This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Easy Cheesy Mexican Dip is the ultimate game day snack or party appetizer recipe! Just layer 4 ingredients and bake until hot and melty. Then rip open that bag of tortilla chips and get ready to scoop up ooey gooey layers of cheese and salsa and more cheese and more salsa.
Looking for more gluten-free Cinco de Mayo food? Try Skillet Chicken Enchiladas and Mexican Hot Dog Taquitos!
Originally published January 21, 2014. Updated with new photos and more helpful information on February 4, 2021.
Easy Cheesy Mexican Dip – a Most-Requested Recipe
My mom and I have a thing for cheesy dips. My most-requested recipe by family and friends is my Honey Nut Baked Brie recipe. When my mom gets invited to a party, she is always asked, or dare I say, begged to make her Mexican cheese dip.
She is always happy to make a batch because it literally takes just minutes to assemble. Then she just pops it in the oven before she is ready to leave for the party, or even once she arrives.
Friends and family are thrilled because oh, the cheese. THE CHEESE!
It’s at the point that instead of waiting to be asked, she just offers to bring it because she knows it will get devoured. And it’s so easy to make with only 4 ingredients.
It’s like an extra cheesy, simplified version of a Mexican Seven Layer Dip but with only four layers – the four best layers!
Easy Mexican Dip Recipe
Here is a brief overview so you can see just how easy it is to make. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full quantities and details.
But don’t skip my PRO TIPS below!
What You’ll Need
- Cream cheese – regular or light both are good. I do NOT recommend fat free, as it doesn’t melt well. Let it soften to room temperature to make spreading easier.
- Salsa con Queso – choose your favorite brand, and feel free to use hot, medium or mild.
- Salsa – choose your favorite brand, and feel free to use hot, medium or mild.
- Shredded cheese – I usually use just sharp cheddar, but feel free to use Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or a combination. Grate it yourself or use a bag of pre-shredded cheese.
What to bake it in
- Casserole Dish
- Rectangular or square glass baking dish
- Aluminum pan – if you are taking the dip to a party and don’t want to reclaim your baking pan, just spread the layers in an aluminum pan so you can toss it in the trash when it is gone.
How to layer Mexican dip
- Spread the cream cheese in an eve layer in the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the queso over the stop and spread evenly.
- Gently spoon the salsa over the top to cover the queso completely.
- Scatter shredded cheese on top of everything.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and melty. Then just rip open a bag of tortilla chips and dig in!
Toppings for Mexican dip
We like to scoop up this dip just as it is, but you can customize with toppings:
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- Sliced jalapenos
- Red onions or green onions
- Cilantro
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mexican dip gluten free?
You can make a gluten free Mexican dip. Cream cheese, salsa, and cheese are all gluten free. You’ll need to make sure you buy a jar of gluten free queso, though.
Please confirm by reading labels or contacting the manufacturer, but at the time of writing this post, the following information was available:
- Tostitos Salsa con Queso – contains no gluten ingredients, but may be manufactured in a facility that handles other wheat products.
- Mission Salsa con Queso – not clearly listed on the company website.
- Wise Salsa con Queso – listed as gluten free on the company website.
- On the Border Salsa con Queso – listed as gluten free on the company website.
- Chi-Chi’s Salsa con Queso – listed as gluten free on the company website.
Can I use homemade queso?
Yes, you’ll need about 1 1/2 cups if you want to use your own queso recipe.
Can I make this in advance?
You can definitely layer the ingredients in the pan the night before or early in the day. Just cover and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. It may need a couple of extra minutes in the oven to get hot all the way to the middle.
You can reheat it in the oven or microwave, too. The cheese doesn’t get quite as gooey, but it is still delicious.
Make it a Party
More Mexican appetizer recipes
- Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
- Mango Avocado Salsa
- Chorizo Tortilla Bites
- Salsa Pulled Chicken Sliders
And don’t forget the Grapefruit Margaritas or Pina Colada Mules!
More cheesy dip recipes
- Barbeque Chicken Dip
- Kentucky Hot Brown Dip
- Seven-Layer Bacon Cheeseburger Dip
- Hot Pork Roll and Cheese Dip
- Pizza Dip by Cravings of a Lunatic
Easy Cheesy Mexican Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz. package cream cheese, light or regular
- 15-16 oz. jar of salsa con queso
- 15-16 oz. jar of salsa, mild, medium, or hot
- 1.5 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or a combination)
- Toppings, if desired, such as jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, etc.
