Name: Rotel Dip Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef (90/10 recommended); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 16 ounces Velveeta (cut into 1-inch cubes); 10 ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies (undrained)

I’ve been making this Rotel dip for years and I have never once had leftovers. It’s the kind of dip people hover around. The kind that’s half gone five minutes after it’s served. Three ingredients, one skillet, and the appetizer I trust most when I want zero risk on the table.

A hand dips a large tortilla chip into a bowl of creamy Rotel Dip with ground beef and diced tomatoes. In the background, a small bowl of salsa and more chips are visible. — I make this Rotel dip for football Sundays, parties and last-minute potlucks.

Don’t Miss This Step

If you’ve ever had grease rise to the top of your Rotel dip, you already know the trouble spot. The fix isn’t a different cheese or cooking it longer. It’s one 30-second step between browning the beef and adding the cheese.

Drain the beef well after browning. The cheese can’t absorb the beef fat, so any left in the pan gets pushed to the surface as the dip cools and shows up as an oil slick on top.

You can drain it directly from the pan or use a strainer. If I’m using 80/20, I also blot the ground beef with a paper towel to be safe.

Ingredient Notes

A can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies, lean ground beef, and Kraft Velveeta cheese are arranged on a white countertop—the classic ingredients for a flavorful Rotel Dip. — Three main ingredients, plus a little salt and pepper, is all you need.

Velveeta: This is not the ingredient to swap out. Real cheddar separates into grainy curds and oil under the heat needed to melt a full block in a skillet. Swapping in a “fancier cheese” is the most common reason Rotel dip ends up grainy with oil pooling on top.

When I want the same Velveeta base without the meat, I reach for my Velveeta cheese dip instead.

Rotel: Pour in the entire can, juice included. The liquid is where the chili heat lives, and it’s also what thins the cheese into a scoopable consistency. If I want more heat, I reach for the hot version of Rotel rather than adding hot sauce, because the extra liquid from hot sauce can thin the dip past the point where it clings to a chip.

Hamburger: I reach for 90/10 when I have it. The lower the fat, the less grease there is in the pan after browning, and the less chance of oil pooling on top of the finished dip later. The dip works with 80/20, but you’ll have more fat to drain off. If I’m using 80/20 for a crowd, I blot the drained beef with a paper towel before adding the cheese, just to be safe.

If I’m hosting longer or want it hands-off, I start the slow cooker Rotel dip version in the morning so it’s warm and ready when guests arrive.

The 1-Inch Cube Rule

Don’t drop the whole Velveeta brick into the skillet. Cut it into small, 1-inch cubes so it melts evenly.

A full block takes much longer for the center to soften, and by the time it does, the cheese around the outside has been on the heat too long and can start to turn grainy.

A stainless steel pan on a marble surface holds cubed yellow cheese, cooked ground beef, and Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, arranged separately before mixing into a classic Rotel Dip.

Keep the heat at medium or lower once the Velveeta hits the pan. If you see bubbles breaking the surface, pull the pan off the burner for a few seconds and then lower the temperature.

Make-Ahead Guidance

I don’t freeze this dip. It comes out of the freezer grainy and there’s no way to fix it.

Make-ahead is a different story. The day before, I brown and drain the beef and cube the Velveeta into a zip-top bag. About 15 minutes before guests arrive, I put it all in the skillet and melt it down.

Storage Instructions

Cold dip sets up like a brick. That’s normal. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan with a splash of milk, stirring slowly until it loosens. If you use the microwave, drop the power to 50% and stir between 30-second bursts. Anything hotter and the cheese turns grainy.

For serving, a small slow cooker on the warm setting holds it for hours. On low, give it a stir every 20 minutes so the edges don’t scorch.

A metal skillet filled with creamy ground beef and tomato Rotel Dip, garnished with three tortilla chips standing upright. A bowl of corn chips and a plate of tortillas are visible in the background.

You can browse my full collection of appetizer and dip recipes. For a full game day spread, try my buffalo chicken dip or browse my Super Bowl recipes.

Rotel Dip Recipe

5 from 77 votes

Made with just three ingredients — Velveeta, Rotel and Hamburger — this Rotel dip has the perfect amount of spicy heat in each bite.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

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Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef 90/10 recommended
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
16 ounces Velveeta cut into 1-inch cubes
10 ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies undrained

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 6 to 8 minutes, until no pink remains.
Drain the beef in a fine mesh strainer set over a heatproof bowl. Return the drained beef to the skillet and season with the salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cubed Velveeta and the full can of Rotel with its juices.
Stir slowly and continuously until the cheese is fully melted and the surface looks smooth with no pale streaks, about 5 to 7 minutes. If the dip bubbles at the edges, pull the skillet off the heat for a few seconds before returning it to a lower flame.
Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers, or sliced vegetables.

Video

Notes

Use 90/10 ground beef when possible. With higher fat content, drain longer and consider blotting the cooked beef with a paper towel before adding the cheese.
For more heat, use hot Rotel rather than adding hot sauce. Extra liquid from sauces will thin the dip past the point where it clings to a chip.
For a seasoned variation, stir 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning into the beef before draining.