Taco Dip Recipe with Ground Beef
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This taco dip recipe using ground beef is the perfect quick meal or would be great for a hearty appetizer dish. It is super easy and takes minimal, usually on hand ingredients.
Taco Dip Recipe with Ground Beef
I enjoy making my family easy but delicious frugal meals that don’t take much time to prepare. This week I was experimenting on some recipes while trying to use up some ground beef from my freezer.
This Taco Dip Recipe was so simple to make and everyone absolutely loved it. I plan on adding this into my meal rotation often. This recipe can be made as an appetizer or side dish for taco Tuesday or you can enjoy it as a meal in itself! Taco Dip makes a great meal for busy nights because it can be made in a total time of about 15-20 minutes. You can even make ahead for even less time!
Ready to get started? Let’s cook together!
Taco Dip Recipe Ingredients
- Hamburger. I used grass-fed ground beef because that’s what we raise. It’s very lean and I don’t have to drain it, but it you are using less than 90/10 ground beef, drain it after you brown it to prevent excess grease from ruining your dish.
- Green Onions. Red onion would work great too. Did you know you can re-grow green onion from the bulbs?
- Taco Seasoning. I used my homemade taco seasoning mix but you can use store-bought if that’s what you have.
- Salsa. I used my home canned salsa, but can be a store-bought favorite kind.
- Sour Cream.
- Shredded cheese. I used colby jack, but can use your favorite kind as many varieties would work well in this recipe.
- Romaine lettuce. Or iceberg lettuce would work too. Any kind of thicker leaf lettuce works great for this and will hold up well.
- Black Olives.
- Tortilla chips.
Optional Toppings:
- Fresh Diced Tomato
- Cheddar Cheese
- Black Beans
- Refried Beans
- Green Chilis
What to Serve with Ground Beef Taco Dip
This can be an easy appetizer to serve on the side of your favorite taco meal, or you can make this dish the star of the meal! You could also serve it with:
- Spanish Style Rice
- Cilantro Rice
- Black Bean Soup
- Chili
- Garlic Bread
- Breadsticks
FAQs About Making Taco Dip
What is 7 layer dip made of and how is it different from taco dip?
7 Layer Dip is an uncooked dip recipe that is typically served cold. This easy Taco Dip recipe is baked before enjoying.
What happens if you put water in ground beef?
If you try to add water to you ground beef to increase the softeness of the meat, it will only result in removing the flavor from the meat and making your taco dip runny. If you want softer meat, I would recommend that you use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
How do you make taco dip less runny?
Do not add water to the beef and make sure that you drain any excess oil out of the beef before adding it into the pan.
Instructions for the Best Taco Dip Recipe
In a small cast iron pan, brown one pound of ground beef over a medium heat. I use a large skillet from Lodge.
When almost completely browned, add in one small bunch of green onions, including whites and greens. Chop them finely. You could also add in the green chiles here if you plan on using them.
Add in your taco seasoning.
Add the burger mix to the bottom of a 8 x 8 baking dish.
In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream and salsa. Then spread this mixture evenly over the top of the burger mix.
Finally, add your shredded cheese to the mix.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted thoroughly, but not browned.
Once out of the oven, add the shredded lettuce and chopped olives. If you want to add in other taco toppings, feel free. I would have added on some small diced tomatoes, if I would have had them on hand!
You can also serve with additional sour cream or salsa.
Use your favorite tortilla chips to scoop and eat! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container or cover the dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for later.
Need to print this Taco Dip Recipe with Ground Beef for your Recipe Binder? Grab it below!
Taco Dip Recipe with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound hamburger
- 1 small bunch green onion or red onion would work great too
- 2 Tablespoon taco seasoning I used my homemade mix
- 1 cup salsa I used my home canned, but can be store bought favorite kind
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheese I used cojack, but can use your favorite
- 1 small head romaine lettuce or iceberg
- 1 small can of black olives
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
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In a small cast iron pan, brown one pound of ground beef. When almost completely browned, add in one small bunch of green onions, including whites and greens. Chop them finely. Add in your taco seasoning.
-
Add the burger mix to the bottom of a 8 x 8 baking pan.
-
In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream and salsa. Then spread this mixture evenly over the top of the burger mix.
-
Finally, add your shredded cheese to the mix.
-
Bake in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted thoroughly, but not browned.
-
Once out of the oven, add the shredded lettuce and chopped olives. If you want to add in other taco toppings, feel free. I would have added on some small diced tomatoes, if I would have had them on hand! You can also serve with additional sour cream or salsa.
-
Use your favorite tortilla chips to scoop and eat!
Dairy Free Taco Salad
You can use a cheese alternative and a sour cream alternative in place of the regular versions for dairy free.
Gluten Free Taco Salad
This recipe is naturally gluten free! Just make sure that your taco seasoning does not have any added wheat products and serve with corn tortilla chips.
Little House Living’s Taco Salad Tips and Tricks
- You could make the bottom portion of this recipe (up until the baking part) ahead of time and put in the fridge overnight for an even quicker meal the next day.
- Add in some refried beans to the ground beef for extra fiber and protein for those picky eaters. For those with texture issues, you could do only refried beans on the bottom and just be make sure whatever toppings you use (lettuce, olives, etc) are approved by your texture-issue family member.
- If you have leftover taco meat from another meal, use that….it will save you time and use up the leftover meat into yet another meal.
More Dip Recipes
- 7 Layer Taco Dip Recipe; 5 Minute Layered Taco Dip Recipe
- Cream Cheese Spinach Dip Recipe
- Simple 5 Ingredient Recipe for White Cheese Dip
- 5 Ingredient Cream Cheese Taco Dip Recipe
- Homemade Queso Dip
We had this as a quick lunch and it was perfect! We did have some leftovers and I reheated it the next day for another quick lunch and it reheated just fine, even with the lettuce!
Give it a try for a super quick meal!
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This recipe was originally posted on Little House Living in January 2023.
We do something similar to this with taco leftovers! We also like to do a tortilla chip base and pile leftover taco ingredients on top of the chips and then heat up. Homemade nachos!