Taco Dip with Meat is an easy dip recipe that's perfect for sharing. Seasoned cream cheese is layered with taco meat and all your favorite toppings to make this simple recipe.
This taco dip with meat recipe is the ultimate mashup! It's 7 Layer Dip, taco salad, and cream cheese dip all rolled into one.
Technically, this is a dip recipe, since it has a cream cheese base. However, it's almost entirely a taco salad, too, if you remove the cream cheese.
Regardless of what you call it, this taco dip is packed with flavor, easy to make, and there's plenty for sharing. It also refrigerates and heats well, which is great for leftovers.
How to Make Taco Dip with Meat:
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, diced onion, and 1 ounce of taco seasoning. Cook until no pink remains, drain, and set aside.
Take a block of softened cream cheese (not the tub version), and place it in a bowl with the sour cream and the second ounce of taco seasoning. Use a spoon or hand mixer to mix the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Grab an 8 x 8 -inch dish, a 9 x 9-inch dish, a 9 -inch deep dish pie plate, or a 9 -inch tart pan and begin layering the ingredients. Start with the cream cheese mixture, and use a spatula to smooth it in an even layer across the bottom.
Next, add the ground beef mixture. Spoon it over the cream cheese mixture in an even layer.
Add the shredded cheese over the ground beef. Then layer on your favorite toppings.
We used shredded iceberg lettuce, diced vine-ripened tomatoes, and sliced jalapenos. Enjoy immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to eat!
What toppings are good on taco dip?
Any toppings that you enjoy on tacos will also taste great on taco dip with meat. Some great options are:
Salsa
Hot Sauce
Taco Sauce
Shredded Lettuce
Sliced Olives
Shredded Cheese
Diced Purple Onions
Sliced Jalapenos
Guacamole
Diced Avocados
Can you use a different kind of meat?
Yes, absolutely! Shredded seasoned beef or steak would work great, as would shredded chicken.
Can you make taco dip without meat?
Yes, you can! There are several recipes for taco dip without the meat. Here’s a recipe for Easy Taco Dip that is very similar to ours but without the added taco meat.
How do you reduce the sodium in this recipe?
We used 2 (1 ounce) packets of taco seasoning for our taco dip. That’s where the majority of the sodium is coming from.
To reduce the sodium, simply cut back the taco seasoning. Use 1 packet instead of 2 or use homemade taco seasoning instead. In most cases, homemade taco seasoning has considerably less salt than it’s store bought counterpart.
Is taco dip with meat eaten hot or cold?
That’s really up to you. We eat taco dip with meat hot, but we enjoy taco dip without meat cold.
This recipe refrigerates well for about 3 days, and reheats easily in the microwave on half power.
Can you heat taco dip to melt the cheese?
Yes, after the the shredded cheese is added to the dip, place the dip in a preheated oven (preheated to 350°F). Allow the dip to heat for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese melts, then remove from the oven and add the rest of the toppings.
Depending on how much fat is in the ground beef, more grease may be released while the dip is in the oven. *Make sure you’ve placed the dip in an oven-safe dish.
Recipe Card with Ingredient Amounts and Instructions
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, )We used 93/7.)
- ½ cup white onion, diced and divided
- 2 ounces taco seasoning, two (1 ounce packets), divided
- 8 ounces block-style cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 2 cups fiesta blend cheese, shredded
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
- ½ cup tomatoes, diced
Instructions
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, and 1 ounce of taco seasoning. Cook until no pink remains. Drain the excess grease, and set aside.1 pound ground beef½ cup white onion
- In a medium bowl, use a spoon or hand mixer to combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and the remaining 1 ounce of taco seasoning. Set aside.8 ounces block-style cream cheese8 ounces sour cream
- In an 8 x 8 -inch dish, a 9 x 9-inch dish, a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, or a 9 -inch tart pan, add the cream cheese mixture in an even layer. Top the cream cheese with the ground beef, then add the shredded cheese. Next, add your favorite toppings. We used shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and sliced jalapenos.2 cups fiesta blend cheese1 cup iceberg lettuce½ cup tomatoes
- Serve with tortilla or nacho chips. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Chrissey says
This is great. I put it in the oven for 10 mins to melt the cheese.
Kimberly says
Thanks so much, Chrissey! We're glad you enjoyed the taco dip. Have a great weekend! 🙂