Slow cooker Rotel tacos are stuffed with a cheesy, beefy filling with plenty of Rotel tomatoes slow-cooked until warm and flavorful. This quick and easy meal is a fun twist on your traditional taco recipe!
Have you ever thought about putting rotel dip in a taco shell? Well, you should! It makes a beefy and cheesy filling with a hint of smokiness and spice. It’s simple and so flavorful!
All you need to do to make this simple weeknight meal is brown the meat and dump it into the crock pot with cubes of Velveeta cheese and zesty Rotel tomatoes. Let it cook until the cheese sauce melts and the flavors come together.
Serve it in either hard or soft taco shells and top with your favorite taco toppings! These are great for everything from taco night and game day parties as well as potlucks and movie nights.
Once you’ve had your fill of tacos, use any leftover filling for topping nachos, inside burritos, or quesadillas, or go ahead and use it as a Rotel dip!
Crockpot Rotel Tacos
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s simple and budget-friendly.
- You can customize the spice level.
- It’s true comfort food that everyone loves.
Helpful Tools
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Lean ground beef: Browning the beef before adding it to the slow cooker gives it much more flavor. You’ll need to drain off excess grease after browning, and there’s less of it when you use lean ground beef, like ground sirloin.
- Taco seasoning: You’ll need a few tablespoons of a homemade taco seasoning mix or a single packet of a store-bought blend.
- Velveeta cheese: Cut into cubes so it melts easily and evenly.
- Rotel: Canned tomatoes with green chiles for a kick. Use medium or hot Rotel for more spice.
- Milk: Adding liquid to contents in a crockpot helps to prevent things from burning, and using milk adds to the creaminess of the cheese sauce. I use 2% milk.
- Taco shells and tortillas: I use nacho cheese-flavored shells, but use whatever kind you prefer. Plain taco shells, corn tortillas or flour tortillas can be used.
- For topping: Shredded lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo, and cilantro.
Velveeta Substitute 🧀
If you don’t have it available in your area, or would just rather not use it, you can substitute the Velveeta with 8 ounces of cream cheese and 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese.
How to make Rotel Tacos in the Slow Cooker
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Brown the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break it apart as it cooks, and then drain any excess grease.
- Step Two: Once cooked, add it to the basin of the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Step Three: Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Once melted, give it a good stir and then use it to fill up your taco shells and top with your favorite toppings.
Every slow cooker runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own slow cooker and adjusted as needed.
How to serve them
These are pretty filling, so they don’t need much! They could use a refreshing chopped side salad with a zesty dressing on the side to cut through the meaty, cheesy meal.
Mexican rice, beans, or corn salsa would be other yummy options.
Top with diced tomatoes or pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, or green onions.
Then use it as directed, or serve it over tortilla chips for nachos or on top of cilantro lime rice.
- Drain the grease! Whether you’re using extra lean ground beef or medium ground beef, if you don’t, you’ll end up with extra fat that pools in your filling.
- Swap the protein and make this recipe using ground chicken, ground turkey, or Italian sausage instead.
- To bulk up the Rotel tacos, throw in some black beans.
- Add even more spice with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
- Keep the slow cooker on the warm function while serving. That way it won’t solidify before everyone has eaten.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Store leftovers covered in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating Instructions
Reheat the rotel taco filling in the slow cooker, in a saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave.
If the mixture thickens too much, add some additional milk to thin it out.
FAQs
What can I use instead of Velveeta?
If the processed goodness of Velveeta isn’t your thing, you can use cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese in its place.
Are rotel tacos spicy?
Mild rotel has no kick to it, but tons of flavor. It’s not until you go up to medium or hot that you’ll find it contains heat.
Need more fun taco recipes? Try these:
Slow Cooker Honey Lime Chicken Tacos
Click here to view my entire collection of taco recipes.
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Slow Cooker Rotel Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef cooked and drained
- 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning or a 1 ounce packet
- 16 ounces Velveeta cheese cubed
- 10 ounces Rotel
- ¼ cup milk
- nacho cheese taco shells & tortillas
- shredded lettuce sour cream, pico, cilantro for serving
Instructions
- To a large skillet over medium high heat, add the ground beef and brown, breaking apart as it cooks, until no longer pink. Drain any grease, if necessary.2 pounds lean ground beef
- To the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker, add the cooked ground beef, taco seasoning, cubed Velveeta, can of Rotel, and milk. Stir together.3 Tablespoons taco seasoning, 16 ounces Velveeta cheese, 10 ounces Rotel, ¼ cup milk
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- Once fully melted, stir, and then spoon into taco shells and top with favorite toppings.nacho cheese taco shells & tortillas, shredded lettuce
Notes
- I recommend using a lean ground beef, like sirloin (93/7). If using a higher fat content, make sure to drain any grease before adding to the slow cooker.
- Homemade taco seasoning can be used or one packet of premade seasoning.
- I use 2% milk.
- Use nacho cheese taco shells, plain taco shells, or flour tortillas for serving.
- Top with diced tomatoes or pico, shredded lettuce, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro or green onions.
- The cheesy beef mixture is also great served over tortilla chips for nachos or on top of cilantro lime rice.
- If you like heat, use the medium or hot version of Rotel.
- Store leftovers covered in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If the mixture thickens too much, add some additional milk to thin it out.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
