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    Home » Recipes » Appetizer Recipes

    Classic Taco Dip

    Published: Mar 13, 2024 by Fox Valley Foodie · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Classic Taco Dip Recipe

    No party is complete without this classic taco dip recipe, Simple to prepare, and a crowd favorite, you will be making this easy appetizer time and time again!

    This creamy taco dip is such a classic recipe! I feel any recipe index would be incomplete without it. It seems EVERY party I go to has taco dip on the table, and it is typically one of the first dishes to be consumed. Your guests love the flavor, and you will love how easy it is to prepare with a few simple ingredients!

    Serving classic taco dip.

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Cream cheese
    • Sour cream - I found if I use slightly more sour cream and whip the cream cheese, it makes a much lighter dip that is easier to scoop with tortilla chips. Quite honestly, often a taco dip with cream cheese is so thick it is impossible to dip a chip into it without the chip breaking or scooping up a giant clump of dip. Making your taco dip with sour cream is important to lighten the texture.
    • Taco seasoning packet - Buy your favorite brand from the grocery store, or make taco seasoning from scratch.
    • Shredded iceberg lettuce
    • Shredded Cheddar cheese - Any shredded Mexican cheese blend will work well.
    • Roma tomatoes - I prefer using Romas because they are less watery, but any vine-ripened tomato can be substituted. Pico de Gallo is a great substitute.
    • Sliced black olives
    • Green onions
    • Tortilla chips - Corn chips can be substituted.

    Tip: You can add any of your favorite taco toppings, such as taco meat, chopped red onion, or hot sauce!

    How to make it

    To make this easy taco dip recipe, start by softening your cream cheese by soaking the unopened package in warm water for 10 minutes, or placing the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and gently heating it.

    Tip: Softening cream cheese is important because it allows the sour cream to be blended in more completely.

    Once the cream cheese is softened, whisk in the sour cream and taco seasoning and spread the mixture across the bottom of a large baking pan.

    Add the shredded lettuce evenly across the top, followed by the shredded cheese, tomatoes, olives, and green onions. Then serve immediately with tortilla chips.

    Classic Taco Dip no Olives.

    How long can this dip be left out?

    If you plan to make this taco dip recipe for a potluck or party, keep in mind, that since it is dairy-based you don't want to keep it out at room temperature all day. It should be consumed within two hours. This is true of any mayo or dairy based food. However, you can prolong the safety of your food by using a Chilled Dipping Bowl that stores ice underneath.

    Taco Dip Appetizer.

    Storing Leftovers & Making in Advance

    Taco dip can be made in advance, but for the best flavor and texture, I recommend not making it more than one day prior. Also make sure it is covered with plastic wrap, or aluminum foil, or placed in an airtight container while being stored.

    After it is served, leftover taco dip can be stored for up to five days, but you can expect the texture of the lettuce to soften the longer it sits in the refrigerator, and the chopped tomatoes to pool out juices.

    Classic Taco Dip in pan

    Classic Taco Dip

    No party is complete without this classic taco dip recipe. Simple to prepare, and a crowd favorite, you will be making this time and time again!
    4.77 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 230kcal
    Author: Fox Valley Foodie

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
    • 16 ounces sour cream
    • 1 (1.25 oz) packet taco seasoning mix
    • 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
    • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
    • 2 roma tomatoes chopped
    • 2.25 ounces canned sliced black olives drained
    • 2 green onions sliced

    Instructions

    • Soften the cream cheese by letting it warm up on the counter, or whip it with a hand mixer to lighten it, then combine with sour cream and taco seasoning mix.
    • Add the sour cream mixture into a serving tray (11x7" casserole dish works well) and spread evenly across the bottom.
    • Sprinkle lettuce over the top, then add cheese, tomatoes, olives, and green onions.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Save yourself time and money by using my Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe. Make a big batch and store it in your pantry! 3 tablespoons = 1 packet of taco seasoning.
     
    If you prefer a dense dip consistency, use 8 ounces of sour cream instead of 16 ounces in the cream cheese mixture.

    Nutritional Information

    Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 934IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @FoxValleyFoodie or tag #foxvalleyfoodie!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nan

      September 10, 2024 at 9:15 pm

      2 stars
      This recipe is not classic layered taco dip. The cream cheese, sour cream ratio is way off. I had to drizzle taco sauce over the layer of cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning just to give a semblance of taste. Also, only needed one seeded roma tomato for a 11x7 dish.

      Reply
    2. Mick Beaver

      August 11, 2024 at 12:07 pm

      5 stars
      This is definitely the perfect classic taco dip that Wisconsinites know and love! Even though we live in a different state now, I was able to surprise my wife with a taste of home. Thank you! The only adjustment I made was to use a lower-sodium taco seasoning, as I find the dip to be salty enough.

      Reply
    3. Sue Kearnd

      December 17, 2021 at 10:36 am

      Will a 13x9 pan be ok or should I double it for that size pan

      Reply
    4. Elizabeth

      September 21, 2021 at 11:32 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious cookies!!! My husband loves them. I used a combination of semi sweet and milk chocolate. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!

      Reply
    5. Bry

      November 08, 2019 at 7:51 pm

      It's also good with the addition of one lb ground beef, browned and added on top of the cream cheese/sour cream mixture & before the veggies & cheese!

      Reply
    6. Jeanne

      August 31, 2019 at 11:03 am

      Can I make ahead of time and refrigerate until I’m ready to serve it?

      Reply
      • Fox Valley Foodie

        September 01, 2019 at 9:31 am

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    7. Sarah

      July 26, 2019 at 9:04 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious! I have some picky eaters, so what I did was make the dip and sprinkle the cheese on top. I put the lettuce, tomatoes, olives, green onions, and i put some jalapenos on the side, so people could add toppings of their choosing. It isn't as pretty, but it worked for the situation. I was also thinking since lettuce doesn't really keep and tomatoes get soggy. If I were to make this for a smaller gathering and there were leftovers, it would help the leftovers by having some of the items not mixed in the dip.

      Reply
    8. Denise Marie Hanson

      June 11, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      seriously, keep the change and have a amazing day with TACO DIP

      Reply
    9. Michele

      January 28, 2019 at 1:15 pm

      This is a classic recipie in our family! But we add ground turkey!

      Reply
    10. Max

      May 19, 2018 at 12:50 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and addicting. Made this for a church potluck and it was devoured within moments!

      Reply
      • Fox Valley Foodie

        May 19, 2018 at 1:36 pm

        I am glad everyone liked it!

        Reply
    11. Becky T

      March 30, 2018 at 8:27 am

      5 stars
      This was the best taco dip I've had!

      Reply
    12. Tammy I

      July 17, 2017 at 9:35 am

      5 stars
      It isn't a party without taco dip!

      Reply
    4.77 from 13 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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