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If you’re like me who can’t resist a good taco dip, I am sure you’ll love this ground beef taco dip! This creamy, cheesy dip is ridiculously easy to make and includes my favorite cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning as the base. You can even go wild with toppings you love—think of shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, green onions and what not.
You know what, this is the best dip for office lunch meals, BBQ potlucks, or just when you feel like treating yourself. This taco dip is the perfect hit, and trust me, you won’t stop dipping my favorite air fryer tortilla chips, and air fryer Fish sticks. And, if you plan making it for Cinco de mayo, potluck dinner party, or birthday this will be the most loved potluck casserole!
Why I Love This Dip
- The best part is that you are free to serve this beef taco dip with Air fryer banana chips, Carrot Chips, Zucchini Chips or tortilla chips as an easy appetizer or even over Fried Rice as an entrée.
- A great Mexican appetizer to Cinco de Mayo party, potluck, game days or Taco Tuesday.
- The taco seasoning gives this dip casserole a bold and flavorful dip to make this recipe a crowd pleaser.
- The dip is open to customization from the base ingredients to the topping. Change anything you like to make it gluten-free, keto or paleo, the choice is yours.
What’s In Taco Dip?
I want to keep things simple; this taco dip recipe is super easy to make since the whole recipe can be made with easily available ingredients and fully customizable. So whether you want to serve it for your family or making for a big crowd, this taco dip will always be your first choice as you can memorize the whole recipe steps after making it one time. Here is a reminder, I’ve used ground beef, cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, and a few toppings. However, you can customize it by substituting the ingredients, so make it meat free, vegetarian, or gluten-free, and enjoy with lots of tortilla chips!
Ingredients For Ground Beef Taco Dip
- Ground Beef
- Taco Seasoning Mix
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Alternative pepper jack cheese)
- Sour Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Small Chopped Onion
- Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
- Minced Garlic
- Fresh Parsley
Optional Ingredients
- Black olives
- Vegan Mayonnaise
Ingredient Notes and Variations
- Ground Beef – In my recipes I love adding protein part to make a healthy and complete meal. Even though adding meat in this recipe is recommended as it gives this dip its authentic taco flavor, it is not compulsory. You can either substitute beef with chicken, or ground turkey; or skip it because a good amount of protein is still inside the creamy layer.
- Taco seasoning – I recommend adding homemade taco seasoning which, I’m sure, you knows how to make, if you are a Mexican. Or you can use any of the store-bought taco seasoning available in the market. Besides, you can also substitute it with Fajita seasoning, Cajun seasoning or Ranch dressing mix. Choice depends on availability.
- Tomatoes – While you can use canned Ratel tomatoes, I always prefer using fresh diced tomatoes. The reason is that the I am free to cook the tomatoes as per my family’s preference, and this approach is affordable for me.
- Cream cheese – The recipe features softened to toom termperature cream cheese. If you have a refrigerated cream cheese straight, let it melt at room temperature before using it. This is because the cold blocks of cream cheese won’t blend well with the other ingredients while cooking.
- Shredded cheese – Since the recipe is Mexican inspired, I recommend using Mexican-style shredded cheese. I’m sure you’ll love its flavor on your Mexican party theme.
- Add salsa For An Extra Flavor: Here is a tip. If you want to make this recipe for Cinco de Mayo or a family gathering, don’t forget to add your favorite salsa for extra flavor. For this purpose, add the salsa to the skillet after adding the taco seasoning. Now heat and stir the ingredients until perfectly mixed.
- Optional Ingredients: If you haven’t added meat, you can also use refried beans (pinto or black) to give it a southwestern look.
Make it dairy free: Yes! you can substitute the cream cheese with your favorite dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free cheddar.
How can I make Taco Seasoning at Home?
To make Taco seasoning at home, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano in a seasoning bowl. Now add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a flavorful mix. And if you want to add a smoky depth to your seasoning, consider adding smoked paprika or chipotle powder. Besides, I usually add a splash of lime zest and a pinch of ground coriander for a tangy twist. This is my family-favorite seasoning with rich flavor profile and I can store it even for days.
Topping Options for Ground Beef Taco Dip
When it comes to topping for taco dip, sky is the limit. After adding all the base layers (beans and beef), feel free to add the toppings you like. The options may range from the chredded cheese (cheddar, or Mexican style), chopped green onions, to seasonal veggies (carrots, cabbage or lettuce).
If you love being adventurous, you can throw in colorful peppers, cooked corn kernels, black olives, jalapeños, cilantro and guacamole. Each of these toppings will add a unique texture and extra flavor, making your taco dip the crowd-pleaser for any occasion!
Kitchen Tools and Equipment Needed for Ground Beef Taco Dip
To prepare ground beef taco dip, it is essential to have the right tool and equipment in your kitchen. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Skillet: For browning and cooking the ground beef.
- Wooden Spoon: For breaking up the ground beef while cooking.
- A Mixing Bowl: To mix sour cream, cream cheese, and taco seasoning.
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- 8×8 Baking Dish: Ideal casserole dish for assembling the layered dip.
- Spatula, Knife and Cutting Board
How to Make The Best Ground Beef Taco Dip?
1. Cook the Ground Beef
Drizzle some olive oil to the skillet at medium heat. Once it is nice and hot add the ground beef. (For this recipe, I’m using 80/20 ground beef.) Using the back of the wooden spoon, break the lumps of ground beef in pot. Continue stirring the ground beef in the skillet after evert few moments to cook it evenly.
Pro Tip: I donot drain ground beef at this stage, becase I don’t my taco dip to be dry. However, if you think that your taco dip is too runny, you can drain the cooked ground beef at this stage to remove excess water.
