The Best Bean Dip Recipe
The Best Bean Dip Ever – creamy, spicy, and the perfect texture for dipping. Bring it to a friend’s house to watch the game and it’ll be a hit. Beans, salsa, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, chili powder and cumin make this recipe delicious. It’s the ultimate flavor combo and is seriously one of the best appetizers I’ve ever had.
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EASY BEAN DIP RECIPE
During my last pregnancy I had an overwhelming craving for bean dip. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was looking for but I was sure if I tasted enough bean dips I would find the right one to satisfy the craving.
I tried Taco Bell and drove around to every local restaurant in South Florida and nothing came close to what I wanted.
Growing up in Arizona we had a plethora of Mexican restaurants that were known just for their bean dip and that’s sooo what I wanted.
Just a couple thousand miles too far away.
I never did find one that did the trick until now…when I’m not pregnant anymore.
There are some foods that I ate while I was pregnant and honestly still have a hard time eating now because they bring back such strong memories of how sick I was.
Don’t let my wacky hormones fool you…those recipes are good. I’m just being honest.
SERVING
Generally this is served with chips or crackers. You can serve it room temperature but I like it warm.
WHAT IS IN BEAN DIP
This bean dip is pretty simple. Blending beans, salsa, shredded cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, chili powder and cumin together. No taco seasoning just a few spices. It’s the ultimate combo and is seriously one of the best bean dips I’ve ever had.
But this, THIS is the dip. Couldn’t be anymore perfect. This is everything I ever wanted when I was pregnant…and not pregnant.
You could garnish the bean mixture with some green onions, tomatoes, black olives, or cilantro. Add some green chiles for more kick! Squeeze some lime juice for a little zing. Always add salt and pepper to taste.
ARE REFRIED BEANS GLUTEN-FREE?
Yes, in general but always check the label to make sure.
HOW TO MAKE BEAN DIP
This dish was meant for the slow cooker but due to my procrastination I’ve found that it can also be done in the oven in a baking dish and even the microwave in a medium bowl (ultra procrastinator).
WHAT’S THE BEST SLOW COOKER?
I use my 7-quart Crock-Pot to make my bean dip. I’ve had it for years, and I love that I can just set it and forget it for delicious bean dip as a snack or for entertaining. You can get it on Amazon for around $80 and it’s something that you’ll use for years to come!
OTHER DIP RECIPES:
- Chili’s Queso Dip
- Beef Enchilada Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Easy Feta Dip
- Hot BLT Dip
- Jalapeños Popper Dip
- White and Black Bean Dip
- Chip n’ Dips
- 7-Layer Mediterranean Dip
The Best Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
- 1 cup chunky salsa
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, (4 ounces)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, (4 ounces)
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, (or more to taste)
- tortilla chips
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; transfer to a small (1-1/2-qt) slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until heated through, stirring intermittently. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa.
- Optional ways of preparing: The slow cooker is ideal because it keeps the dip warm but you can also prepare this in the oven or even microwave.
- For the Oven: Bake dip at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Microwave: Heat in a microwave safe bowl for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted and smooth. Stir every couple of minutes.
Video
I made this for a tailgate this past weekend, and it was a hit! I used fire roasted tomatoes (what I had on hand), but it was delicious and everyone raved about it. I will definitely be making it again!
So glad you liked it!
