This Hot Taco Dip with layers of refried beans, taco meat, tomatoes, jalapeños, black olives, and lots of Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese is the perfect appetizer for any occasion. Serve it at your New Year’s Eve or Super Bowl party. Your guests will devour it!
Recipe originally published on December 30, 2014. Updated with a video on December 26, 2019.
I’d have to say that this layered taco dip is the most universally well-liked appetizer recipe that I make.
When I bring it to parties, it’s one of the first dishes to be wiped clean.
My friend invited us to a New Year’s Eve party and she requested I bring this hot taco dip and a few of the other New Year’s Eve appetizers I have been creating this week including a Parmesan Artichoke Cheesecake Countdown Clock, the Time’s Square Cheese Balls, and my Ball Drop Pinata Cookies.
Although there was a lot of food served, this taco dip was, as I suspected, the most popular dish at the party.
Making it is quick and easy and I’ve often decorated it for holidays.
The first time I made this dip was while I was writing my cookbook, Hungry Halloween. I used it to make a Wickedly Spicy Witch Dip which was decorated with Guacamole and Black Bean Dip Witch.
Then when I began blogging I made a Frankenstein’s Monster Taco Dip complete with a Guacamole monster on top and last year for the Super Bowl I put the dip in a Football Shaped Serving Bowl.
To dress this dip up for New Year’s Eve, I just wrote out “2015” in black olive slices. It wasn’t fancy, nor is this dip, but everyone seemed to think it added a festive touch to this simple appetizer.
You can, of course, change the date to match the year you are celebrating.
Hot Taco Dip Recipe Video
Update:
Being this dip is so popular with my friends, family, and all of you, I thought it would be a good idea to create a video tutorial to share with you.
I didn’t decorate the dip for the video instead I added some Monterey Jack Cheese and topped the dip with some diced tomatoes, Jalapeños, and black olives to break up all of that orange cheese. I have to admit that it looks a lot more appealing with a pop of color on top.
How to Make Hot Taco Dip
- Spread 16 ounces of your favorite refried beans into the bottom of a baking dish.
- You can use a round dish or a rectangle dish that will hold at least 10 cups.
- I used the largest of the three Pyrex Simply Store Rectangle Glass containers.
- Its capacity is 11 cups.
- For my New Year’s Eve Taco Dip I served it in a Wilton Armatale Reggae Bowl with a clear glass pyrex bowl inside.
- Top with a layer of taco meat.
- Then sprinkle on some diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and black olives.
- Top with shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese.
- You can sprinkle on more tomatoes, jalapeños, and black olives before you pop the taco dip in a 350° F oven, or you can heat the dip for 10 minutes then add them before heating the dip for another 15 minutes.
Can I make this taco dip ahead?
- Yes, you can prepare this dip several hours before your party, cover the dish with plastic wrap or tin foil, and refrigerate.
- Then before your guests arrive, uncover the dip and bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-35 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the dip is heated through.
What should I serve this taco dip with?
- Sour cream is a delicious with this taco dip.
- Guacamole tastes great too.
- Spice it up with hot sauce, sriracha sauce, or even salsa.
What to do with leftovers?
- It’s very unlikely you will have any of this dip leftover after your party, but if you do, simply cover the dish and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
- Reheat either in the oven or in the microwave. Just be sure you don’t microwave your Wilton Armetale dish if using.
How to decorate this dip?
- Layer the refried beans, taco meat, tomatoes, jalapenos, black olives, and cheese into a baking dish.
- Use black olive slices to create the year you are celebrating. I created this in 2014 to celebrate New Year’s Eve before 2015.
- Bake the dip.
- You can also heat the dip for 20 minutes, then remove it from the oven, add the olive slices, and heat for an additional 5 minutes. Your olive slices will stay a bit more plump if you do that.
Hot Taco Dip Recipe
A hot taco dip layered with refried beans, taco meat, tomatoes, jalapenos, black olives, and cheese can be served plain or decorated for a New Year's Eve party.
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 16 ounce can refried beans
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup diced jalapenos
- 1 cup black olive slices
- 2 cups 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese
- decoration: 30-40 black olive slices, optional
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
-
Add ground beef and cook until browned; drain.
-
Add taco seasoning and water and bring to a boil.
-
Lower heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
-
Spread refried beans into bottom of a round or rectangle baking dish.
-
Spread the taco meat over the layer of refried beans.
-
Sprinkle on diced tomatoes, diced jalapenos, and chopped olives.
-
Top with shredded cheeses.
-
Arrange black olive slices in the appropriate date (2015) over top of the cheese.
-
Bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.
-
Serve hot.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
For more fun, New Year’s Eve Appetizer and Dessert Recipes, check these out…
Perfect! Great thing to make for our 4th of July family BBQ.
Thank U.
Made this for a New Year’s Eve party last night. It was a huge success! Thank you so much.
Hi Lori, I’m so happy to hear that the taco dip was a huge success.
Do you it covered, or not??
I have made this dip both ways, covered and uncovered. It really doesn't matter. The cheese around the edges will brown a little bit if it's not covered, but I kind of like the crispy bits.
There you go with your "presentation" again. Beans have never touched my lips, but I'm going to save this recipe and will make it some time for those who do. If you say it's a crowd please I can be SURE it is. You made it so attractive with the olives spelling out 2015.
Did you bake it in a 9X13 and then transfer it to the clear pyrex plate? If so – was there any left over?
Glad you decided to stay home tonight as I can tell you're the guest who never comes empty handed to a party and you've already done enough! Besides, the roads will be congested and the 3 of you can have a wonderful time just by yourselves.
Happy New Year and thank you SO much for all your wonderful ideas this year. You're just limitless with your creativity. Thanks to you I now had to go buy an egg shaped candy mold. You keep coming up with more and more ideas that are just to cute to not do.
We've "dipped down" into the 70's tonight and it's been raining all day so hope it lets up so people can enjoy the fireworks.
Tavette (S. Fla.)
Oops, I'm glad you asked about the 9×13 pan. I just copied and pasted the instructions I had used for the Frankenstein Taco Dip. I just fixed it. I did layer it the round baking dish, not a 9×13 pan. I didn't like beans much as a kid, but I do like them a lot now. The dip is definitely a favorite, so I highly recommend making it for a party.
We curled up to watch movies at 5:30 and fell asleep before midnight. Somehow I woke up just as the ball was dropping in Time's Square. I heard fireworks go off a minute later, then I was fast asleep again. It was the best way to ring in the New Year!
My husband and I spent the night before in Cincinnati. We saw the lights at the zoo, had a free hotel night's stay, then played games at Dave and Busters on New Year's Eve afternoon. That was our celebration. I was happy to not be on the roads with the drunk people on New Year's Eve.
It is freezing here. We had a low in the teens yesterday, but still no snow. Today it's sunny and cold. I'd always rather have sunny and cold than rain or grey skies. I function so much better in the sun! I'm back in the kitchen today making some Super Bowl stuff.
Have a Happy New Year,
Beth
I didn't realize how deep this dip was – and it looks delicious. For some reason taco dip sounds really really good after all the turkey and ham!!
Yes, you can make this dip in a 9×13 dish or a round dish. It's deeper in the round dish. It makes it harder to just dip chips, but everyone just spooned the dip onto their plate then scooped it up with the corn chips. It was a nice change of pace for this time of year.