Best Crockpot 3-Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip Recipe

Homemade chili cheese dip is the perfect appetizer for game day! This 3-ingredient slow cooker chili cheese dip couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is add your ingredients to a small slow cooker, stir it a time or two, and then serve this cheesy dip with your favorite tortilla chips. The easiest appetizer recipe for your next gathering.

Who doesn’t love a good dip recipe? This crockpot chili cheese dip is a super easy appetizer to make for all of your football season watch parties, or when hosting friends for movie night or a fun night in. This tasty dip will keep your party guests coming back for more with it’s wonderfully melty cheese and chili combination.

This cheesy chili dip can be made with either a can of chili or your own homemade chili. You can use a variety of cheeses and this hot chili cheese dip will still be great. Truly an easy recipe yielding great results.

If you love this dip recipe, you’ll love this spicy cheese ball recipe and this easy baked brie recipe with jam too!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients Needed
• Recipe Variations and Substitutions
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Possible Dietary Restrictions?
• Expert Tips
• Storage and Reheating
• Helpful Equipment
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Best Crockpot 3-Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick and easy to make! This is seriously one of the easiest dip recipes to make. Place ingredients into your crockpot, stir once or twice…and that’s it. Have corn chips ready to serve and you’re good to go!

Hands off recipe. No need to fuss with your snacks throughout the entire game, this easy chili cheese dip recipe is a simple ‘dump and go’ kind of crockpot recipe. Once all the cheese melts, simple turn your crockpot to the warm setting and let your friends and family scoop out what they want as they want it. Easy peasy!

Minimal ingredients. We’re only using 3 basic ingredients for this recipe, which you may already have in your fridge or pantry at home. Score!

It’s a crowd pleaser! This 3-ingredient chili cheese dip recipe tends to disappear fast and is always a hit at parties. Whether you’re prepping it for the big game, or simply hosting friends for a fun night in, this hot dip recipe will be a favorite.

Ingredients Needed

• Cream Cheese. For best results, have your cream cheese at room temperature prior to mixing. It will blend much easier this way! You can use either regular cream cheese or reduced fat cream cheese in this recipe.
• Cheddar Cheese. Grab a block of your favorite cheddar cheese for this recipe. I recommend using either a medium cheddar cheese or a sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe. A medium cheddar will allow for the chili flavors to pop a little more, whereas a sharp cheddar will have the cheddar flavor shine through a little more strongly. The key is to use a block of cheese and freshly grate it. Why? Pre-shredded cheese has preservatives in it that are meant to keep the shreds from clumping together in the bag. That also prevents the shredded cheddar cheese from that creamier, smoother melt you will get when you shred your own from a block of cheese.
• Chili. You can use canned chili or leftover homemade chili, whichever is easier for you! I personally like to use a vegetarian chili when making this recipe, but you could definitely use a meated chili if preferred. My homemade vegetarian bean chili and homemade turkey chili are both awesome in this recipe (and on their own, duh). 

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Swap out the cheese. If you’d like a little zingier dip, replace the cheddar with pepper jack cheese or a Mexican blend cheese. Or use half cheddar and half spicy cheese of choice. In a pinch I’ve also made this with Velveeta. To do a Velveeta chili cheese dip, replace both the cream cheese and the cheddar cheese with Velveeta.
• Add more cheese. Prefer a heavier cheese to chili ratio? Add more cheese!
• Increase the amount of chili. Prefer a heavier chili to cheese ratio? Add another can (or scoop of homemade) chili.
• Mix in some green chiles. If you’d like to add a little pop of flavor, stir in a 4oz can of green chiles to your dip.
• Add some toppings. Once the chili cream cheese dip is all melted and stirred together, sprinkle on some toppings like green onions, pieces of fresh tomatoes, sliced jalapeño, or some fresh cilantro. You can also set out some hot sauce if your guests would like to add a dash of heat to their dip.
• Serve with fresh veggies if desired. In addition to tortilla chips, you can serve this easy dip recipe with carrot sticks or carrot slices, slices of bell peppers, and cucumber wheels. This is the perfect way to include some veggies in your snack spread.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

This dip recipe is vegetarian (assuming a vegetarian chili is used) and gluten free as written! 

*If you are serving this to someone with celiac disease, be sure to do a double check the ingredients on your canned chili if using to verify there are no problem ingredients for your guest(s). 

Expert Tips

For best results, use block of cheese! This will ensure your cheesy chili dip has perfectly melted cheese and a nice and creamy texture. 

Storage and Reheating

Leftover chili cheese dip can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave in 30-second increments until warm and bubbly. 

Helpful Equipment

A small 1.5 quart crockpot works great for making a single batch of this chili cheese dip! If you’re having a bigger party and plan to make a big batch, I’d recommend using a large crockpot to ensure you have enough room for all your dip ingredients.

For grated cheese, I always like to use a box grater but a hand grater is a another great option.

Recipe FAQs