Buffalo Queso Dip
by This post may contain affiliate links.
Easy homemade queso dip is made on the stovetop or in a crockpot with real cheddar & cream cheese, no Velveeta! Buffalo sauce is added for a kick of flavor & spice!
This queso dip is delicious served as a snack with chips and veggies. It’s also great for dipping Buffalo Chicken Taquitos or drizzling over a Buffalo Chicken Taco Ring!
Growing up in Oklahoma, queso dip was our jam! It was always served with Tex Mex, at parties and found at every Mexican restaurant in the state. Needless to same, Oklahoman’s love queso dip!
I’ve put my own spin on queso a couple of times. This recipe for Green Chili White Queso Dip is always a hit! Now I’ve added my favorite sauce to my favorite cheesy dip.
Allow me to introduce you to Buffalo Queso Dip, it’s creamy, with a little spice and so much flavor! This easy recipe can be made on the stove or in a slow cooker. It’s great for parties, Tex Mex dinners and game day.
I like to drizzle it over Buffalo Chicken Tacos and Buffalo Frito Chili Pie. It adds even more buffalo sauce goodness to these buffalo style recipes!
Table of contents
How to make it
- Sauté veggies. Add olive oil to a medium pot on the stove over medium high heat. Add minced onion, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeno. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Melt the cream cheese. Reduce the heat on the stove to medium heat. Add cubed cream cheese and buffalo sauce to the pot. Stir continuously until the cream cheese has melted.
- Add more cheese! Add shredded pepper jack and cheddar cheeses to the pot with whole milk. Stir until the cheeses have melted into the queso dip. Add diced tomatoes to the queso.
- Quick Tip! Evaporated milk can be used instead of whole milk in this recipe.
- Serve the queso. Transfer the queso to a bowl and serve immediately or transfer to a slow cooker set to warm. The queso will stay warm in the slow cooker for up to 6 hours. I’d recommend occasionally stirring the queso when it’s in the slow cooker to keep the texture smooth and creamy.
Frequently asked questions
- What’s the difference between queso fresco and queso dip?
- Queso fresco is a fresh Mexican white cheese. It’s typically made from raw cow milk or a combination of cow and goat milk. This white cheese is found crumbled on top of tacos and tostadas at Mexican restaurants. It does not melt easily and should not be used in queso dip.
- Queso dip is a popular side dish and appetizer in Tex Mex restaurants. It combines an easily melted cheese with diced tomatoes and chilies or salsa and sometimes milk.
- What is queso dip made of?
- Tex Mex Queso Dip is made of Velvetta and Rotel. Velvetta is a processed cheese product and Rotel is canned diced tomatoes with green chilies.
- In this recipe I used real cheeses, cheddar, pepper jack and cream cheese. I also added fresh ingredients, including garlic, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and tomato. To add more flavor and create smooth, creamy queso, I also added buffalo sauce and milk.
- How do you make queso in a slow cooker?
- This recipe is easy to make in a slow cooker instead of on the stove. Start by sautéing the veggies on the stove as directed in the recipe.
- Transfer the sautéed veggies to a slow cooker. Add the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, cheddar cheese and buffalo sauce. Stir everything together.
- Cover and slow cook on low for 30 minutes. Open the slow cooker and stir the queso. Continue to cook on low for an additional 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- After the cooking time is complete, open the slow cooker and stir in the milk. Leave in the slow cooker on the warm setting for up to 6 hours.
- Can I add meat to this queso dip?
- Yes, ground beef, turkey or sausage can be added to this queso recipe. For ground beef or ground turkey, I recommend cooking the meat in a separate skillet from the queso.
- Once the meat is cooked, drain any grease from the skillet, then season the meat with taco seasoning or chili seasoning. Toss the meat until it’s combined with the seasoning, then add it to the prepared queso dip before serving.
- If using sausage, cook the sausage in a separate skillet. Once cooked through, drain any grease, then add it directly to the prepared queso dip before serving.
- How long will queso dip last in the refrigerator?
- Leftover queso dip can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-6 days.
- This queso can actually be served cold right out of the fridge. Served cold, it has a similar taste and texture to this Buffalo Cheese Ball.
- Buffalo queso dip can also be reheated in the microwave for 60 seconds and served warm. If you find that the queso is too thick, add a little more buffalo sauce or milk to thin it out.
What to serve with it
At parties, I love to serve the queso with tortilla chips and veggies for dipping. Since this queso dip recipe includes buffalo sauce, I serve it with baby carrots and celery sticks. The pairing is perfect since these veggies are commonly served with buffalo wings.
The queso can be used as a cheese sauce to top tacos or drizzle over nachos. I also love to use queso in place of refried beans on tostadas. This is my families fun little twist on the Mexican dish!
More buffalo sauce recipes to try
Fellow buffalo sauce fanatic? Then you have to try these 5 popular recipes with buffalo sauce!
- Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Penne – the most popular recipe of all time on the blog! And for good reason!
- Costco Chicken Bake with Buffalo Sauce – the famous Costco food court menu item, with buffalo sauce! Life doesn’t get much better my friends!
- Buffalo Zucchini Chips – crispy snacking at it’s finest!
- 5 Minute Buffalo Chicken Wrap – an easy lunch for at home or on-the-go!
- Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls – could you see yourself dipping these egg rolls in some queso dip? Because I definitely see that in my future!
Loving the “Just In Queso” Bowl? Order it here!
Made this Buffalo Queso recipe and couldn’t get enough? Be sure to rate it 5 stars below!
Buffalo Queso Dip
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tomato, diced
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a medium pot on the stove over medium high heat.
- Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno, saute 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to medium, add the cream cheese and buffalo sauce.
- Stir continuously until the cream cheese has melted.
- Add the shredded pepper jack cheese, cheddar cheese and milk.
- Stir until the cheeses have melted in the queso dip.
- Add the diced tomato, remove from the heat and place in a bowl to serve immediately or place in a crock pot set to warm.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Version
- To make this recipe in a slow cooker, follow steps 1-2, then transfer the sautéed veggies to a slow cooker. Add the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, cheddar cheese and buffalo sauce to the slow cooker. Stir everything together.
- Cover and slow cook on low for 30 minutes. Open the slow cooker and stir the queso. Continue to cook on low for an additional 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- After the cooking time is complete, open the slow cooker and stir in the milk. Leave in the slow cooker on the warm setting for up to 6 hours.
- Milk Variations
- If you don’t have whole milk, half and half or evaporated milk can be used in it’s place.
- Adding Meat
- To add ground beef or turkey to this queso dip, cook the ground meat in a skillet on the stove over medium high heat.
- Once cooked through, drain any grease from the skillet, then season with 2 tablespoons taco seasoning or chili seasoning. Toss the meat with the seasoning then transfer to the prepared queso dip for serving.
- To add sausage to the queso, cook loose ground sausage in a skillet over medium high heat. Once cooked through, drain any grease from the skillet, then add the sausage to the queso dip for serving.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
