Quick and Easy Taco Dip

If you’re looking for a quick and easy appetizer or side dish, give this taco dip a try. This weekend, I was looking for a quick and easy side dish to go with some corn quesadillas (more details soon), so I whipped up this dish. It was inspired somewhat by the buffalo chicken dip that I frequently make… with more of a Mexican twist.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound lean ground beef (90/10)
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup light ranch dressing
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
  • Tortilla chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat.  Drain, and return the beef to the skillet.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, ranch dressing, chili powder, and ground cumin.  Add the beef mixture and half of the shredded cheese.  Stir to combine.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared pie plate, and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips.

43 comments

  1. Kelly says:

    Oh yum! I love dips and this looks so hearty and cheesy! Who could resist!

  2. Jennifer says:

    That golden bubbly cheese looks irresistable.

  3. alice says:

    I think I will make this for DH for Father’s Day.. this with some chips and Wii.

  4. Oh wow I love cheese when it gets all brown and bubbly like that. And my boyfriend and I looove tacos, so I’m totally saving this one. Thanks! :D

  5. jenn says:

    Yummy! Now I wish I had some tacos.

  6. I’m a sucker for a hot, cheesy dip. This is right up my alley- yum!

  7. Erica says:

    This taco dip looks delicious! I love every ingredient you used in this recipe.

  8. I have printed this out… it’s the perfect sort of appetizer that we love to have at our beach house for summer Happy Hours!!

  9. Amy says:

    This looks delicious!

  10. Memoria says:

    This looks too good to be true! YUM! I’m bookmarking this.

  11. looks perfect for a dinner party!

  12. What a great recipe – I will be making this on Sunday when the peoples come over to play!!

  13. Oh WOW! This looks AMAZING!

  14. Reeni says:

    My mouth is watering!! I’d love to scoop into that with a big plate of tortilla chips. This is great munchie food!

  15. Yummy! I love tacos and and dish that is inspired by tacos. Your dip looks fantastic and I really want to make it for my boyfriends 30th birthday party.

  16. liesl says:

    MMMM…taco dip!!! Sounds and looks very tasty!

  17. CA1993 says:

    Yummylicious meal

  18. Sara says:

    Made this as my contribution for the Super Bowl this year. It was gone in 20 minutes. Thanks!!

  19. kmcmom says:

    The summer heat has been decreasing our appetite so I made this hearty dip as a light dinner for us tonight; it was easy to make and my kids loved it. Next time I would add some salsa to it.

  20. Wendy says:

    Hi love the look of this recipe but could you tell me what ranch dressing is…dont know of this in the UK!
    Many thanks
    Wendy

    1. Hi, Wendy – Ranch dressing is a salad dressing that is typically made of buttermilk with lots of garlic, onion, and spices and herbs. You could substitute buttermilk or make your own (here’s a recipe.)

      1. Wendy says:

        Thank you! I will have a go at making it myself but will have to substitute the mayo as I cant stand the stuff!!
        Wendy

  21. Pam Winckel says:

    OMG!!!!!! This looks AMAZING!!!!! I will be making this for new years eve this year. thank you for the recipe very much.

  22. Mama Lee says:

    Sounds yummy. Don’t have beef so trying it with chicken and adding in some salsa. It’s in the oven now!

  23. kelly says:

    try it, you will luv!! two thumbs way up!

  24. amber says:

    I can’t wait to try this tomorrow!!! Thanks for the idea!

  25. Nancy Hendrix says:

    This looks wonderful. I am going to fix this for a graduation party.

  26. Wendy Johnston says:

    I found this recipe on your blog about more than a year ago and I make it ALL the time and EVERYONE loves it.
    I live in Northern Ireland and find it hard to get Ranch dressing and I’ve never been able to find light Ranch dressing but I think I might try making my own!
    Thanks for the recipe
    :)

  27. Courtney says:

    When I was pregnant last year, we started trying a bunch of new recipes to keep us eating in more and save money. We tried a ton of new recipes, but this was in the top ten! I make it about once a month on our movie/game/snack night and we are always sad when it is gone. Great recipe!

  28. LilMrsBunz says:

    This recipe is amazing! I made it for my 14 year old stepdaughter’s birthday party. Everyone from 2 years old to 65 loved it! I will definitely make it more often. I only wish I had made more because it was gone so fast. I used 2C of cheese though. I think any less would have been a little dry.

  29. Alicia says:

    I made this a couple of days ago. My husband and I did not care for it, as it was way too meaty. If I make it again, I will cut the beef down by at least half. I was hoping for something creamy and it was not at all, more like a big chunk. I had my husband bring home a can of refried beans, and I am going to add that to it and hope for the best. I will probably add a little more cheese too, for more creaminess.

  30. Vilma says:

    This sounds like a great dip for game day. Easy, fast and tasty, can’t wait to try it.

  31. Jenn says:

    I made this tonight for all my friends for the Bruins hockey game! It’s all gone! Loved it! We subbed ground turkey and habanero cheese. Yum!

  32. Joyce says:

    Just love this dip.The second time I made it I added a 1/2 cup od salsa.It is one of my favorite dips and so easy to make.

  33. Tommi says:

    Thanks for the recipe! I made it tonight for a Superbowl Party tomorrow and it is most delicious!!

  34. Judy says:

    Looks good ,but needs some zip to it. Added taco sauce on top along with a few other veggie. Now its really good.

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