This Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip with Rotel is spicy, creamy and cheesy, making it the perfect appetizer. It only takes 25 minutes to make, in just one skillet, and is served hot with tortilla chips or crackers.
Jalapeño Dip is one of those gotta have recipes for football season and for a holiday appetizer! I love the few extra steps in this recipe, like sautéing the peppers and onion and adding in flavorful seasoning to give it a little extra kick.
It makes this Jalapeño dip recipe a lot more tasty than the 3 ingredient versions we are used to seeing, and doesn't take much extra effort.
Setting up a game day spread? Don't forget to include my Cowboy Salad, Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, and Bacon Pinwheels.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's so easy to make with simple ingredients
- A great appetizer to serve for football or any game day
- This dip is creamy, cheesy with some heat too..a whole lot of flavor here
- Only takes 25 minutes to make
For more creamy dips, check out my Rajas con crema, Green Onion Dip and Spinach Artichoke Dip.
Ingredients:
Jalapeño-The star of the recipe! I like to remove seeds, stems and membranes from the jalapeño to help take out some of the heat in this recipe.
Cream Cheese-The base of the dip and brings in a really creamy and soft texture. Try these Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with cream cheese too.
Rotel- A commonly used ingredient in dips and packs a lot of flavor from diced tomatoes and green chiles. If you're worried about too much heat, or feeding a crowd of people who have different heat preferences, I highly recommend using Rotel's mild version.
Cheddar Cheese- For adding cheesy flavor to the base and covered all over the top of the dish for that cheese pull everyone seeks.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations:
For the Rotel, feel free to use your favorite version. I recommend mild to avoid too much heat, but choose what's best for you.
If you don't have all the seasonings, add in 2 teaspoons of original taco seasoning from the package instead.
Not big on onion, leave it out.
Instead of cheddar cheese, you could use Colby cheese or Monterey or Pepper Jack.
Want to add meat? Cook 8 ounces of sausage or ground beef with the peppers and onions until completely browned, and drain grease before adding in the garlic and seasonings in step 2.
How to Make Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Into a large skillet, over medium low heat, melt the butter. Add in the diced jalapeño and onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 2: Stir in garlic and spices and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 3: Next, add in Rotel and stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the cream cheese into the pan and stir to combine and melt the cheese. This takes a few minutes. Once it's melted, add in half of the cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
Step 5: Lastly, top the dish with remaining cheddar cheese and slices of jalapeño. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is nice and gooey.
Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving with crackers or tortilla chips.
Expert Tips:
- If you break the cream cheese into smaller pieces, it will melt much faster in the pan.
- When serving, choose a stronger cracker or a heavier tortilla chip so it can hold the dip without breaking. Ritz crackers are delicious, but it's not the best choice for dipping in this recipe. An option is using a spoon to spread the dip on the cracker.
Big on Spicy Recipes? Try my Garlic Soy Chicken Wings, Southwest Chicken Salad, Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, and Chicken and Chorizo Paella.
Recipe FAQs:
This jalapeno dip is made from sautéed jalapeno and onion with cream cheese, cheddar cheese and a can of rotel. It is served warm and it's delicious!
Wait until the dip cools to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge or transfer the dip into a sealed container.
Preheat the oven to 350, remove plastic wrap from skillet, and place a piece of foil over the skillet. Oven bake for 10-15 minutes until warm. The microwave is also an option. Microwave in microwave safe dish in 30 second increments until hot.
Love recipes with Cream Cheese? Check out my Cream Cheese Fruit Dip, Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers, and Turkey Roll Ups.
More Game Day Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Jalapeño Dip Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
This Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip with Rotel is spicy, creamy and cheesy, making it the perfect appetizer. It only takes 25 minutes to make, in just one skillet, and is served hot with tortilla chips or crackers.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 jalapeños with seeds, stems and membranes removed and diced small
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 ounce can of Rotel, drained
- 12 ounces of cream cheese, broken into 12 smaller pieces
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 jalapeno, cut into thin slices for topping (leave the seeds and membranes or remove)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Into a large skillet, over medium low heat, melt the butter. Add in the diced jalapeño and onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Stir in garlic and spices and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add in Rotel and stir to combine.
- Add chunks of cream cheese into the pan and stir to combine and melt the cheese. This takes a few minutes. Once it's melted, add in half of the cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
- Top the dish with remaining cheddar cheese and slices of jalapeño. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes until cheese is nice and gooey.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving with crackers or tortilla chips.
Notes
- If you break the cream cheese into smaller pieces, it will melt much faster in the pan.
- When serving, choose a stronger cracker or a heavier tortilla chip so it can hold the dip without breaking. Ritz crackers are delicious, but it's not the best choice for dipping in this recipe. An option is using a spoon to spread the dip on the cracker.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: appetizer
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: american
Robert
These dip is so good..just the right amount of heat. I used tostito scoops so I could get a bunch of dip on there.
Tara Smithson
Love this one too! Thanks for the review.