This recipe is a natural fit alongside 7-Layer Dip and Beer Cheese Dip — three hearty dips that all earn a spot on the same party table.
Pull Chili Cheese Dip out of the oven and the whole room smells like it — spiced chili, melted cheddar, and toasted cheese edges that have started to brown and crisp up, especially if you run the broiler for those last couple of minutes. It’s the kind of hot, scoopable dip that hits the table and has everyone reaching for tortilla chips before you’ve even set out the toppings. The surface gets bubbly and golden, the cream cheese base keeps everything smooth and rich underneath, and the salsa runs through it with just enough kick to make it interesting.
The recipe is genuinely straightforward — you melt the cream cheese and heavy cream together in the microwave, whisk in the spices, then stir in cheddar, salsa, and chili. Pour it into a 9×13 baking dish lined with parchment paper, top with the remaining cheddar, and bake at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes until it’s bubbly. You can also mix everything together ahead of time, cover the dish, and refrigerate it until guests arrive — which makes it one of the more practical options when you’re hosting a party.
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Reader Love
I made this last night with black beans substituted for chili and it was awesome. I was hoping to have leftovers but it was so delicious that we ate every little bit.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Done in 30 minutes flat — mix the ingredients, pour into the baking dish, top with cheese, and bake. There’s no long simmer, no stove-watching, and no complicated steps.
- Serves 12 from a single 9×13 dish — one batch feeds a full game day crowd or a holiday party table without any scaling.
- Works with canned or homemade chili — with beans, without, with ground beef, or fully vegetarian. Any variety you have will work in this recipe.
- Adjustable heat — the salsa goes in as mild, medium, or hot based on your preference, and toppings like sliced jalapeños and hot sauce let each person dial it up further at the table.
- Gets bubbly and golden in the oven — bake until the surface is bubbling, then optionally broil for 1-2 minutes on the middle rack to get that slightly browned cheese top. Watch it closely so the parchment doesn’t burn.
- Prep-ahead friendly — assemble the whole dip, cover the dish, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. Pull it out while the oven preheats and add a few extra minutes of bake time since it’s going in cold.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, then set aside.
Recipe Tip: You don’t have to use parchment paper, but it does make clean-up a lot easier! If you want to skip it, that’s totally fine, and the recipe will still work.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: To a large microwave-safe bowl, add the cream cheese and heavy cream. Microwave on high for 1-3 minutes, pausing to stir every 20-30 seconds, until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture can easily be stirred together (it’s OK if it’s not totally smooth). Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir In Spices and Cheese: In a separate small mixing bowl, stir together cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add to the mixing bowl of cream cheese and cream, then whisk together.
- Stir in Salsa and Chili: Add in 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, and chili, then stir or whisk until all ingredients are mixed together. Taste and add more salt and pepper, based on taste preferences.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Pour the mixture into the baking dish and use a rubber spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese on top.
- Bake: Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the dip is bubbly and starts to slightly brown on top. Optionally, turn on the oven broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes on the middle oven rack (don’t broil on the highest oven rack, or the parchment may burn). Watch the dip carefully while it broils to avoid burning. Then, remove the dish from the oven.
- Add Toppings: Garnish with desired toppings, like sliced jalapeños, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, and chopped cilantro.
- Serve: Serve hot with tortilla chips and/or sliced veggies.
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Heavy Cream: Half-and-half or whole milk can stand in for heavy cream. The dip will be slightly less rich but will still bake up smooth and creamy.
- Cheddar Cheese: Monterey Jack gives you a milder, meltier result. Pepper jack adds heat. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly than pre-shredded, since pre-shredded bags contain starches that can result in a slightly grainy texture.
- Chili: Use canned or homemade — with beans, without, beef chili, or vegetarian chili, all work. One reader swapped in black beans in place of chili entirely and said the result was great. If you’re going with a can, look for a 14-16 ounce can of chili.
- Spices: Swap out the cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper with 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning if that’s what you have. Taste and adjust salt from there.
✨ Variations
- Add protein: stir ground beef, shredded chicken, or ground Italian sausage directly into the mixture before baking for a heartier dip.
