A seasoned sour cream/cream cheese mixture, taco meat, and toppings like lettuce and tomatoes make this Taco Dip recipe a guaranteed hit. Serve with tortilla chips for a quick, easy party appetizer that everyone loves.
There’s no such thing as too many taco-inspired dishes in my house. Baked tacos, Dorito taco salad, taco pizza, taco soup…we love it all! This taco dip is another staple on our menu for parties and gatherings. The boys request this pretty frequently during the summer! It has all the flavors of classic ground beef tacos on top of a mixture of cream cheese and sour cream. So good!
Why This Taco Dip Recipe Is My Favorite
Out of all the dips I make regularly, this one remains one of my favorites!
- Quick and easy. This dip really comes together in the time that it takes to cook taco meat. It only takes 5-10 minutes to assemble the dip once the meat is cooked.
- Loaded with veggies. I love that this dip isn’t just cheesy and meaty, there’s a good portion of veggies on top, like lettuce, tomatoes, and olives. More can be added too!
- Always a hit. Pretty much everyone loves tacos, which means almost everyone loves this taco dip! I’ve never had leftovers when I served this dip at a party!
What You’ll Need
This easy taco dip recipe is made using many of the same ingredients as tacos. The exact measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef – I usually opt for an 80/20 lean ground beef but any (including ground turkey) will work.
- Sour cream – Full fat and light sour cream both work in this recipe.
- Cream cheese – Unlike other recipes, I think it’s fine to use light cream cheese if preferred in this taco dip.
- Taco seasoning – I love to use my homemade taco seasoning but any will work.
- Water
- Veggies – Shredded iceberg lettuce, diced Roma tomatoes, and sliced black olives.
- Shredded cheese – I like to use a Mexican cheese blend but cheddar cheese works too.
How To Make Taco Dip
Here’s an overview of how to make this dip. It’s so easy! The printable version of the instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Cook the beef. Brown the beef over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces. Remove any excess grease from the pan. Add one packet of taco seasoning packet and water. Stir to combine then simmer for 3-5 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates. Set aside.
- Make the cream cheese mixture. Combine the sour cream, cream cheese, and remaining taco seasoning packet until creamy and smooth.
- Assemble. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan. Add the ground beef on top, followed by the shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and olives.
Tips & Variations
This taco dip is so simple to make but I do have a few tips! There are also lots of ways to customize it to your preference.
- Let the meat cool a bit. I like to finish making the taco meat before I begin any other part of this recipe to give it a chance to cool a bit. It’s best if the meat is close to room temperature when adding it to the dice to prevent it from melting the cream cheese mixture.
- Use softened cream cheese. Softened cream cheese will be easier to mix in with the other ingredients and will create a smooth, creamy dip with no lumps.
- Add a bean layer. If desired, a layer of refried beans can be added between the sour cream mixture and the meat mixture. Beans could also replace the meat for a vegetarian version of the dip.
- Wait to add the toppings. It’s completely fine to assemble the first three layers a day or so in advance. However, I do recommend waiting to add the lettuce and other toppings until just before serving (or within a few hours of serving) to prevent the lettuce from wilting.
- Add other toppings as desired. Feel free to add any other taco toppings to this dip. Sliced jalapenos, salsa, onion, jalapeño, green onions, black beans, cilantro, bell pepper and diced avocados are good choices.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving this taco dip at room temperature so that it’s easily dippable. Even if I make it ahead of time, I remove it from the fridge an hour or so before serving to give the meat and cream cheese layers a chance to reach room temperature, which makes them easier to scoop. I’ve broken a lot of tortilla chips trying to scoop cold taco dip!
I usually keep it simple and serve this dip with tortilla chips or scoops.
Proper Storage
Due to the lettuce, this taco dip is best enjoyed within a day of making it. Keep it covered tightly with foil in the fridge and let it come to room temperature before serving, as noted above.
More Savory Dip Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Fried Pickle Dip
- Cheesy Hamburger Dip
- Sloppy Joe Dip
- 7-Layer Dip
- Smoked Salmon Dip
Taco Dip
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 packets taco seasoning
- ¾ cup water
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce shredded
- 1 cup shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
- 3 Roma tomatoes diced
- 2.25 ounce can sliced black olives
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a skillet and brown over medium-high heat breaking it apart into medium-size crumbled pieces.
- Once cooked, remove the excess grease.
- Add one taco seasoning packet and ¾ cup of water to the beef and stir to combine.
- Allow the beef and seasoning to simmer for 3-5 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Set aside.
- Place the sour cream, softened cream cheese and the second taco seasoning packet to a medium bowl and use a spoon or hand mixer to combine until creamy and smooth.
- Spread the sour cream mixture on the bottom of a pie plate or 8×8” square glass pan and smooth it out to evenly distribute across the bottom of the plate.
- Add the ground beef to the top of the sour cream and then sprinkle on the cheese.
- Add the lettuce, diced tomatoes and black olives to the top.
- Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.
Last Step:
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