db’s lazy guy’s alternate w/ less ingredients…
Looking for a black bean dip when I ran across this… had several cans of regular refried beans, so decided to try your concoction instead…
Happened to have a 1/2 can from using some refried beans for something else, so decided to half the recipe… FWIW I determined that std. sized cans of whatever that are labeled as 14.5, 15, 16 ozs., etc (by WEIGHT) depending on the contents, happens to be ~16 ozs. (by Liquid) or 2 cups (which comes in handy when using canned ingredients where most recipes call for measurements as a liquid)…
Since we always have pre-shredded Mexican Four Cheese Mix, decided to use it instead, so 1 cup of it subbed for the 1 cup each of the two varieties in the original…
Also didn’t have any fresh cream cheese so found that sour cream was an acceptable substitute and that the called for amount of a 3 oz. package was close enough to 1/4 cup that using 1 cup of sour cream vs the 3/4 cup called for was just right w/o the cream cheese (or 1/2 cup in our case of a half batch)…
Since the refried beans are so stiff, mixing can be a hassle, so added a couple spoons of leftover jalapeño juice I always keep around and heated it up separately in the mixing/serving bowl in the microwave… even w/o the ‘juice’, heating will make for easier mixing…
Then measured and combined the salsa and sour cream in a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup adding the spices as I went so they’d mix together easier… warming in the microwave to loosen that mix up making stirring together easier right in the measuring cup…
I then added that gradually to the loosened up refried beans while stirring the mixture after a lil more microwaving, as needed, to make mixing it easier…
After throughly mixed, I measured the shedded cheese in the already used and emptied measuring cup, gradually adding it, while stirring, to the main mixture in the serving bowl, again microwaving as needed to ease the stirring…
After thoroughly mixing, again microwaving as needed, we ended up with the finished dip ready to go…
Can’t say for sure how close it comes to your ‘perfect’ dip, but it’s close nuff fer me… ‘; )
This technique allows for easier mixing of otherwise hard to combine ingredients, only messes up two containers (a 2 cup measuring cup is all that’s needed for the full recipe, or less in our case, using it for the interim measuring and mixing…), and with the microwaving is ready to go when you’re through… no waiting like a slow cooker involves, or heating up the kitchen when using an oven, with the benefit of easier mixing…
If there’s only two of you, there’ll be plenty left over, with a half or full batch, and will keep well in the fridge for several days (the wife insisted that when covering with plastic wrap I push it down onto the surface of the dip to keep it from skimming over… don’t know if necessary, but she’s usually right and it was as good reheated later as when freshly prepared…)
Will be substituting black bean dip as soon as I can find some…
Jes a suggestion…
db
Hi Christy!
Do you think a can of refried black beans would work?
Yes but I haven’t tried it
Recipe calls for a cup of cheddar and a cup of jack… a cup is 8 oz but the recipe says 4 oz of each. Also a package of cream cheese is 8 oz but recipe says 3?
The recipe calls for 3 ounces of cream cheese and there are small packages of that. A cup is 8 ounces of fluid but when measuring cheese 4 ounces is a cup.
Pregnant and craving bean dip! Sooo glad I found this! Super easy to make and definitely satisfies my craving.
Happy to help!
The chili powder taste was overpowering and makes it inedible. One Tablespoon was way too much unless I am using wrong kind of chili powder
I’m sorry you didn’t like it. Do you happen to know what brand it was? I just made this and it wasn’t overpowering.
I was looking for something to snack on and I found this recipe. I had all the ingredients on hand and cooked it on the stove as I didn’t want to wait for it in the crockpot. OMG! So so good. So So flavorful. People call me the Crockpot Dip Queen and this is definitely going to be made several times in the future. Can’t wait for friends to try it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Yay! Thanks Eileen.
The title doesn’t lie, this is the best bean dip. Made it for a work Super Bowl potluck and it was the MVP!
Yay!! I made it too!
Your right it is the best bean dip.
Thank you!
I thought this was the best out of 3 recipes I had tried. I added 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper and the next time I make it (which will be soon 😄) I will jump that up to 1/4 tsp. I also thought that reheating it in a portion I wanted made it more flavorful the next day. Thank you for submitting this delicious recipe!
Thank you!
Does this stay “dippable” when it cools?
Yes but not as dippable
It truly is one of the best dips that I have ever consumed! My family LOVES it! YUM!
thank you!
Thank you! This is REALLY YUMMY! My hubby likes to have bean dip and scoops for a snack, but the store bought stuff is “blah”, and expensive. I made this and he LOVES it! He was also amazed when I told him we had the ingredients on hand, so no additional purchases needed. 🙂 I will be freezing in small batches for a quick go to.
thank you!
