Taco Dip

A good taco dip is a thing of beauty. It's precise but inelegant, layered but also casual and open to personal variations and interpretations. Our taco dip recipe starts with a bed of creamy refried beans. It's topped with a spiced-up sour cream mixture for both some heat and a cooling effect. Then, you pile on guacamole, salsa, cheese, lettuce, and a final homemade pico de gallo.

The final result is a dip that is super creamy with tons of flavor from both the taco seasoning and the bright, fresh pico de gallo. The lettuce and pico bring tons of crunch to an otherwise smooth dip. The refried beans add depth along with the subtly sweet and nutty guacamole.

Learn how to make taco, dip, a lovely, simple take on a classic party food. We know everyone will scoop, scoop, scoop up this appetizer at your next party or get-together.

Ingredients for Taco Dip

This taco dip is easy and quick because it calls on a lot of ready-made foods, but there is still plenty fresh in this recipe. Here's what you'll need:

• Cherry tomatoes: These smaller tomatoes have more flesh than liquid, which helps give the pico de gallo some heft and avoids creating too much water.
• Red onion: It offers some bite but a hint of sweetness. It's not as overpowering as white or yellow onions, but you could use either if you want.
• Jalapeño chile: A little bit of heat to build up flavors in the pico de gallo.
• Fresh cilantro: You can use parsley if you're not a cilantro fan.
• Lime juice: Unites the flavors of the fresh topping.
• Refried beans: Use your favorite canned variety or leftovers if you have them.
• Sour cream: This adds a rich creaminess in the layers of the dip, and it nicely blunts the heat of the taco seasoning.
• Cream cheese: Adds a bit more body to the sour cream mixture so it's not watery and thin.
• Taco seasoning mix: You can use an envelope of pre-mixed taco seasoning, or use 3 tablespoons of a homemade taco seasoning.
• Guacamole: Homemade or prepared guacamole is perfect, so use your favorite of either. Our Chunky Guacamole would be especially great in this recipe
• Chunky salsa: If your salsa is a little thin, you can drain it so it doesn't water down the dip.
• Mexican 4-cheese blend: This has the perfect variety of cheeses for this dip, or you can shred your own from a block of Monterey Jack or Cheddar.
• Shredded romaine lettuce: This adds a nice cool crunch to finish off the dip.
• Tortilla chips: For serving, but we offer more ideas below.
  

How To Make Taco Dip

First things first, you're going to want to make the pico de gallo that will sit atop the completed taco dip. This gives it time to drain so it doesn't water down the whole dip. Then, from there, everything else about making a taco dip is layering many delicious ingredients. Here's a brief outline:

• Make the pico de gallo: Combine the cherry tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Let stand at room temperature in a sieve or strainer so that liquid can drip away from the mixture.
• Build the layers of the taco dip: Start with the refried beans in the bottom of a baking dish.
• Make the sour cream mixture: Combine the sour cream, taco seasoning, and cream cheese, and spread that over the refried beans
• Finish the layers: After the sour cream mixture, spread the guacamole, salsa, and cheese. Finally top with lettuce and the strained pico de gallo.
• Serve: We like tortilla chips with this dip, but you can pick other options. We offer a few ideas below.
  

Tips for the Best Taco Dip Every Time

If you've never made a taco dip, know that it is very easy, but like even the easiest dishes, a few handy tips can make this recipe outstanding.

• Build with thickness in mind: Start with the thickest layer first then add the thinner ones so they are easy to spread without mashing them together.
• Make the pico do gallo first: Seasoning the tomatoes draws out some unwanted moisture and improves their flavor.
• DIY if you want: This recipe uses mostly store-bought ingredients (refried beans, salsa, and guacamole) to streamline the process, but using homemade would be better in most cases.
• Consider moisture: Try to use a less watery salsa if you can, and try to leave as much liquid from the pico behind as possible. Both of these ingredients could water out your dip if it sits for a few hours, or especially if you're making it ahead of time.

What's the Best Chip for Taco Dip?

We call out tortilla chips as the best dipping instrument for taco dip, but really, you can use some creativity. Other options include pita chips, pretzel chips, crackers, quesadilla wedges, and sturdy vegetables.

How To Store Taco Dip

If you have leftover taco dip, wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap, or cover with an airtight lid, and store in the fridge up to 3 days. The salsa and pico de gallo may water out some in the days, but the dip will still be plenty delicious.

Can You Make Taco Dip Ahead of Time?

Yes, taco dip is a great make-ahead party option. You can make the pico at least three days ahead of time. The longer it sits, the better the flavors—and the more moisture you'll get out of the tomatoes. Just be sure to drain the pico de gallo before adding it to the dip.

Also, you can make the first four layers ahead of time (through the salsa), and refrigerate until you're ready to top with lettuce, cheese, and pico.

Substitutions and Variations

The great thing about taco dip is that you can really make it your own, or adjust the ingredients to your crowd. Serving kids? They may not like the jalapeño in the pico. At a card night or tailgate, you might add more heat! Use a spicy salsa to pack some more punch.

For the topping, lettuce, tomato, and black olives is very classic, and some people may really love that combination for the sake of nostalgia. Olives aren't really taco material, but no one will stop you.

More Delicious Dips

No party is complete without an array of dangerously good dips. Try these next:

• Spinach Dip
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Dill Pickle Dip
• Philly Cheesesteak Dip
• Million Dollar Dip
• Jalapeño Popper Dip