There’s something magical about gathering around a warm, cheesy dip during a party. As a long-time home cook and entertainer, I’ve discovered that the best party foods often bring people together, creating those perfect moments of shared joy and satisfaction. This Ultimate Hamburger Dip recipe has become my go-to crowd-pleaser, transforming simple ingredients into an irresistible combination that never fails to impress.
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Hamburger Cheese Dip
After spending enough time in the kitchen, a person eventually discovers a few things about cooking. One is that you can never have too many mixing spoons; another is that uncomplicated meals are usually the best.
Well, Velveeta Hamburger Cheese Dip once again proves the point about easy recipes being great. Don’t let the ‘dump and go’ nature of this Mexican dip with ground beef fool you!
This recipe has an incredibly intense flavor and is hearty enough to fill you up while having a ton of leftovers. Cheesy hamburger dip is perfect for the big game or your next get-together.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This hearty, creamy dip combines the beloved flavors of a cheeseburger with the convenience of a shareable dip. It’s perfect for game day gatherings, potlucks, or any occasion that calls for comfort food that feeds a crowd. The best part? It’s nearly impossible to mess up!
Hamburger Dip Ingredients
Get the full recipe and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Ground beef (80/20 recommended) – Provides the hearty, meaty foundation and classic burger flavor
- Velveeta cheese – Creates the smooth, creamy base and ensures perfect melting consistency
- Rotel tomatoes – Adds a balanced blend of tomatoes and green chilies for subtle heat and acidity
- Cream of mushroom soup – Acts as a thickening agent while adding rich, savory depth
- Evaporated milk – Creates a silky texture and prevents the cheese from becoming grainy
- Green chilies – Provides mild heat and authentic Mexican flavor notes
- Ranch style beans – Adds heartiness and a subtle smoky flavor
- Canned tomatoes – Contributes fresh tomato flavor and chunky texture
How to Make Hamburger Dip
- Cook ground beef in a large skillet until browned and crumbled.
- Drain ground beef and place the cooked ground beef in a large pot.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
- Cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
- Serve the dip with plenty of tortilla chips.
You can pour this rotel dip recipe over tortilla chips to make incredible nachos.
Variations and Substitutions
Meat Options
- Ground turkey (lean but still flavorful)
- Ground chicken (lighter alternative)
- Plant-based ground meat (vegetarian option)
- Ground sausage (adds extra spice)
- Ground pork (rich alternative)
Dietary Modifications
- Low-carb: Omit beans
- Gluten-free: Verify soup is gluten-free
- Spicy: Use hot Rotel tomatoes
- Mild: Use mild Rotel and omit green chilies
Delicious Dippers
Go ahead and break out that bag of tortilla chips to start things off, but don’t stop there! Easy cheeseburger dip needs some sturdy dippers, so grab some thick chips. This beef queso dip is begging for you to get creative regarding how you eat it.
- Pita and bagel chips? Sure! Just about any chips will do nicely.
- Vegetables? Yep! Hamburger cheese dip is great with everything from carrots to roasted potato wedges.
- Bread? Oh yes! Spread it on grilled bread or dunk toasted bread in it.
- Hot dog topping? Affirmative! A nice change from chili.
There are virtually endless ways for you to utilize this recipe!
Common Questions and Troubleshooting
Why is my dip grainy?
- Heat too high during melting
- Reheated too quickly
- Solution: Always heat on low-medium heat and stir frequently
Can I make it ahead?
- Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
- Store in refrigerator
- Reheat slowly for best results
How do I prevent the top from getting crusty?
- Keep covered when not serving
- Stir occasionally while keeping warm
- Use slow cooker’s “warm” setting for parties
Scaling Tips
For Smaller Groups (6-8 people):
- Halve all ingredients
- Use smaller pot
- Reduce cooking time by 5-10 minutes
For Larger Groups (20+ people):
- Double ingredients except cheese (1.5x)
- Use larger pot or Dutch oven
- Increase cooking time by 10-15 minutes
Tips For Making, Serving, and Storing Hamburger Dip
- Don’t waste this dip. Don’t serve all the dip at once because you should throw any remaining away at the end of the party. Do yourself a favor and refill a small serving bowl as needed instead.
- Spice things up. If you and your guests like things on the spicy, serve with a few jars of different spice mixtures on the side. Try chili powder, red fajita spice mix, or Tajin!
- Store covered. After a few hours in the fridge uncovered, this dip will start getting a bit crusty on top. Store the queso dip in an airtight container for up to three days.
How to Reheat Velveeta Hamburger Dip with Rotel
This recipe makes a lot of dip and there is a good chance you will have plenty of leftovers.
The easiest and surefire way to reheat beef queso dip is in a slow cooker. Pour the leftovers into the slow oven, cover it, and set it low. Heat until hot. Stir it about every five minutes.
You can also heat in the microwave, but you need to warm the dip slowly to avoid a mess. Place the leftovers in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a towel. Heat on high for 45 seconds. Please give it a good stir and keep heating and stirring until it’s hot.
Favorite Dip Recipes
- Sausage Cream Cheese Dip
- White Cheese Dip
- Clam Dip Recipe
- Beer Dip Recipe
- Green Goddess Dip
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip
- Jalapeno Ranch Dip
- Chili Con Queso Slow Cooker
- Sour Cream Fruit Dip
Great Game Day Food
- Cowboy Candy
- Dried Beef Cheese Ball
- How to Make Boneless Wings
- Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies with Brown Sugar
Be sure to check out more easy dip recipes and the best game day food right here on CopyKat.com!
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Hamburger Dip
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 pounds Velveeta cheese
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup can
- 1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 ounce green chilies
- 14 ounces ranch style beans
- 14 ounces tomatoes canned
Instructions
- Cook ground beef and drain.
- Place all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Stir occasionally while the dip is cooking.
Karen
If you don’t want it, so Roni then drain the tomatoes and beans
Karen S
May I say ugh and why are you complicating this recipe needlessly? Only 4-5 ingredients are necessary – 1 Tbsp milk, 1-2 cans Rotel (any flavor or style), Velveeta (any flavor or style), good ground beef, optional: 1/2 head broccoli with stalks cut off. If you would like to vitamin it up, 1/2 head of broccoli. Use milk and juice from Rotel on the bottom of the pan and slowly add small bite sized chunks of Velveeta – the smaller the better. Make sure you have melted the Velveeta 100%. If you don’t, any “chunks” will stay and will not melt when reheating. Constantly stir Velveeta, even using a double-boiler, to keep it from scorching, which is easy to do. In a skillet, brown meat of choice; when done, add broccoli until tender. Do Not Drain! Very important. When meat mix is done (juice, grease and all), add to melted cheese, along with 1 can of Rotel. I like to use 2 cans when using largest size of Velveeta, but as always, YMMV. Scrumpdeliscious.
Linda Cooke
What is ranch style beans. The Ranch style beans are pinto beans that are seasoned a particular way.
Stephanie Manley
It is a brand of beans.
Roger Van Doorne
It ended up coming out runny
Stephanie
I am sorry that this came out runny for you.
Joyce
This is the PERFECT copycat recipe! So much better than all the 3-4 item recipes.
Claudine
Stephanie,
As usual, this recipe like all your recipes looks so good. I have a couple of quick questions. Do you drain the Ro*Tel, the canned tomatoes and the ranch style beans and are the green chilies drained?
The pictures look like these might be drained, but I’m not sure.
Thank you.
Claudine in Fort Worth, TX
Stephanie
I didn’t drain anything, you can if you want.