Name: Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 (16 ounce) box Velveeta Cheese; 1 cup milk; 2 teaspoons paprika; ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper; 1 (15 ounce) can chili ((No Beans)); 4 teaspoons chili powder; 1 Tablespoon lime juice; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 1 (14 ounce) bag tortilla chips (optional)

If you liked our Chili's Copycat Salsa Recipe, then you will love this Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso! It is so good!

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If you liked our Chili’s Copycat Salsa Recipe, then you will love this Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso recipe.

It’s simple to throw together and tastes SO good.

This makes a great appetizer or snack.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso, you will need the following ingredients:

Velveeta Cheese
Milk
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Chili, (No Beans)
Chili powder
Lime juice
Ground cumin
Tortilla chips, optional

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

Saucepan (Medium)

How to make Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso

Cut the Velveeta cheese into cubes.
Combine the cheese with the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Stir frequently until cheese melts.
Enjoy with tortilla chips or bread

What could I replace the Velveeta cheese with in this Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso:

This recipe calls for Velveeta Cheese. I am personally a big fan of it. I know it’s considered not a “real” cheese, but I do think it is delicious, especially in this dish.

If you are looking for a replacement, we have an easy switch.

Here is what we recommend:

3-4 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream

Bring the ingredients to a small boil over the stove top, at medium heat, stirring constantly.

Continue to make the recipe as directed, in the instructions. This will be a little thinner of a substance, so you may need to add more sharp cheddar cheese, depending on how thick you want the sauce.

We made it using 4 cups and it was thick, but still delicious. For the best results we recommend using Velveeta cheese.

Enjoy More Delicious Cheese Dip Recipes

Dips and salsas are the perfect way to start any meal. Browse our comprehensive list of dip recipes.

A close-up of a cast iron skillet filled with melted cheese dip. In the background, there is a paper-lined basket containing dark-colored tortilla chips.

Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso Recipe

4.86 from 7 votes

If you liked our Chili's Copycat Salsa Recipe, then you will love this Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso! It is so good!

8 Servings

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

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Ingredients

▢ 1 (16 ounce) box Velveeta Cheese
▢ 1 cup milk
▢ 2 teaspoons paprika
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
▢ 1 (15 ounce) can chili, (No Beans)
▢ 4 teaspoons chili powder
▢ 1 Tablespoon lime juice
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1 (14 ounce) bag tortilla chips, optional

Equipment

Saucepan (Medium)

Instructions

Cut the Velveeta cheese into cubes.
Combine the cheese with the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Stir frequently until cheese melts.
Enjoy with tortilla chips or bread.

Notes

Ideas of what you can dip in this queso:

Vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, celery, sweet peppers, olives, etc.).
Spread it over burritos, enchiladas, nachos, quesadillas, etc.
Bread sticks
Pita Bread
Doritos (one of the worlds best combinations).

(Recipe from Everything in Moderation)

Nutrition

Calories: 170 kcal · Carbohydrates: 14 g · Protein: 13 g · Fat: 7 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 27 mg · Sodium: 934 mg · Potassium: 436 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 9 g · Vitamin A: 1502 IU · Vitamin C: 79 mg · Calcium: 372 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Cuisine: Mexican

Cost: $5

Author: Steph Loaiza

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

Questions & Reviews

Cookbook Queen says:

My little boy is CRAZY about Chili’s Queso…he wants to eat there ALL. THE. TIME because of it. Can’t wait to try this!!

Christine Mazeski says:

i cant wait to try this!

Mique (as in Mickey) says:

YUM!!! Josh and I used to go to Chili’s all the time when we were dating (14 yrs ago- wow!) and ALWAYS got this. I will definitely be making it soon. Thanks for linking it up to my Pity Party! xo

The Thrifters says:

Just tonight we were saying we should make some queso dip….looks like it was a good idea.

Cupcakes & Tea says:

Just made a batch for the Superbowl and it is YUMMO!

Erica {let why lead} says:

Just found you through pinterest, and I must say – I am going to try this asap! I bet my boys would finish it in two seconds!

