This cheesy baked taco dip features taco meat, gooey cheese, and a cream cheese mixture that is baked to perfection. This easy taco dip recipe is perfect for Taco Tuesday, game day, parties, and holiday get-togethers.

This hot dip is always a huge hit! Serving a warm taco dip opposed to the usual cold layer taco dip is a good break from party food monotony.

Let’s jump into what you’ll need to make this delicious dip!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy from my link I might make a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay. See the full affiliate disclosure here.

Baked Taco Dip with Ground Beef Ingredients

These simple ingredients come together to create the perfect dip. Below you’ll find what you need to make this recipe, optional toppings, and substitution notes.

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 medium yellow onion diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic (store bought or 2-3 cloves)
8 ounces cream cheese (1 package) softened
1 can refried beans
16 ounces sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (reserve 1 cup for later)
1 cup salsa
3 tablespoons taco seasoning

Optional Toppings/Garnishes:

[cboxarea id="cbox-IVEtmKHDExiTjpDi"]

Chopped green onions
Cilantro
Hot sauce
Salsa
Black olives
Diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Sour cream
Guacamole
Jalapenos
Pico de Gallo

Serve With:

Tortilla chips
Sliced vegetables

Baked Taco Dip Ingredient Substitution and Additions

Since this is a dip, the recipe is highly adaptive. You can add ingredients in and substitute any that you need to.

However, the consistency of the original recipe has been perfected and you’ll want to ensure that you aren’t changing things too much.

Meat

You can absolutely make this recipe meatless by omitting the ground beef. You can also sub it out and add in chicken, sausage, chorizo, or any other ground meat.

Beans

The refried beans really add to the creaminess of this recipe. However, if you need to substitute them, you definitely can.

Black beans work really well in this recipe. You can also add in pinto beans or kidney beans. If you want to keep the creamy texture without the refried beans, you can blend up your beans of choice before adding them in.

Cheese

This cheesy dip can work well with almost any kind of melty cheese. Feel free to either add in or substitute other types of cheeses like cotija, pepper jack, monterey jack, mozzarella, queso, or even velveeta.

Making This Taco Dip Spicy

This recipe is sometimes called “Hot Taco Dip” because it’s served warm unlike many other taco dips. However, if you want to make it Hot as in Spicy, you can absolutely do so.

Use hot salsa and your favorite hot taco seasoning mix when preparing the dip to make it spicy. You can also add in your favorite peppers, spices, and hot sauce to turn up the heat. I love to add green chilies and jalapenos when making dishes a bit spicier.

Adding Ingredients

Feel free to get creative with this dip. It’s essentially beef tacos that have been broken down into a dip. So add in your favorite taco toppings and enjoy.

You can also set a plate of additional toppings to the side of the dip and let your guests add them as they please. This way everyone can pick their favorite toppings and leave what they don’t want.

How to Make This Baked Taco Dip

The directions below outline how to make this recipe. With only five simple steps, you’ll be serving up this dip in no time!

Step One

In a large (at least 4 quart) pot, braiser, or dutch oven, crumble and brown the ground beef along with the onion and garlic over medium heat. This will take about 10-13 minutes.

Step Two

Stir in the remaining ingredients except for 1 cup of the shredded cheese.

Step Three

Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until all ingredients are melted and combined thoroughly.

Step Four

If serving in a different dish, transfer your dip while hot and top with the remaining cheese. Or if serving from your cooking dish, top the dip with your remaining cheese and let it melt.

Step Five

Garnish with your desired fresh toppings and serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

bean cream cheese cheese beef salsa sour cream taco dip

Note

This recipe can also be made in the oven or slow cooker as long as the beef, onions, and garlic are cooked in a skillet per step one.

How to Serve Hot Taco Dip

This dip is best served hot or warmed. It would work great to keep this dip in a heated tray, crock pot, or oven safe dish that can be continuously heated.

This dish is also good to be served warm and then kept at room temperature for about 2 hours.

You can serve this taco dip with chips and fresh veggies like sliced peppers. You really can’t go wrong serving taco dip because it goes with just about everything. It’s especially good alongside Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, and these jalapeno poppers.

How to Store Baked Taco Dip

If you have any leftover taco dip or would like to make this recipe ahead of time, the dish can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Simply heat the dip thoroughly in the microwave or on the stovetop when you’re ready to enjoy it.

Print Pin