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This Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Cheese Ball Recipe is bringing some new flavors to the classic appetizer. Taco flavors blend well with the cream cheese filling, while the outer layer of Flamin’ Hots adds crunch and kick. It’s perfect for your next party or game day event.

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Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Cheese Ball Recipe

I love appetizers! If I could eat an array of appetizers as a regular week night meal I’d be all over that. A Saturday spread would be even better. It would be perfect to grab a bite here and there as I got things done.

Since I don’t do any of that I look for reasons to have gatherings. Holidays, summer barbecues, and game days are all great reasons to get together with friends and eat yummy food.

Every year around this time I start to get jealous of all the football fans out there gearing up for the BIG GAME! See, we don’t really watch much sports in my little family so I miss out on a huge opportunity for all the cheesy, spicy, greasy finger foods that accompany the sport.

If you’re looking for a great game day treat then a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Cheese Ball is perfect for you. It’s super easy to make and absolutely delicious! Even better, you can make it a day or two in advanced so your not stressed out on the day of your party.

This Flamin' Hot Cheetos cheese ball will be a huge hit at your next big game party or other fun gathering. It's an easy but delicious crowd-pleasing recipe. | We Three Shanes

Ingredients for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Cheese Ball

When I first thought about making a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Cheese Ball I wasn’t sure what flavor combinations I wanted to use. I didn’t want the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto flavor to be overpowered by any seasonings. I wanted everything to blend well.

Two recipes came from this idea. The first has a very simple flavor combo that I used to make mini bite sized cheese balls. You can grab that recipe HERE.

Flaming Hot Mini Cheese Ball recipe. These bite sized appetizers are perfect for your next gathering. | We Three Shanes

The second recipe is the one I’m sharing with you today. There are a lot more flavors in this cheese ball which makes the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos a bit more subtle. It gives just enough kick that you won’t set anyone’s mouth on fire but the Flamin’ Hot taste is still there.

Here’s what you need to make this appetizing appetizer:

1 8oz block of cream cheese – softened
1 cup Flamin’ Hot Cheetos – crushed
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese – shredded
1 cup cooked chicken – shredded
2 tablespoons green onion – chopped
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
saran wrap
medium ziplock bag
crackers, chips, pretzels for scooping up yumminess

A small white bowl with taco seasoning, one with shredded chicken, one with chopped green onions, and one bowl with crushed flamin' hots

You will definitely want to taste your cheese ball before the shaping process to make sure the flavors are all there. I like to start everything on the safe side because you can always add more ingredients in but you can’t take any out.

When it comes to the shredded chicken you can use leftovers, canned, or rotisserie. Go for whatever is going to be easiest for you. I used canned chicken because I didn’t have to do any cooking or shredding.

Making Your Flamin’ Hot Cheese Ball

Making a cheese ball is really easy and cheaper than buying one. Let’s quickly go through the steps of making one.

You want to start of with room temperature cream cheese. It’s easier to stir everything together that way. Remember to set your cream cheese out for 30 minutes – 1 hour before making.
If you forget that first important step you can put the cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make it pliable.
Throw the softened cream cheese in a medium sized bowl. Mix in the chicken, cheddar cheese, and green onions.
Next sprinkle the taco seasoning over your mix and stir until everything is completely combined.
Now give it a taste. Add more taco seasoning or green onions if you want.

Lay out a large piece of Saran Wrap. Scoop your cheese mix out on to the middle of the Saran Wrap. Smooth the saran wrap up and over the cheese, forming into a ball. Use your hands to mold your cheese into a perfect ball.
Set the ball in the fridge for at least one hour. This will help your cheese ball hold up and blend flavors more.
While your cheese ball is firming up in the fridge, dump your Flamin’ Hots into a medium ziplock bag. Grab a rolling pin and crush the cheetos into dust.
I started by lightly pounding the cheetos to crush them and then rolled over them. You can throw them in a food processor but I’d rather not have more stuff to clean and put away.
Pop your cheese ball out of the fridge about 10 – 15 minutes before serving. This will let the cheese ball soften slightly making it easier to stick the Flamin’ Hots to it.
Empty the bag of crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos onto a plate and carefully roll your cheese ball in the dust. Use your hands to press the Flamin’ Hots into the cheese ball if you need to.
Transfer to a clean platter and serve with crackers, pretzels, or even tortilla chips.

This Flamin' Hot Cheetos Cheese Ball Recipe is bringing some new flavors to the classic appetizer. Taco flavors blend well with the cream cheese filling, while the outer layer of Flamin' Hots adds crunch and kick. It's perfect for your next party or game day event. | We Three Shanes

Last Minute Tips For Making Your Cheese Ball

Time is something you need to consider when making any cheese ball. While the time spent making the cheese ball is fairly quick, there is some wait time.

First, there’s the time spent waiting on the cream cheese to hit room temp. Then there’s the time your cheese ball needs to chill in the fridge. Just be aware of timing when planning this appetizer.

You can double the recipe if you have a ton of people coming over. Directions will all stay the same just double the amount of ingredients.

I can’t say for sure how many guest this cheese ball will feed. It depends on how many other appetizers you have on hand. But, I would say it should be enough for 8-10 people.

You can also make your Flamin’ Hot Cheese Ball a day or 2 in advanced. Just keep the ball rolled tight in the saran wrap and in the fridge. Then follow the directions as above and pull the cheese ball out 10-15 minutes before serving. Add the Cheetos dust then.
You can swap the taco seasoning for Ranch dressing mix to change up the flavors of your cheese ball.

Now hurry and plan a party so you have an excuse to make this flavorful, crowd-pleasing appetizer. I’m pretty sure this will be your party goers first Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Cheese Ball.