39a6710e-c854-11e1-b9b1-000bcdcb471e says:

Would this work as a crockpot recipe? Thanks!

michelle555 says:

i made this and it was very very good. however i changed a few things and eyeballed alot. but instead of hormel, i used ground beef seasoned with quite a few things, all mexican. i used 12 ounces velveta, 3/4 cans of rotel tomatos to give it some tomato bits( i dont like salsa.. wierd right? or else i would have added a little bit of that), a splash of milk and all the spices you mentioned, just less. it was the bomb! way better than chili’s. thank you so much for the great idea! even though i didnt make it exactly how you did, im so happy! the cheese was the perfect texture and stayed the right consistency as it cooled down. thanks so much for posting this! my husband says its one of the best things he’s had.. so I guess I will be cooking this until im 99 years old and bed ridden. 🙂

AnickH says:

i work at chills and i know that the chilis queso has beef in it and it has refried beans in it, so maybe if you build upon the recipe u posted and then add refried beans and beef, then it would be more close

Six Sisters says:

Hi,

I am sure you could put all the ingredients in your crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours and it would work just fine!

TK says:

I followed exactly but used Hormel WITH beans not without! I’m not quite sure why this recipie calls for the kind without beans as Chili’s queso DOES have beans in it !

AnickH says:

i made this and it tasted the exact same as our chills queso (i work at chilis) the only problem was is that i had to dump the 1st batch because the 1 cup of milk was too watery. so the second time i made it i only used 1/4 cup of milk. 1 cup is way too much and i was wrong in my 1st comment. chills queso does not have beans. its only chili and velveeta. just like you wrote it.

mrs.lemire says:

Just whipped up a batch exactly as you have it written here. I think the 1 cup of milk is perfect. Any less, and it gets too thick to quick. It also helps cut down the spice kick. I think this version has a little more kick than the Chili’s version, so I might cut down on that next time. But it is a great knock of version! Thanks for posting.

mrs.lemire says:

oh I forgot to add: This is a huge batch too. Unless I am going to a party, I will probably half this recipe for home nibbling. 🙂

Colleen says:

I love this recipe. It tastes a little better then Chili’s which I didn’t think was possible. Whenever I go to Chili’s I order the queso, but my best friend and I agree that we’re spoiled with this recipe now and prefer it. Thank you for sharing!

Big Mama Kaboose says:

Made this for the 4th time today. It’s SO damn good and we found Tostitos Cantina Style Thin Chips to dip in it. They really make it that much better. TY for sharing this!!

Betty says:

My grandkids LOVE Chili’s Queso so they were excited to try this. We made it today and they all loved it, they said it was better than Chili”s. I did put about a half can of refried beans in with the chili. Will be making this often.

Suzy says:

It seems to me that Chili’s has small bits of meat chunks in their queso. I never could decide if it was beef or sausage.

Suzy says:

Seems to me that Chili’s has bits of meat in their queso, am I wrong about this? (I never could decide if it was beef or sausage!)

Megan says:

I’ve made this at least 50 times in the last 7 years, it is amazing! Someone ALWAYS asks for the recipe every time I make it. IT’S SO GOOD! Thank you!

Cyd says:

Hi Megan. We are so glad you like the copycat skillet Queso recipe. It’s a family favorite and great for parties or movie night! Have a terrific week! Thanks for sharing the recipe with others!

Julie says:

Can this be frozen?

Cyd Adamson says:

Yes, it should freeze fine in a freezer container.

Vicki says:

If you’d put refried bean how much would you think would work with this recipe?

Amy S says:

This is such an easy recipe and tastes pretty close to the real thing! I used about 3/4c of milk, starting with 1/2c, and used a little less spices because the first time I made it with all the spices and even my spice-loving husband thought it was too much. This is otherwise delicious and I love to make it!

