The signature dish at Matt’s El Rancho in Austin, Texas, named after former Texas land commissioner Bob Armstrong, who one day asked them to make him “something different.” What resulted was a now-legendary layered dip of taco meat, queso, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Important: Don't used aged or extra-sharp cheddar, which is drier and doesn't melt smoothly.
Recipe information
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Picadillo
1
1
½
½
2
1½
1
1
Queso and Assembly
3
½
1
3
2
2
2
1½
½
½
Preparation
Picadillo
Step 1
Heat oil in a large skillet over high. Cook beef, breaking up with a spoon, until browned on all sides but not completely cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, leaving as much fat in pan as possible.
Step 2
Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring, until tender but not browned, 6–8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add cumin and chili powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and reserved beef along with any accumulated juices to pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the skillet, until liquid is evaporated, 8–10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, let sit until ready to use.
Step 3
Do Ahead: Picadillo can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat before assembling.
Queso and Assembly
Step 4
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, chile, jalapeños, and garlic, stirring, until tender but not browned, 8–10 minutes. Add tomatoes, season with salt, and continue to cook until juices have evaporated, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and continue to cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, gradually add both cheeses, and cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is completely melted and queso is smooth. If it seems too thick, stir in a little more milk.
Step 5
Spread warm picadillo in a 2-qt. baking dish. Pour hot queso over meat. Top with a generous scoop each of pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. Sprinkle with chives and cilantro. Serve hot dip with chips.
Step 6
Do Ahead: Queso can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat before assembling.
Leave a Review
Reviews (24)
Back to TopThe Platonic ideal of queso dip. I've made it multiple times and it's always a hit. The only reason I wanted to host a Super Bowl party this year was because I wanted to make this dip. It has a wonderful balance of heat from the peppers and seasoned beef and the creamy cheese sauce. Extra points to being able to make it ahead and then just heat before serving.
Lizabelle3
Oregon
2/11/2024
This recipe is a HOT AXX MESS. Was super pumped to make it but you could achieve the output by reordering a few things around. Also, I did some research and it seems leveraging a little cornstarch might make all the difference.
Anonymous
Chicago, IL
11/16/2019
Living in Austin we eat A LOT of Bob Armstrong at Matt's. I wanted to re-create the magic while traveling so I tried this recipe. Not even close. While the picadillo was actually tasty, the queso was way off in both taste and consistency. I have since found Matt's Martinez's cookbook where he actually published the restaurant's queso recipe. So I am not sure it's wise of BA to publish a recipe claiming it is the Bob Armstrong queso when it's in fact not the same recipe. Bottom line, I will make the picadillo again but when it comes to the queso, I will either make the actual Matt's restaurant recipe or stick with good ole Velveeta and Rotel. No shame in that!
Anonymous
Austin Texas
11/2/2019
If you have never had Bob Armstrong dip at Matt's El Rancho, this dish is fine. If you have had a Bob, you will know this is not even close in flavor or texture. And where did the sour cream come from? That isn't the way Matt's serves it. This recipe was time consuming and disappointing for someone hoping for a great imposter recipe.
floko
Austin, TX
10/12/2019
I cannot understand the negative reviews. This doesn't compare to anything you can find in a grocery store. Use the ingredients listed (someone mentioned using mozz when it calls for Monterey Jack), and follow the recipe as outlined...to your preference. I cooked beef a bit longer than called for and developed a crispier texture. Does this take some time? Yes, but the fruits of labor were absolutely worth the time invested. Delicious recipe. Thanks!
Anonymous
Colorado
11/14/2018
Like most "Tex-Mex" dishes this was meticulously inoffensive, but woefully underseasoned despite all the peppers. The faux-"picadillo" takes forever to make, then another forever to boil off a cup of chicken broth. Result: soggy meat where crispness would add texture and undoubtedly taste better. "Queso" depends a lot on the actual cheeses added to the vegetable roux; mozz + cheddar didn't melt well and tasted gritty, not creamy. (There's a reason that Velveeta is so popular.) Layering did work, sort of, but the uniform textures top and bottom meant it might have well been mixed. Bottom line: Looked good and glad I tried it, but next time I'll stick to my regular meat and cheese mix.
bob_altiz
Phoenix AZ
2/5/2018
What's NOT to love?! Can this be done in the crockpot, so it stays hot for the duration of a party?
Mrohde
GA
12/23/2017