Was it originally salsa verde instead of the chunky salsa? I’ve been making this for years and just came back because I forgot the ingredients and am not sure I have the right recipe. Everything else is as I remember it!
Sorry I’ve never changed this recipe so maybe it was another one?
Probably my memory then …. I went with the recipe as it’s written (not my faulty memory) and it tastes just the way I remember it. Delicious!
This has become a family favorite for bean dip recipes. It’s easy to make and a great appetizer for games and get-togethers. Everyone I’ve made it for asks for the recipe. I usually mix everything in my crockpot and heat a couple hours, then leave it for people to graze!
Thank you Amber!
The ingredients work really well together! I just halfed the recipe and microwaved the cheeses with a little milk for 40 seconds and stirred like crazy, added the sour cream, salsa and beans and stirred it up. Makes a great dip, thank you!
You’re welcome!
Hey! Could you make this with a crock pot?
This is made in a crock pot!
I cannot find 3oz. Cream cheese. Was it supposed to be 8oz.
I just made this and it’s so yummy!! Will be making again!
Nope 3. You can just add 3 of the 8?
Look at the side of an 8 oz package. It is marked off in ounces.
Yummy! Very tasty, and easy. Hubby LOVES it. WAY better than the $4 can store bought stuff. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
I used this as the base for the 7 Layer dip cups I found on another part of your page. I found condiment cups at The Dollar Tree that had lids on them! They were awesome for our super bowl party. I have used several recipes from your page and they have always turned out so well!!
Awesome!
I made this last night to share with friends. It was easy to make and received many compliments. I enjoyed it as well and will definitely be making it again. One of the best bean dips I, also, have ever had. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
Can I freeze this ? Love it so much , but hubby hates anything bean
Yes!
It says 1 cup of each cheese, but isn’t a cup 8 ounces. It says 4.
Thanks. Hope to make this for Monday football game
Thanks.
If you have a scale, use 4oz cheese by weight.
If you have a cup, use 1 cup by volume.
Reason: Cheese is not water, shredded cheese even less so.
Not for dry measurements. For liquid 8 ounces is a cup
Made this and added some chorizo sososo good!
Thank you!
Made it. Tried it. Loved it. I’m not pregnant either. Great recipe. Thank You Much !
Thank you!
I got lost at picante sauce. You mean hot sauce?. Why would you not just call it hot sauce?
It’s not hot sauce. It’s an actual brand of chunky salsa. You could use any chunky salsa.
Just tried this recipe for the 1st time, soooo good!!! Didn’t have picante sauce so I used mild taco sauce. Definitely going in my recipe file. I’m going to use it as the base for my taco pizza next. Thank you for this great recipe!
You’re welcome!
Hi I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve been making it for I think 8 years now. I don’t know if it’s just me but did this recipe change? Maybe I’m confusing it with another recipe with similar seasonings. 😅 I guess that’s why it’s best to print it or have it written down haha🤦😄 I was thinking this had paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin which I’m pretty sure I’ve been doing but since i made a bigger batch I wanted to double check the recipe but couldn’t find thise seasonings listed in here. Please let me know if I’ve lost my mind lol Thanks in advance! 😵🤔😅🙏☺
Do you have to use sour cream?…I do not like that in Mexican…Add more cream cheese maybe?
Sure! It just makes it creamy
I made this for a birthday party appetizer and it was gone in 15 mins! So good – I will definitely make again!
Wow that’s amazing!
Whoo Hoo! Closest to my fav Mexican restaurant in AZ. Best bean dip! Maybe even better than Serrano’s 😉
I have so much nostalgia for Serranos. That’s my high school nights out right there
Do you mean Arribas? I’m looking for something close to Arribas recipe.
Thanks for the lovely recipe. I’m about to make it. Wondering if it can be eaten cold? Like a 5 layer dip type dip (dip dip – lol)? Thanks
I haven’t tried it but sounds good
Can this be cooked on low in a small crockpot and if so, double the time say 4- 5 hours?