Join The Discussion

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Cookbook Queen says:

My little boy is CRAZY about Chili’s Queso…he wants to eat there ALL. THE. TIME because of it. Can’t wait to try this!!
Christine Mazeski says:

i cant wait to try this!
Mique (as in Mickey) says:

YUM!!! Josh and I used to go to Chili’s all the time when we were dating (14 yrs ago- wow!) and ALWAYS got this. I will definitely be making it soon. Thanks for linking it up to my Pity Party! xo
The Thrifters says:

Just tonight we were saying we should make some queso dip….looks like it was a good idea.
Cupcakes & Tea says:

Just made a batch for the Superbowl and it is YUMMO!
Erica {let why lead} says:

Just found you through pinterest, and I must say – I am going to try this asap! I bet my boys would finish it in two seconds!
39a6710e-c854-11e1-b9b1-000bcdcb471e says:

Would this work as a crockpot recipe? Thanks!
michelle555 says:

i made this and it was very very good. however i changed a few things and eyeballed alot. but instead of hormel, i used ground beef seasoned with quite a few things, all mexican. i used 12 ounces velveta, 3/4 cans of rotel tomatos to give it some tomato bits( i dont like salsa.. wierd right? or else i would have added a little bit of that), a splash of milk and all the spices you mentioned, just less. it was the bomb! way better than chili’s. thank you so much for the great idea! even though i didnt make it exactly how you did, im so happy! the cheese was the perfect texture and stayed the right consistency as it cooled down. thanks so much for posting this! my husband says its one of the best things he’s had.. so I guess I will be cooking this until im 99 years old and bed ridden. 🙂
AnickH says:

i work at chills and i know that the chilis queso has beef in it and it has refried beans in it, so maybe if you build upon the recipe u posted and then add refried beans and beef, then it would be more close
Six Sisters says:

Hi,

I am sure you could put all the ingredients in your crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours and it would work just fine!
TK says:

I followed exactly but used Hormel WITH beans not without! I’m not quite sure why this recipie calls for the kind without beans as Chili’s queso DOES have beans in it !
AnickH says:

i made this and it tasted the exact same as our chills queso (i work at chilis) the only problem was is that i had to dump the 1st batch because the 1 cup of milk was too watery. so the second time i made it i only used 1/4 cup of milk. 1 cup is way too much and i was wrong in my 1st comment. chills queso does not have beans. its only chili and velveeta. just like you wrote it.
mrs.lemire says:

Just whipped up a batch exactly as you have it written here. I think the 1 cup of milk is perfect. Any less, and it gets too thick to quick. It also helps cut down the spice kick. I think this version has a little more kick than the Chili’s version, so I might cut down on that next time. But it is a great knock of version! Thanks for posting.
mrs.lemire says:

oh I forgot to add: This is a huge batch too. Unless I am going to a party, I will probably half this recipe for home nibbling. 🙂
Colleen says:

I love this recipe. It tastes a little better then Chili’s which I didn’t think was possible. Whenever I go to Chili’s I order the queso, but my best friend and I agree that we’re spoiled with this recipe now and prefer it. Thank you for sharing!
Big Mama Kaboose says:

Made this for the 4th time today. It’s SO damn good and we found Tostitos Cantina Style Thin Chips to dip in it. They really make it that much better. TY for sharing this!!
Betty says:

My grandkids LOVE Chili’s Queso so they were excited to try this. We made it today and they all loved it, they said it was better than Chili”s. I did put about a half can of refried beans in with the chili. Will be making this often.
Suzy says:

It seems to me that Chili’s has small bits of meat chunks in their queso. I never could decide if it was beef or sausage.
Suzy says:

Seems to me that Chili’s has bits of meat in their queso, am I wrong about this? (I never could decide if it was beef or sausage!)
Megan says:

I’ve made this at least 50 times in the last 7 years, it is amazing! Someone ALWAYS asks for the recipe every time I make it. IT’S SO GOOD! Thank you!
Cyd says:

Hi Megan. We are so glad you like the copycat skillet Queso recipe. It’s a family favorite and great for parties or movie night! Have a terrific week! Thanks for sharing the recipe with others!
Julie says:

Can this be frozen?
Cyd Adamson says:

Yes, it should freeze fine in a freezer container.
Vicki says:

If you’d put refried bean how much would you think would work with this recipe?
Amy S says:

This is such an easy recipe and tastes pretty close to the real thing! I used about 3/4c of milk, starting with 1/2c, and used a little less spices because the first time I made it with all the spices and even my spice-loving husband thought it was too much. This is otherwise delicious and I love to make it!