Copycat Chili’s Queso that tastes so much like the original everyone will think you bought it at the restaurant! Just 5 minute prep and made in the crockpot!
Appetizers are taking over my kitchen you guys. I’m taking full advantage of football season to whip up new versions of all of my favorite classic finger foods. A couple of weeks ago I shared a slow cooker spinach artichoke dip that my family went absolutely nuts for. My sister swears up and down that it’s better than any restaurant version. And that’s really saying something because my family has probably tries spinach artichoke dip from at least 30 restaurants. Everyone loved it so much and it was so. darn. easy. that I decided to make another one of my favorites in the slow cooker and see how it turns out.
Oh it turned out good. (<—read: understatement of the century.)
I think cooking this queso in the crockpot just helped to meld all of the flavors together even more and bring out their spicy goodness. This is a taste-alike for the famous Chili’s version and I’m convinced it’s even better than the original. So is my husband! And he is picky about copycat recipes so you know this has gotta be good. The best part is that you just throw everything in the slow cooker, come back in an hour and stir it all together! If that’s not a no-fuss recipe I don’t know what is!
What people are saying about Chili’s Queso
“I have made this several times for family gatherings and everyone loves it. In fact, I bought a mini Crockpot just so I could make this dip! We are huge Chili’s fans in our house and this really does taste so much like the restaurant version. Everyone always asks me for the recipe!” – Brooke
Chili’s Queso (Slow Cooker Version)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Velveeta Cheese
- 1 cup milk - (preferably Half & Half if you have it)
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 15-ounce can no-bean chili
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- juice of 1 lime juice - (about 1 tablespoon)
- tortilla chips - for serving
Instructions
- Cut velveeta cheese into cubes. (optional. If you don’t, it will just take a little longer to melt, no biggie) Add all ingredients (except for tortilla chips) to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours or on high for 1 hour.
- Stir until everything comes together. Cook on low for 30 minutes – 1 hour (As much time as you have before serving)
- Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!
I agree, it was way to salty. I don’t flavor much with salt so you are right: it is all preference. Going to try to diffuse the salt with extra milk. Next time I won’t use any salt (I only used half as well)
Wow! I have been looking at your recipes and they all look amazing
Do you make this is a regular-sized big crock pot or a smaller one?
I always use my smaller crockpot unless I double or triple the batch in which case I use my larger one. 🙂
I doubled the batch, everyone loved it but I thought it was a little spicy. When you double the batch do you usually change the measurement of spices you use? Thank you!
Hi Annelise! I have double and tripled the recipe but not changed the amount of spices – my family loves spice though so they go nuts over it! If you find it a little too spicy you can always cut back a little! 🙂
I made this with the 16 oz. of Velveta, it was too salty, I had the cut the 32 oz brick of cheese in half … so I threw in the other 16 ozs of Velveta for a total of 32 ounces. It was PERFECT — Just like Chili’s> My family loved it. I will make it with 32 ounces from now on!!
What other ingredients did you double? Did you double the milk as well as the no bean chili?
Debbie, just to be clear, you used 32 oz and not 16 oz and didn’t double anything else? I am going to make this for our game night Saturday and I just want to make sure I have it correct. sorry for all caps, it’s the way it typed.