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spread cream cheese in an even layer in the bottom of a square or small rectangular (about 11 x 7 inches) baking dish.
- Pour the salsa con queso over the cream cheese layer and spread evenly.
- Gently spoon the salsa over the queso layer to cover completely.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the salsa.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- Scatter toppings on top, if desired and serve with tortilla chips for dipping.
Spinach Dip
7 layer dip. Yummm.
This looks delicious, I can’t wait to try the recipe. Queso dip is always a super bowl favorite!!!
Southwestern egg rolls and Buffalo chicken wings are my favorites!
Yummy cheese dip and chips!
Bean and cheese with tortilla chips
My favorite appetizer has to be Kebabs! I also always serve some kind of dip with chips and yours look like the next one to try 🙂 Delicious!
Buffalo chicken dip
My favorite would be a tie between Drunk Moose Meatballs, Chicken Wings or Artichoke Spinach Dip 🙂
I like pigs in a blanket.
Creamy cheesy spinach dip
Chips and dip!
7 layer dip and brown sugar lil smokies
My favorite is stuffed jalapeno
Definitely spicy buffalo wings and beer batter onion rings.
Pulled pork and beans, hubby makes a killer dish in the crockpot & I DEVOUR IT! Any time of year lol
Chicken wing dip
Chips and dip!
Nachos!
My favorite? has to be Spinach Balls with honey mustard dipping sauce!!!
my favorite game day appetizers are lots of different dips and sausage balls
We like a cheese dip that has ground beef in it. So we kind of use that for our supper.
Thank you now I know what to make on a lazy night for supper!!!!
Yes this would make a quick and easy supper!
I don’t think I ever met an appetizer that I didn’t like. But my favorite would have to be hot crab dip
I love spinach & artichoke cheese dip!
I pinned this make it later, my husband and I love anything with cheese! In fact, if I had cream cheese at home right now I’d scrap tonight’s dinner plan and make this!
My two favorite appetizers are buffalo chicken dip and jelly meatballs. The meatballs are my super easy requested recipe.
Get some cream cheese the next time you are at the store!! 🙂
I love bbq meatballs in the crockpot… or the mexican dip that is just layered cream cheese, canned chili and shredded cheese. Yum Yum.
I love cheese balls.
I like spinach dip.
kielbasa cooked in bbq sauce and grape jelly
Cheesy nachos w/ guacamole and salsa.
Nothing beats nachos!
I love to make Buffalo Chicken Dip and eat with tortilla chips or Fritos.
Baked potato Skins loaded
I love cream cheese with jalapeno jelly and some crackers!
Velveta cheese dip and Chex mix.
We have a family recipe called “Seafood Pizza” that is actually a dip! The base is cream cheese and other seasonings spread on a plate, topped with a layer of cocktail sauce to look like tomato sauce and baby shrimp and crab meat for “cheese.”
Queso! Pretty much any kind.
My fav is anything spicy. Jalapeño popper dip, jalapeño relish dip, spicy wings.
I love any kind of dip, especially if cheese is involved.
nachos
Buffalo Chicken Dip for the win!!!!
I love 7 layer mexican dip.
Entered the rafflecopter as “Wild orchid”
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
My favorite appetizer for game would have to be buffalo wings.
My favorite appetizer for game day is guacamole! Have to have buffalo wings too.
Chili cheese dip and fritos 🙂
My family loves the cocktail smokies wrapped in bacon then covered in brown sugar and baked for about 45 min. Doesn’t matter where I take them, they disappear very quickly!
I’m very boring. Chips and Salsa.
Our favorite app is simply potato chips with onion dip made from Lipton Onion Soup Mix and sour cream. Family fav that goes way back!
You put buffalo dip near me, and I am in heaven! By far, it’s my favorite game day (or any day) appetizer.
Anything Buffalo Chicken 🙂
I so need new pots and pans, mine are all hand me downs and I can’t find the lids to most of them… These are pretty enough to put on the table as well !!!! Love them !!! Thanks for the opportunity to win them !!!! Good luck everyone !!!!!!!!!! BTW: thanks for all the wonderful recipes, I so enjoy your page !!!!!!!!!! 🙂
nachos!
This is such an amazing giveaway! I go for the classic chips and salsa/guacamole appetizer, but I like to make at least the guacamole from scratch.
yummie
Wings!
My favorite appetizer for game day is the min hot dogs in a sweet and spicy sauce that I cook in a crock-pot! Yum!