I think it will still be done around 3 hours
hi there! I cannot find any “3 (three) oz” packages of cream cheese.. did you mean 8 (eight) oz ?
Thanks for your help.
Star
Nope. It’s 3 ounces. You can just use 3 tick marks on an 8 ounce package.
I need to heat this with sterno under a chafing tray – could I serve it in a cast iron skillet?
Yes!
Oh my goodness this is the best ! Made it for super bowl tonight and not a drop left !
Nicccceee
So good. Made this last night and was a huge hit. Didn’t have a lot of time so I made it on the stove. Came out so good.
So happy to hear that!
Fantastic recipe! Didn’t have picante so used salsa. I wanted a recipe that didn’t have a big glop of cheese sitting on top so this looked perfect. Mixed it up in a 9 inch casserole dish and stuck it in the oven for about 45 min. Wow is it delicious. Thanks!
So happy to hear this!
When do you add the spices?
Immediately. She lists the first eight ingredients. That’s everything, but the chips 😊
With all of the ingredients.
Very easy, and good tasting. I didn’t either have picante sauce so just cooked
w/o and still can out great, thanks.
You’re welcome!
I see prepare in a crock pot, oven, or microwave. Not so much a pot on the stove then? I’m afraid to try.
Yes, stove is totally fine.
I’m making this right now, but stovetop! I also didn’t have any salsa so I’m using rotel! Thanks for the recipe 😍🥰
Great tweaks!
Gonna make this for a get together tomorrow, how much does it feed?
It makes 18 servings.
It says a package of cream cheese but then it says it’s only 3 oz, is that a typo? I’ve never seen smaller than 8 oz
There are 3 ounce packages, they just aren’t as common.
I wonder if this is freezable.
I have not tried it but i don’t see why not.
Hi! I am going to make this. Just wanted to clarify. Is it 3 oz of cream cheese? Not a package? The ones at my grocery are 8 oz. thanks so much!!!
Yes, it’s 3 ounces.
Hi, how many people does this feed?
The servings is listed on the top left of the recipe card. This serves 18.
The is the best, my husband just loved it.
Aw thank you!
Hi, I was wondering if this can be kept for a few days and reheated because I’m the only one in our family who likes bean burritos or bean dip.
Totally reheats well!
So simple and GOOD! I made this in the microwave and stirred after 3 minutes, then another 3 minutes, and then 2 minutes. Came out perfectly creamy and tasty!
Yep! Totally easy!
WOW. I love this stuff!! I am a bean burrito junkie. I made a batch of this and eat it first as a dip. Super YUM! Then I saw a comment how this made good burrito. Good…trying amazing in my book! As an adult who has become concerned with her health I no longer eat Taco Bell…but their bean burritos….I would dream. Now no more……I made a burrito with the leftovers…..WAY better than Taco Bell. This will become a new food group for me I believe. Thank you so much for sharing!
Haha a new food group!! I love it.
I have, wait, I mean HAD been searching for a good bean dip recipe for some time. This one was a huge hit! Although I did not use store bought hot sauce, I used my own. I can’t wait to make it again!
So glad you loved it!
My Brother Made this and brought it to me and my Mom, first time eating this Bean Dip, we All Loved It!!!! Beats Store Prices and you get more for your money to make it yourself.
THank you!
I’m confused. Is it 1 cup of cheddar (8ounces)
Or a 1/2 cup cheddar (4ounces)?
I think you are confusing “fluid ounces” with “dry ounces”. The recipe is correct, 1 cup of shredded cheese weighs about 4 ounces.
Similarly, the 16 ounce can of beans refers to its weight, not its volume. 16 ounces (by weight) of beans is only ~1.75 cups.
Yeah ounces is 2 cups of cheddar and 4 ounces is one cup.
Hi! Just curious if this dip would be okay eaten cold? Thanks!
I don’t love it cold.
I can , so I used a 16 oz. Jar of my pinto beans and made this as I am a HUGH fan of bean dip. This recipe is GREAT.. thank you so much…
So happy you liked it!