Spicy Chili Cheese Dip Recipe

Watch my spicy chili cheese dip web story here.

Why You Need to Make This Recipe

In short, it’s addictive.

Smooth, creamy, cheesy, just spicy enough.

It is truly so good.

And the recipe makes a ton, so it’s great for sharing with a crowd.

It’s versatile, too.

• Serve it with chips and/or cut vegetables
• Serve it as an excellent nacho sauce for a plate of nachos
• Pour it over a big old burrito
• Bake it on top of enchiladas for an unconventional but delicious cheesy, chili-y enchilada bake.
• Mix it into pasta with some pasta cooking water and make a spicy, Mexican-inspired cheesy, meaty mac and cheese

This recipe makes a ton–at least a quart–so invite a crowd.

Or enjoy it over a few days. It keeps and reheats like a dream.

How to Make Chili Cheese Dip

This dip is super easy to make.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Evaporated milk: 1 large can I don’t recommend using whole milk because it has too much water in it so the milk solids could get grainy when you boil them. Evaporated milk already contains way less water, and the milk solids are already cooked
• Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the dip as it cools, and it also keeps the cheese from curdling when boiled
• Chili: I use canned, no beans. You could also substitute 2 cups of homemade chili. Note that canned chili already contains thickeners like starch, so using homemade may result in a thinner texture
• Ro-Tel: 1 can, any flavor. Or to keep it less spicy, substitute 10 oz diced tomatoes
• Cumin: More or less to your taste, and if you don’t like cumin, feel free to leave it out
• Ground Chipotle: I like this for a bit of smoky heat. You could also use some canned chipotles in adobo, minced.
• Chili powder: For a little extra flavor. It’s not strictly necessary, but I like to pack in as much additional flavor as I can
• Cheese: I use a combination of jack cheese and pepper jack. You could use all of 1 or all of the other if you’d like. It melts smoothly and adds a really silky body to the dip
• Salt: Even though the chili is seasoned, I add a touch of salt because the evaporated milk doesn’t have salt in it. I find if I don’t add extra salt, the overall flavors are not as pronounced, and I want a ton of flavor from my chili cheese dip!

Procedure

The process for making this dip is pretty simple and straightforward. Here’s the rundown:

1. Put all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Seriously. I’m not kidding about “dump and stir.” Just put everything in the pool and stir well.
2. Heat to a boil. Turn the heat to medium, and heat until the dip comes to a boil. Stir frequently, and then constantly as it gets hotter so it doesn’t stick.
3. Keep it at a boil for a minute or two. Turn down the heat if you need to to keep the dip at a low boil. Stir constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon. (Long-handled because this stuff is thick, and the bubbles and throw molten dip into the air.)
4. Serve warm. The dip will be pretty thin when it finishes boiling, but it will thicken as it cools. You can either serve it once it cools down to just warm, or you can chill it and then reheat it when it’s time for snacking.

Chili Cheese Dip Q&A

There’s nothing worse than trying to follow a recipe and then having questions in the middle of making it. So I’ve tried to answer your questions before you ask them.

The Secret to Making Creamy Cheese Sauce That Stays Smooth

There really is no secret, because I’m telling you, right? Here are the two magical ingredients that keep this dip smooth:

• Evaporated Milk
• Cornstarch

What makes these ingredients so special?

1. The evaporated milk already has a lot of the water-part of milk boiled out of it, so it gives you a nice, creamy base.
2. And the starch helps to keep the cheese from “breaking” and getting grainy.

For more on the science of how this dynamic duo of ingredients works to keep cheese sauce smooth, check out this article from Serious Eats: For Smooth , Stable Cheese Sauces, Evaporated Milk and Cornstarch Are Your Friends.

What Other Appetizers Can I Make for a Watch Party?

I hesitate to call it a “Super Bowl Party,” because not everyone is into that. But for any party where you need casual appetizers for a crowd you can’t go wrong with the any of these, you guys:

• Spicy Queso Dip
• Ham & Cheese Sliders
• Smoked Pimento Cheese
• Pepperoni Pinwheels
• Pizza Bread
• Soft Pretzels with Beer Cheese

Questions?

If you have questions about this post or recipe, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can leave a comment on the post and I will get back to you within about 24 hours.

If your question is more urgent, please shoot me an email, and I will respond within 4 hours, unless I’m asleep.

Now that we have all the FAQ and how-to information out of the way, let’s get right to it, shall we?

I really hope you love this recipe, you guys! If you make it, please share a photo with me, either in the PCO Facebook Group or on instagram by tagging @onlinepastrychef and using hashtag #pcorecipe. Thanks, and enjoy!

Thank you for spending some time with me today. Enjoy the spicy chili cheese dip, and have a lovely day.

Watch my easy New Year’s Eve appetizers web story here.