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How to Make Cheesy Bean Dip
This dip made with refried beans really cannot get much simpler. When we have them on hand, we love starting with homemade refried beans. Here’s our recipe for refried beans recipe that shows how to make them using dried beans or using canned. They are so flavorful and creamy! You can use pinto beans or black beans to make them. When we don’t have homemade beans on hand, we go for canned refried beans. While the creaminess and flavor isn’t as good as homemade, the canned beans do make this bean dip recipe come together fast. The rest of the ingredients are simple. I prefer fresh onion and garlic, which I quickly cook in a little oil and a variety of flavorful spices before stirring it into the dip. To add even more flavor I add a good amount of salsa and a can of green chilies. To make it ultra creamy, I stir in both sour cream and cream cheese. This cheesy bean dip is best when served warm so I bake it in the oven until heated through. Since we do bake it, I always add some extra cheese to the middle and on top of the dip. This way, every scoop of bean dip gets a bit of cheese. You can serve the bean dip as is or do what we did in our photos and add a handful of diced avocado, tomato, and cilantro. Can I make bean dip ahead of time? Yes, absolutely. Make the dip as directed in our recipe below, and then add the dip and cheese to a baking dish. Cover the dish, and then refrigerate up to 3 days until you are ready to bake. Can I make bean dip in the slow cooker? Yes! Cook the onions, garlic and spices as directed in the recipe below, and then add them along with the remaining bean dip ingredients to your slow cooker. Stir until well combined, and then cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours or until the cheese is melted and the dip heated throughout. Can I make this bean dip vegan? Yes! Make sure that you use vegan friendly refried beans and use vegan substitutes for the sour cream, cream cheese, and shredded cheese. Instead of vegan shredded cheese (I am not the biggest fan), try stirring in 4 to 5 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the dip to add a cheesy flavor.
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
Easy Homemade Guacamole — See how to make the very best guacamole at home. Our recipe is simple, fresh, and no matter what else we serve with it, it’s always the first to go. Smoky Black Bean and Corn Salad — How to make our favorite black bean and corn salad with tomatoes, onion and lime. Perfect as a side salad or with chips as a corn salsa. Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde — One of my favorite salsa recipes! Try our easy roasted salsa verde recipe with lots of flavor thanks to roasted tomatillos, peppers, and garlic. Homemade Pico de Gallo — With just 6 simple ingredients, you’ll have fresh, zesty, delicious tomato salsa in no time. Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip — All the flavors of buffalo chicken turned into a fondue-like cheesy dip. Everyone loves this dip!
2 teaspoons olive oil 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (half medium onion) 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves) 3/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder, try our homemade chili powder 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 cup mild or medium salsa, try our roasted tomato salsa One 4-ounce can diced green chilies, see notes 1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese 1/2 cup (4 ounces) sour cream 3/4 cup shredded cheese Salt and fresh ground black pepper Pinch cayenne or hot sauce, optional for spicy dip Optional toppings: Fresh lime juice, diced avocado, chopped tomatoes, sliced jalapeño, fresh cilantro, hot sauce 2Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic then cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, translucent, and smell sweet; about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and coriander. 3Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the refried beans, salsa, diced chilies, cream cheese, and sour cream. When they are ready, stir in the cooked spiced onions and garlic. 4Taste the dip, and then adjust with salt and pepper as needed. For a spicy bean dip, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce. 5Transfer about half of the dip to a small baking dish (see suggestions in the notes below). Scatter half of the shredded cheese over the dip then top with the remaining bean dip. Finish with the remaining shredded cheese. 6Bake the dip until hot throughout and the cheese melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with a spritz of fresh lime juice on top.
