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Get ready to tip your hat to this fully loaded cowboy queso. A generous mix of creamy cheesy deliciousness and pops of fresh flavor, this queso eats like a meal. It’s so much more than melted cheese. But the melty cheese part is pretty great too. Make some, you deserve it! Even if you haven’t been in the saddle all day.
Do It For The Duke!! This is queso worthy of serving everyone’s favorite cowboy, John Wayne. So whether it’s for your next movie night, the next big game, or to kick off your next Taco Tuesday, this dip takes every event to the next level.
It’s so easy to make, you can impress everyone (or just your own tastebuds!) I love the queso at my favorite Mexican restaurant—but it doesn’t travel all that well. Learn to make this at home and you can have it any time you want, no wait required.
And we’re making it with all the fixin’s. This is how we ride in my house, but it’s also easy to customize to your own preferences. You can try to hold your horses, but it’s impossible to resist another savory, golden bite. You might just need another bag of chips.
If you’re looking for more absolutely delicious cheesy dips I’ve got you! I hope you try these next! ♥
- White Queso Dip – creamy, cheesy, and delicious that it’s like liquid white gold!
- Buffalo Chicken Dip – all the delicious flavors of Buffalo Chicken Wings without the mess!
- Sausage Cream Cheese Dip – You only need 3 ingredients for this bowl of YUM!
- Million Dollar Dip – Made with 4 different kinds of cheese, real bacon bits, and almonds it totally outrageous!
Let’s make this dip!
Ingredients For Cowboy Queso Dip
- Sausage: You could use chorizo or pork sausage, like Jimmy Dean.
- Pale Ale: You can use any type of beer you like! Even nonalcoholic beer will work.
- Velveeta: Melts to a super creamy, cheesy, liquid gold!
- Cream Cheese: Adds creamy richness.
- Pepper Jack Cheese: Creamy, meltable, with a delicious pepper flavor.
- Rotel Tomatoes: The perfect mixture of chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and spices.
- Black Bean: Rinsed and well drained. You can use pinto beans instead.
- Red Onion: Adds a nice sweet, oniony bite.
- Corn: Adds sweetness, crunch, and a delicious corny taste!
- Cilantro: The perfect Mexican herb to top this dip.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Place this cowboy queso in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Can you freeze sausage cream cheese dip? No, dips made with dairy don’t freeze well.
- Make-Ahead Tips: You can cook the sausage ahead of time, reheat it and add the rest of the ingredients. It’s perfect to heat up in a small 1.5-quart crockpot. Stir occasionally as it reheats.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
Cowboy Queso Serving Recommendations
I love serving this cowboy queso with Scoops, Fritos, or just plain corn chips.
If you’re putting on a whole spread of hearty appetizers, add our Bisquick sausage balls, southern deviled eggs, classic deviled eggs, loaded crispy smashed potatoes, pizza pinwheels, ham and cheese pinwheels, sausage pinwheels, bacon wrapped smokies, garbage bread, bacon ranch cheese ball, creamy ham salad with crackers, or our baked jalapeño poppers!
How To Make Cowboy Queso
- Cook the sausage.
- Pour beer and reduce.
- Add Velveeta, and cream cheese;
- Sprinkle pepper jack cheese.
- Cook until melted.
- Stir Rotel, black beans, onion, and cilantro.
- Serve.
***See full instructions below.
How To Make Cowboy Queso In The Crockpot
- Brown the sausage in a skillet on the stovetop. Drain. Add to the crockpot.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the crockpot.
- Cover and Heat on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.
More Fabulous Dip Recipes
- Crack Dip
- Hot Corn Dip
- Mexican Corn Dip
- Cowboy Caviar
- Knorr Spinach Dip
- White Queso
- 3 Ingredient Sausage Dip
- Crab Rangoon Dip
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip
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Cowboy Queso
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound sausage
- 3/4 cup Pale Ale
- 16 ounces Velveeta, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can Rotel Tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup black bean, well rinsed and drained
- 1 cup whole kernel corn, drained
- 1/3 cup red onion, minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a 12-inch high-sided skillet, cook and crumble the sausage (1/2 pound) over medium-high heat. Drain and discard grease.
- Pour beer (3/4 cup) into skillet and cook and reduce for 2-3 minutes.
- Lower the heat to low and add the Velveeta (16 ounces), cream cheese (4 ounces), and pepper jack cheese (1 cup) and continue to cook until just melted.
- Stir in drained Rotel (1 can), black beans (1 cup), red onion (1/3 cup), corn (1 cup) and cilantro (1/4 cup). Heat through and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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This Cowboy Queso looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it for our next game day gathering. Velveeta cheese dip is always a hit, and I love the addition of those hearty ingredients. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thank you! Enjoy and let us know how it turns out 🙂
This Cowboy Queso looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to make it for our next game night. The combination of Velveeta and sausage sounds like a winner. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! Have a great game day! 🙂
Can I keep it warm in a crockpot? what size to accommodate one recipe? Can it be made a day ahead and reheated?
Hi Jeanie. Yes, this can be made ahead and repeated in a crockpot.
Can I use like Jimmy dean breakfast sausage?? Or plain bulk sausage
Hi, Mary Ann. I used breakfast sausage (I used Jimmy Dean all natural premium pork roll). It doesn’t have a strong sage flavor which I find best for this recipe. Plain bulk sausage will work too.
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Yes.
1. Brown the sausage in a skillet on the stovetop. Drain. Add to the crockpot.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to the crockpot.
3. Cover and Heat on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.
What kind of sausage?
Please address why you say in your recipe – ” to reserve liquid from Rotel and measure” ? Is it used at sometime for the recipe?
Sorry, Lin it was a typo! It’s been updated!
Do you think this recipe would still be tasty without the sausage? I’m not a sausage fan. Thanks!
Hi, Michelle. I think that will still work.
I use hamburger meat instead of sausage. It is really good that way.
That’s a great idea!
So yummy! I’m gonna make this dip this weekend!
Thanks, maria! Enjoy 🙂
Hi Kathleen. I don’t see corn on the ingredient list. Also, is it bulk pork breakfast sausage you’re using? Thank you.
Hi Marianne. I just checked and I see it in the ingredient list. It’s 1 cup whole kernel corn, drained. Yes, I used breakfast sausage (I used Jimmy Dean all natural premium pork roll). It doesn’t have a strong sage flavor which I find best for this recipe. If you like spicy, spicy breakfast sausage it would be a great choice.
I use Pinterest as a handy place to park recipes that I want to try. Today I posted three of the recipes mentioned in this article. You wouldn’t believe how many of your things are living in my account. Oh! Today’s recipe looks good!
Thank you soooo much, Wanda! 🙂 <3