with a slightly smokey flavor.
- Ground Beef – Because there’s already plenty of fat, lean beef works best. Or, you could use ground turkey instead!
- Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, minced garlic, paprika, oregano, and cilantro combine to create a taste that’s both hearty and refreshing.
- Veggies – Red onion, jalapeños, and chopped tomatoes add a pop of color, extra nutrients, and a hint of spice.
- Evaporated Milk – This helps thin out the cheese sauce without watering down the flavor.
How to Make the Best Homemade Queso Dip
This recipe for queso dip requires a few separate steps, but don’t worry! It’s still super easy and fairly quick to make.
- Preheat your oven.
- Brown your beef in a skillet over medium heat.
- Drain the fat, and add the meat back to the pan along with the seasonings.
- Then, add everything to a baking dish, give it a good stir, and pop it in the oven. You’ll want to let your queso dip bake until everything has melted and is starting to turn golden -brown on top.
- To finish, garnish with scallions and sour cream, and serve warm!
Pro-Tip: If you want a thinner consistency, continue to add more evaporated milk until you get exactly the texture you’re looking for.
Serving Suggestions
This queso dip is so good, we don’t blame you if you eat it with nothing more than a spoon! Been there, done that. However, it’s also heavenly when paired with:
- Tortilla chips
- Warm tortillas
- Veggies
Storage
This baked queso fundido dip is best served fresh from the oven while still warm. However, leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a splash of milk, and warm it in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring in between.
Common Questions about Baked Queso Dip
Why is my queso dip grainy?
Grainy queso usually happens when you heat the cheese too quickly or at too high a temperature. The secret is melting it slowly over low heat if you’re starting on the stovetop, or using a lower oven temperature and stirring occasionally while baking to ensure everything melts evenly.
Can I make queso dip ahead of time?
You can prepare queso dip in advance and reheat it when needed, but you’ll want to add a splash of warm milk or cream when reheating to bring back its smooth consistency. Just heat it slowly and stir frequently to prevent the cheese from separating or becoming grainy.
What can I add to queso to make it spicier?
Jazz up your queso with extra diced jalapeños, cayenne pepper, or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. For serious heat lovers, try adding diced habaneros or a spoonful of chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – just remember you can always add more spice but you can’t take it away!
How do you keep queso dip from hardening?
The key to keeping queso dip perfectly dippable is serving it in a warmed dish or small slow cooker set to low. Adding a bit of cream or evaporated milk to your recipe also helps maintain that smooth texture longer.
More Crowd-Pleasing Dips
Looking for more appetizers that are guaranteed to fill bellies and please palates? Take a look at these failproof dips!
- With all the flavor of everyone’s favorite food in the convenience of a dip, you can never go wrong with this Pizza Dip with Cheese Crostini.
- Given a boost of nutrients with roasted tomatoes and spiced chickpeas, this Creamy Whipped Feta Dip is a creamy appetizer that’s perfect for parties.
- Healthy and super easy to make, this White Bean Dip with Roasted Tomatoes is always a winning recipe.
- Creamy, savory, and topped with spiced air fryer chickpeas, this Baba Ganoush Recipe is guaranteed to be your new favorite snack.
Homemade Queso Fundido Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 8 ounces cubed Velveeta cheese
- 6 ounces block smoked Gouda cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 large jalapeño chopped and seeded for less spice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup red onion
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes with chilis such as Rotel
- 6 ounces evaporated milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375° Fahrenheit.
- In a pan on medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.8 ounces lean ground beef
- Return the beef to the pan, and add salt, pepper, garlic, paprika and oregano. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano
- In a 13 x 9 baking dish, add Velveeta cheese, Gouda, cream cheese, cooked ground beef, jalapeño, cilantro, red onion and diced tomatoes.8 ounces cubed Velveeta cheese, 6 ounces block smoked Gouda cheese, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 large jalapeño, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, ½ cup red onion, 14 ounces diced tomatoes with chilis
- Drizzle the evaporated milk on top. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until everything is melted. Stir to combine.6 ounces evaporated milk
- Note: For a thinner dip, add a splash of evaporated milk until the desired consistency is reached.
- Garnish with scallions, and sour cream. Serve with a side of tortilla chips!
Would you like to save this? 🔖
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Such an easy dip to make, and with ingredients you can adjust to taste. Fresh jalapeño and cilantro make it awesome!
Thank you, Jennifer! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I’ve made this before in the oven and LOVED it. Can it be made in the crockpot as well?
Amazing! Yes, it can be done! Dump everything in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. Remove lid. Stir everything and cover and cook for an additional 15 min. or you can cook on low for 2 hours. Let us know how it turns out! xo, Alia & Radwa
So goood!!!
Great recipe. Made this for “Poprawiny” (sp)( day after party) for my daughters wedding. It was a hit. I will be making it again during football watching season I couldn’t bring myself to use velveeta tho. I used mild cheddar cut in cubes. Came out great.
Love the cheese sub! Glad it was a hit and congrats to your daughter! 🙂 xo, Alia & Radwa
I have made this baked queso 5 times in the past month. Every time I bring it to a party, people rave about it and ask for the recipe. This one is a winner!
Hi Megan,
That is amazing! Thanks for sharing <3.
xo,
Alia & Radwa
I made this and we loved it! So easy can’t wait to make it again !
Do I need to drain the can of rotel?
Great question! No, you do not need to drain the rotel!
Delicious! I added a 16 oz can of refried beans to the mix as well and it was amazing! I will make this for hors d’oeuvres next time I have people over for dinner and drinks! Thanks for the recipe!