Rotel Dip Recipe
60 Comments Jun 14, 2020
Updated Apr 30, 2025
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Make Rotel Dip in your crockpot with Velveeta, seasoned ground beef, and two cans of Rotel tomatoes for a rich, cheesy, and flavorful dip. This easy recipe is perfect for parties, game day, or any gathering where you need a crowd-pleasing appetizer!
I remember the old Rotel dip commercial—just Rotel and Velveeta, melted in the microwave! But we’re taking it up a notch with the slow cooker and adding ground beef for a hearty, crowd-pleasing game day snack.
Ingredients Needed for Rotel Dip
- 2 cans of Rotel – Yes! two cans, if you only use one you will have a dip that is too thick.
- Velveeta cheese – A small 1 lb. box. – You may also like my loaded nacho dip recipe that uses the same cheese.
- Seasonings – I use chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Ground beef – cooked, crumbled, and drained before adding to the slow cooker.
How to make Rotel Dip:
Step One: Brown the ground beef in a skillet, drain, and add to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (Rotel, Velveeta, and seasonings), stir.
Step Two: Cook on HIGH for 2 hours, stirring occasionally if you can. Serve and enjoy!
Variations
You can make this recipe your own, here are my suggestions:
- Instead of ground beef, you can use one pound of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage.
- To make it less spicy, use mild Rotel or substitute two cans of diced tomatoes.
- For a meat-free version, simply omit the beef. You can also add a can or two of drained black beans for extra protein.
- Stir in a block of cream cheese for a richer, creamier dip.
My Serving Tips
We make this dip often, here is how we like to serve it:
- Rotel dip is best served with corn tortilla chips, which can be store-bought or homemade. Here is the recipe I use: Homemade Tortilla Chip Recipe.
- You can also use “Frito” corn chips – buy the larger kind labeled “Fritos Scoops”.
- For a lower-carb or healthier option, you can serve the dip with vegetables such as carrot chips, sugar snap peas, cucumber, or celery.
Featured Comment
“I followed your recipe and it turned out marvelous! My daughter said it was the best rotel dip I have ever made. I think adding the chili powder gave it that extra flavor it needed because in the past I’ve always only done the cheese, meat and one can of rotel and that was it. So thank you so much! I garnished it with pico de gallo and sour cream.”
– Lizzie
Rotel Dip Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 16 oz. Velveeta cheese, this is the smaller box
- 20 oz. Rotel® diced Tomatoes with & Green Chiles, (TWO 10-oz. cans) DO NOT DRAIN
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
For serving
- corn chips
- chopped cilantro, optional
Instructions
Crockpot Instructions
- Set a large skillet over medium high heat on the stove top. Brown and crumble the ground beef, drain the fat.
- Add the cooked ground beef to the slow cooker, cube the velveeta and add on top of the beef.
- Pour over the can of rotel and sprinkle over the chili and garlic powder. Stir.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or until cheese is melted and the dip is hot.
- Keep on warm while serving.
Stove Top Instructions
- In a large skillet or pot, brown the beef and crumble over medium high heat, drain off fat.
- Add remaining ingredients and let melt together. When warmed, serve and enjoy.
- Note that cooking on the stove top will evaporate more liquid so you may have to add milk to thin the rotel dip.
Sarah’s Notes
- Rotel tends to be spicy (even the original style), be sure to use “Mild” if you have any aversion to spicy food.
- Alternatively, you can use mild salsa instead of Rotel.
- The dip will thicken with time if left on the warm setting for a length of time while serving.
- Add a splash of milk to thin the dip.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Other great dip recipes:
- From Crockpot Queso Dip, made with creamy white cheese and green peppers, to Chili Cheese Dip, these crowd-pleasing recipes are perfect for any occasion.
- Bacon Cheeseburger Dip and Velveeta Bean Dip bring bold, cheesy flavors with minimal effort. For a smoky twist, try Slow Cooker Smoked Queso or the rich and savory Slow Cooker Sausage Dip.
- Slow Cooker Nacho Cheese is a must for nacho lovers, offering a smooth, melty texture that’s perfect for dipping.
- If you’re looking for a variety of flavors, Slow Cooker Artichoke Dip is rich and cheesy, Slow Cooker Taco Dip has a zesty kick, and Slow Cooker Bean Dip is packed with hearty goodness!
Make this all the time just for the fun of it! With the Velveeta, i use the queso blanco 16 oz and instead of hamburger I use 1 lb of cooked Jimmy Dean sausage. I CANNOT get enough!!!!
I have a diabetic in my family. In the nutrition session, what is the serving size for the Rotel dip? Thank you
I don’t have serving measurements, I apologize.
How many does this recipe feed??
About 12
Can you make with manchego cheese and some heavy cream instead of the velveeta?
That would need to be tested, I apologize.
Have you ever baked in the oven? after you brown the meat of course….
What is the serving size?
I don’t measure, I apologize. It’s just an estimate.