2. Add Seasonings
Once the the ground beef starts tuning brown add 1tbsp of mined garlic and continue stirring for about 5-10 second. Next add the 2/3cup of chopped yellow onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the onions are nicely tranluscent, we are ready to season. Add two packs of taco seasoning one by one and stir thoroughly for a few seconds so that you get the best flavor profile in every bite. You can adjust the amount of seasoning based on your preference.
3. Mix Tomatoes and Chilies
After the seasoning is mixed, add the 10 oz (1.5 cups) of diced tomatoes & green chilies and give it a thorough mix for 1-2 minutes. Since this recipe not much spicy, you can add some cayenne pepper or jalapenos at this stage if you are looking for something spicy.
4. Mix Sour Cream and Cream Cheese
After the tomatoes and green chilies are mixed thoroughly, add 4 Tbsp (60g) Sour Cream, and 8 oz (225g) Cream Cheese to ground beef skillet on low to medium heat and mix them together.
Once everything is well combined, add the 8 oz (2 cups) sharp cheddar cheese and give it a mix on medium heat. Still continuously untill the cheese mixes with beed and gives it a cheesy look.
5. Giving Taco Dip a Final Touch
Once you think that cheese is melted and everything is well combined, add some fresh cilantro to get your recipe to the next level and make it a crowd please. Once your taco dip is cooked properly, set it aside and serve.
How to Store Ground beef Taco Dip?
If you want to store the leftover ground beef taco dip for 3-4 days, trnafer the leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate it within two hours of preparation. Make sure the container is sealed properly to maintain the freshness and prevent bacterial growth. To server the refrigerated taco dip, let it cool and give it a good stir before serving to mix the ingredients evenly.
Freezing
Freezing is another great option, if you want to extend the shelf life of your taco dip. Divide the dip into freezer-safe containers, and label them with the prep date to keep track of freshness and (2-month) shelf life of each container. When you are ready to serve, refrigerate it for 24 hours. You can reheat the taco dip in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes.
For this purpose, I always recommend freezing individual layers of taco dip rather than freezing the assembled and layered ground beef taco dip with toppings like tomatoes and lettuce. This way you can freeze it for even more than two months.
Why is my taco dip runny?
In past, I often came across the issue of taco dip too runny. The main reason of runny taco dip is the extra juice from the salsa and veggies that adds liquid to the dip. To prevent this issue, I always assemble the dip ahead of time before serving and don’t refrigerate the assembled taco dip. Besides, you can also drain the cooked ground beef and veggies, right before adding seasonings and cheese to the dip.
What to Serve With Ground Beef Taco Dip?
There are plenty of options, you can pair anything you like with ground beef taco dip. Whether you are hosting a Game Day party, or serving them for Cinco de Mayo or Taco Tuesday, these are the 6 best pairing ideas to serve with ground beef taco dip:
- Tortilla Chips: Air-Fryer Tortilla chips are an ideal and classic and crispy option scooping up every bit of the dip.
- Vegetable Sticks & Chips: If you need some gluten-free options, you can add Air-Fryer Carrot Chips, Zucchini Chips, Banana Chips, celery sticks, and bell pepper sticks.
- Air-Fryer Frozen Fish Sticks: Frozen Fish sticks are another great option, if you love adding seafood to your diet for
- Quesadillas: This can be another excellent option for brunch or lunch. Cut Quesadillas into wedges for a cheesy, warm dip.
- Mini Tortilla Tacos: Apart from Mini Tortilla Tacos with Guacamole, you can also them with taco dip for a fun and thematic snack.
- Nachos: Layer the dip over nachos and bake for unique flavor.
How to Use Leftover Ground Beef Taco Dip?
- As a Filling For Tortilla: I always use leftover taco dip as a filling for quesadillas or burritos. To use it as a filling, you can spread the taco dip inside a tortilla, add you favorite cheese and veggies, and grill until tortilla gets crispy.
- For Making Taco Salad: Besides, you can also use leftover taco dip to make a doritos taco salad.
- Topping For Baked Potatoes: You can also use the leftover ground beef dip as a topping for Air-fryer baked potatoes. This will adds a creamy, cheesy, and beefy flavor and turn your simple baked potatoes into a complete meal.
- Topping For Scrambled Eggs: If you make scrambled eggs for breakfast, this can be an ideas option to add taco dip as a topping for scrambled eggs and toast.
Related Recipes You Can Try
Ground Beef Taco Dip
Ingredients
- 1.2 lbs (550g) Ground Beef
- 8 oz (2 cups) Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 2 Packs (6tbsp) Taco Seasoning Mix
- 10 oz (1.5 cups) Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
- 4 Tbsp (60g) Sour Cream
- 8 oz (225g) Cream Cheese
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- ⅔ cup or 1/2 Small Chopped Onion (yellow or green)
- Fresh Parsley
Instructions
Cook the Ground Beef
- Drizzle some olive oil and cook the 80/20 ground beef at medium heat and continue breaking lumps using a wooden spatula.
Add Seasonings
- Once the beef gets brown, add minced garlic, yellow onions and taco beef seasoning once after the other and continue stirring untill all the nigredients are mixed well.
Add Tomatoes and Chilies
- Add shredded tomatoes and chilies into the ground beef and mix continuously fir 1-2 minutes. Here you can make it crispy as per your choice by adding jalapenos and cayenne pepper.
Add Sour Cream and Cheese
- Add the sour cream, and cream cheese at once and mix them well on medium heat. After a minute add shredded cheese of your choice, once the ingredients become part of the dip.
- Finally, add some fresh cilantro and mix it well.
- Your ground beef taco dip is ready to serve. Serve hot with tortilla chips.