- Make it spicier: mix buffalo sauce or finely chopped jalapeños into the cream cheese base before combining the rest of the ingredients.
- Add vegetables: fold in sautéed onions, bell peppers, or mushrooms for extra texture and flavor. They go in with the chili and salsa.
- Turn it into nachos: spoon the finished dip over tortilla chips on a rimmed baking sheet and serve straight from there for a more casual setup.
〰️ How to serve
- Tortilla chips — traditional corn chips, blue corn chips, or Fritos Scoops all work well for scooping. Set out a few varieties so people can choose.
- Sliced veggies — bell pepper strips, celery, carrots, and cucumber rounds hold up well against the hot dip.
- Bread bowl — hollow out a round loaf and pour the hot, finished dip right inside. The bread soaks up the dip around the edges as people scoop, and you can tear chunks of the bread itself for dipping. Pair the spread with Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread for even more options.
- As part of a snack table — spoon over chips to build nachos, or set this next to Black Bean and Corn Salsa for a full spread.
💬 FAQs
Can I make this chili cheese dip ahead of time?
Yes. Mix all of the ingredients as directed, pour the mixture into the lined baking dish, and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate until you’re ready to bake — up to a day ahead works well. When it’s time to serve, let the dish sit at room temperature while the oven preheats to 425°F, then bake as directed. Because the dish is going in cold, it may need a few extra minutes before it gets fully bubbly and heated through — look for those bubbling edges before you pull it out.
How do I store and reheat leftover chili cheese dip?
Let the dip cool, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. To reheat in the oven, cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes, until warmed through. On the stovetop, move it to a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so it doesn’t stick — if it’s thickened up in the fridge, add a splash of milk or water to loosen it. In the microwave, heat in 30-second intervals and stir between each one.
What kind of chili should I use?
Any kind works well here. Canned chili — with beans or without — is the fastest option and produces great results. Homemade chili works just as well, whether it’s beef, turkey, or vegetarian. The dip is forgiving. One reader used black beans in place of chili entirely and said it was awesome. If you’re using a can, look for a 14-16 ounce can of chili.
Can I adjust how spicy the dip is?
Yes, and it’s easy. The salsa is the main heat lever in the base — use mild, medium, or hot depending on your preference. For a milder dip, stick with mild salsa and skip the jalapeño topping. For more heat, use hot salsa and stir buffalo sauce or chopped jalapeños into the cream cheese mixture before baking. At the table, sliced jalapeños and hot sauce let everyone adjust their own portion.
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Chili Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
- 2 cups finely freshly-shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 can (14-16 ounces) canned chili or homemade chili
- 1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot, based on your preference)
Optional Toppings:
- Hot sauce
- Sliced jalapeños
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped cilantro
Serving Options:
- Tortilla chips
- Sliced veggies
- Bread bowl
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, then set aside. (Note: you don’t have to use parchment paper, but it does make clean-up a lot easier! If you want to skip it, the recipe will still work.)
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: To a large microwave-safe bowl, add cream cheese and heavy cream. Microwave on high for 1-3 minutes, pausing to stir every 20-30 seconds, until cream cheese is melted and mixture can easily be stirred together (it’s OK if it’s not totally smooth). Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in Spices and Cheese: In a separate small mixing bowl, stir together cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add to mixing bowl of cream cheese and cream, then whisk together.
- Stir in Salsa and Chili: Add in 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, and chili, then stir or whisk until all ingredients are mixed together. Taste and add more salt and pepper, based on taste preferences.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Pour mixture into baking dish and use a rubber spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
- Bake: Transfer baking dish to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until dip is bubbly and starts to slightly brown on top. Optionally, turn on oven broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes on the middle oven rack (don’t broil on highest oven rack, or the parchment may burn). Watch the dip carefully while it broils to avoid burning. Then, remove dish from oven.
- Add Toppings: Garnish with desired toppings, like hot sauce, sliced jalapeños, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, and chopped cilantro.
- Serve: Serve hot with tortilla chips and/or sliced veggies.
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