This 3 Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip is an easy hot appetizer made with chili, cream cheese, and shredded cheddar cheese.

It bakes until warm, creamy, and bubbly, with a rich, savory flavor that is simple to scoop up with tortilla chips or crackers.

It goes together in about 5 minutes of actual prep and bakes for 25 minutes until everything is bubbly and the cheese is fully melted.

Serve it hot straight from the dish with tortilla chips and it disappears fast.

It’s a crowd-pleasing dip for game day, parties, potlucks, movie nights, or casual family gatherings. Since it only needs three basic ingredients, it’s useful when you need a quick last-minute appetizer that still feels hearty and satisfying.

For a full spread of easy party snacks, 25 Cold and Room Temp Appetizers For All Parties is worth a look alongside this one.

More easy dips and party appetizers worth having in your back pocket:

• 25 Cold and Room Temp Appetizers For All Parties and Special Events
• 10 Chicken Starter Recipes For Parties
• 20 Work Party Snacks & Appetizers to Share at the Office
• 20 Bite-Sized Party Appetizers Everyone Will Grab First

Ingredients You’ll Need

Any brand of canned chili works — with or without beans, mild or spicy.

The spicy version adds heat without needing any extra seasoning, which is worth considering if you like a kick. Full-fat cream cheese gives the smoothest base; light cream cheese is thinner and can make the bottom layer runny.

Sharp cheddar has more flavor than mild here since there are so few ingredients.

Important Recipe Notes

• Soften the cream cheese first — This is the one step that makes the biggest difference. Cold cream cheese straight from the fridge won’t spread flat — it clumps and leaves uneven spots that don’t heat through properly. Set it out about 30 minutes before you plan to start, or microwave in 10-second bursts until it’s soft but not melted.
• Any canned chili works — With beans or without, mild or hot. Spicy canned chili (like Hormel Spicy) adds a real kick without any extra ingredients, which is worth it if you’re serving people who like heat. If the crowd is mixed, go mild and put hot sauce on the side.

• Add the second cheese layer after baking — Scatter the remaining cheddar on top right when it comes out of the oven. The residual heat melts it into a soft, gooey layer rather than the slightly dried-out top you get when it’s been in the oven the whole time.
• Don’t overbake — 25 minutes is usually enough. You want the edges visibly bubbling and the top cheese fully melted. Baking much longer than that dries out the cream cheese layer and makes it grainy.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve hot straight from the baking dish with tortilla chips on the side. Sturdy chips hold up better than thin ones since the dip is thick.

Fritos scoops also work well. If you want garnishes, sliced green onions, sour cream, or pickled jalapeños on top all make sense without requiring much effort.

Storage:

Covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 12 minutes, or in the microwave covered at medium power, stirring once midway.

The cream cheese layer can separate slightly on reheating — give it a stir and it comes back together.

Variation:

Add a layer of canned or fresh salsa between the cream cheese and the chili for extra flavor. A handful of pickled jalapeño slices mixed into the chili before baking adds heat throughout rather than just on top.

For a more loaded version, scatter crumbled cooked bacon or diced green onions on top with the final cheese layer.