Chips and any kind of dip
We love guacamole!
Queso and chips. But I am always looking for something new.
buffalo cauliflower bites
I will be grilling avocados and stuffing the pit with salsa and cheese.
I love vegetarian nachos.
Nachos for sure!!!!
Onion dip with sliced cucumbers
We love Swiss Cheese Bread Dip!
Since I was born and raised near Buffalo NY how could it be anything but Buffalo Wings!
Probably cheese dip or guacamole and chips. 🙂
I love creamy spinach and vegetable dip!! Yummmm!
My favorite appetizer is wings! Or my father-in-law’s dip. I have no idea what he does but it’s delicious.
I adore guacamole! Still feel a tad bit healthy when I eat a lil too much! Its all healthy fat right?
We love wings and almost any kind of dips!
Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Definitely hot wings and hot chips.
Spinach and artichoke dip
Spinach Dip
I love nachos for game day!
I just usually cut up Velveeta cheese in a bowl, add a can of Rotel tomatoes and microwave. Quick, warm and yummy!
I like to make Tabasco wings
Spinach dip – can’t stop eating it!
Guacamole
My favorite game day appetizer would have to be Jalapeno Poppers and Jalapeno Popper Dip! The best and you can’t go wrong with them!!!
Nachos all the way! =D
Looks yummy. I might have to make this for the super bowl.
Spinach artichoke dip
I am ALL ABOUT ANYTHING with CHEESE!!!!! This is a great idea for my little Superbowl gathering I will be having. My plan was the spinach/artichoke dip, but this is it!!! Thank you. #Cheesenista
this is perfect for cheese-lovers like us!
My favorite game day appetizer is nachos!
That dip looks delicious!
Pizza!
I love taco dip made with cream cheese, refried beans, salsa and cheese.
I need this for my new apartmente. Thank You!
I like a Mexican Dip or even Chili.
I love Artichoke and Spinach dip on Gameday.
I love chili on game day and finger foods like dips and chips.
cookies 🙂
My grandmother’s Chili Con Queso, made from scratch….no Velveeta in sight.
We love chips and cheesy dip!
My favorite game day appetizer is Homemade Queso! This recipe looks delicious, will have to add it to the menu.
I like salsa and chips.
we love all kinds of nachos. thanks,what a great giveaway
before, You r amazing!!! []Patty Rodriguez Reply:April 28th, 2011 at 10:40 pmThanks so much finerd!!![]Patty Rodriguez Reply:June 5th, 2011 at 5:22 pmthanks for your comment Rebecca, looking forward to cooking with you![]
We love chips and dips. Also some baked Brie cheese.
Rotel cheese dip but I may have to try this one!!
I love making little chili cups topped with sour cream, guacamole, cheese and chives. I also love making wings with a creamy buffalo dip, served with cheese fries.
I love spinach dip
That’s easy; CHICKEN WINGS!
My favorite recipe for game day is cheesy spinach and artichoke dip with chips. delicious!
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spinach-and-artichoke-dip-10000000230886/
My absolute fav is buffal chicken dip!
Anything with cheese is my fav!!
I love to fix crescent pizza rolls and homemade pizza sauce. SO yummy!
Definitely Buffalo chicken wings with celery & carrots sticks and blue cheese dressing!
Thanks for a chance at the giveaway!
homemade salsa
Queso and chips….yum
Spinach Artichoke Dip is one of my faves!
My favorite is a cheesy dip with some corn chips!
My favorite game day appetizer are wings…not to spicy but with a kick.
Any cheese dip and pizza bites!
Chili con queso!
Skinny mozzarella sticks!
It has to be one version or another of queso dip!
I love homemade pretzels.
We love the salsa my husband makes. Whenever family gets together they ask him to make a batch.
chips and dip mmmm
Some Chili’S like salsa and chips.
Cheese dip is a standard at our house but I also make a bacon cheddar dip in a bread bowl that is awesome!
My favorite is assorted raw vegetables and a low fat dip.
That dip looks awesome!!
Thanks!
Spicy rotel dip!
Queso dip of course!
The taco dip that I make with chili, cream cheese, salsa and cheese.
Favorite appetizer is a toss-up between queso and my cheeseball! YUM!
Nachos, definitely!
guacamole
My favorite appetizer for game day is buffalo chicken dip!
Nachos!!!
~favorite appetizer would be anything with gooey cheese like the one you just posted…or Swedish meatballs