The Super Bowl is coming up, and there is always a need for tasty finger foods to munch on while watching the game! This super easy Game Day Chicken Queso Dip will be your new Go-To appetizer recipe. I love taking this queso to indoor and outdoor gatherings. The warm, spicy cheese goes really well with Fall weather if you are tailgating!
I first made this recipe back in the very beginning of my career, when one of my coworkers shared their version. It has been one of my favorite pot luck and party recipes ever since!
Ingredients
All you need is 2 cups of shredded chicken (about 3 medium whole chicken breasts), 1.5 lbs Velveeta, a jar of salsa, a jar of medium salsa con queso, a green bell pepper, yellow onion, and a jalapeno. The seasonings are simple too: ground cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper.
The Chicken
The most difficult part of this recipe is shredding the boiled chicken breasts. I have always done this with 2 forks, and some elbow grease, but sometimes I use one of many short-cuts:
- Option 1: Add the boiled chicken breasts to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until the chicken shreds and falls apart.
- Option 2: Use pre-shredded Rotisserie Chicken from the deli
- Option 3: Grill some chicken breasts, and dice them up as finely as you can
- Option 4: Substitute sauteed and drained Ground Beef for a different flavor 🙂
Finely chop the green pepper, jalapeno, and yellow onion. Be careful not to touch your eyes after handling the jalapeno, I’ve made that mistake a time or two before!
Preparing the Game Day Chicken Queso Dip
Once you’ve gathered and prepared your ingredients, place a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add a teaspoon or two of olive oil to the pan. Add the diced peppers and onion. Continue sauteing and stirring until peppers and onions begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the shredded chicken and stir into the vegetables.
Season with Ground Cumin, Chili Powder, and Salt & Pepper. Stir to combine.
After about 2 minutes of stirring in the spices, add the jars of salsa and salsa con queso. Continue stirring until well incorporated.
It will look fairly dark, and soupy at this point. That is normal.
Add 1.5 cups of cubed Velveeta to the pan.
Reduce heat to low-medium, and stir until all of the cheese has melted, approximately 10 minutes.
This dip will stay warm and delicious on low heat all day, just stir before serving. At this point, you can transfer the queso to a crock pot, if desired.
Serve queso dip warm with your favorite Tortilla Chips. I love to garnish this dip with sliced green onions and diced tomatoes, or sliced cilantro is excellent too!
Pro Tip: Make it in your Instant Pot if you have one! Then it is already to take on the road for tailgating or watching the game!
For the Instant Pot: just add 1 cup of water to pot, place chicken breasts on trivet in a single layer, and seal the lid. Press Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes – under 2″ thickness and 15 minutes – over 2″ thick breasts. Slow release for 5 minutes. Drain the pot, if needed. Shred your chicken breasts, and follow the recipe as written using the “Saute” function. Switch to “Keep Warm” when finished.
Game Day Chicken Queso Dip
Ingredients
- 3 medium Chicken Breasts, boiled and shredded (about 2 cups shredded)
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 medium Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Fresh Jalapeno, finely diced
- 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 15oz jar Medium Salsa
- 1 15oz jar Medium Salsa Con Queso
Seasonings
- 2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 3/4 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Optional Garnish
- 1/2 cup Diced Tomatoes
- 3 sliced Green Onions
Instructions
- Boil and shred 3 medium chicken breasts (3 medium chicken breasts take about 10-12 minutes to cook through when boiling). Drain, and finely shred chicken with 2 forks. Should yield roughly 2 cups of shredded chicken. Slice and cube 1.5 lbs of Velveeta, and dice onion and peppers, set aside.
- Place a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 1 tsp Olive Oil.
- Once pot has started to warm, add the diced onion and peppers and saute for 3-5 minutes until vegetables start to soften.
- Add the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Season with ground cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Continue stirring to combine, about 3-5 more minutes.
- Add the jars of salsa and salsa con queso. Stirring until mixed.
- Reduce heat to low-medium, and add the cubed Velveeta. Continue stirring for about 10-15 minutes until all the cheese is melted.
- Optional: garnish with sliced green onions and diced tomatoes. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Notes
Like this recipe? Try my Super Simple Deli Sliders!