Tired of soggy chips?! Ditch traditional nachos and make this Hot Nacho Dip. Layers of refried beans, queso dip, seasoned beef, tomatoes, olives, jalapeños and two kinds of cheese.
Who doesn’t love nachos? I mean seriously, what is not to love about a big plate of chips covered with cheese, meat, beans, tomatoes, olives and jalapeños?
Now, imagine with me for a moment that you remove the chips from the equation and take all of those wonderful goodies that you usually pile on top of the chips, layer everything in a casserole dish and bake until hot and bubbly.
That my friends is what I like to call Hot Nacho Dip.
I got the idea for this dip after trying to dig out a soggy chip from a pile of nachos for the 21907493014th time. I love nachos but soggy chips are not my fave. Hot Nacho Dip solves that dilemma because there is all the goodness of nachos in a hot melty dip that you dip the chips into.
What ingredients do you need?
To make this Hot Nacho Dip, think of all the ingredients that you like to pile on top of nachos. That is exactly what you’ll find here:
Ground beef: You could also use shredded chicken, slow cooker pulled pork or even chorizo in this recipe. If you use chorizo, be sure to drain the grease just like you would do with ground beef.
Spicy Refried Beans: Beans are always a great addition to nachos as they make them super hearty. You can use regular refried beans in this recipe too if you want to cut down on spice.
Salsa Con Queso, Cheddar and Jack Cheese: That’s right THREE different kinds of cheese. Cheddar and jack cheese melt to give you that stringy cheese pull that we love about nachos. The queso adds another layer of melty cheese goodness!
Onions: add a bit of crunch to the dip
Roma Tomatoes: Be sure to remove the seeds inside. It’ll help prevent the dip from getting watery.
Black Olives: Totally optional but I love them on my nachos
Jalapeños: Also optional but I’ve gotta have some crunchy heat on my nachos!
How do you make this dip?
Guys it could not be easier! The most difficult part is simply browning the meat with the seasonings and onion. Once you get that done, all you do is layer everything in a baking dish and then bake until bubbly.
All deliciousness and no soggy chips.
DES TIP: There is a lot going on with this dip so make sure that you pick a thick hearty chip that can handle the dip without breaking.
To get even more deliciousness, you could also top Hot Nacho Dip with sour cream and guacamole. Because guacamole.
Looking for more game day snacks? Here are some of my must haves:
Can’t get enough dips? Check out these!
Recipe originally published Nov 5, 2009 and updated July 2020 with new notes and nutrition facts.
Servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion (diced)
- 1 15 ounce can spicy refried beans
- 1 cup salsa con queso
- 2 roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)
- 1 2.5 ounce can sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup pickled sliced jalapenos
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and seasoning mixture. Cook until beef is browned. Transfer to a colander placed over a bowl to strain the grease. Set aside.
- In the same pan that you cooked the beef in, add the diced onion. Cook 2-3 minutes or until softened. Return beef to pan. Toss to combine. Remove from heat.
- Spread refried beans in the bottom of an 8" x 8" glass baking dish. Spread salsa con queso over the refried beans. Spoon meat mixture over the top, spread evenly. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and layer with olives, tomatoes, jalapenos, cheddar and jack cheese. Return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.
- Remove from oven allow to cool for a several minutes. Serve.
I’ve never made it in a slow cooker so I can’t say for sure. I think you could cook the meat in a separate pan then layer everything in the crockpot. It would keep it warmer longer that way. If I did this, I would put the cheese on right away instead of cooking then adding cheese and then cooking again. Let me know if you try it!
Can this be made in a slow cooker rather than an oven??
This is a great recipe! I made it for a party and it was a big hit!
Yes! I would recommend tortilla chips that are a bit thicker that can handle such a heavy dip. Mission Tortilla Strips are my favorite for this.
Looks delicious…one question though… does this go with tortilla chips too?
Great idea to leave the chips out and let people do their own dipping!
Such a yummy idea, nachos are the best!
You could find it in the chip aisle of the grocery store. it’s a cheese dip with salsa mixed in. Tostitos has one I know :)
Where do I find salsa con con queso?
Hi Fran!
The instructions are listed on the recipe above. The video also helps show you how! :)
How do you make the hot nacho dip?
You are welcome!! I agree, it is the perfect combo of dip and nachos!
Oh my gosh! You are a lifesaver! I am a HUGE fan for nachos, but when I seen your recipe for Hot Nacho Dip, my heart stopped and I fell in love instantly; it is literally the best of both worlds! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! 😁
Yummy dip, perfect for game day!
Yummm! I can’t wait to try this!
So fun for the game!
This is the perfect dinner for my husband! :)
I want some right now!
We could eat nachos every day of the week!!
These are my love language!!!
Oh boy, this would be perfect for superbowl Sunday! So yummy.
You are such a problem solver!! Love it!
Wow!! This is my kind of dip!!
This is such a smart idea! No one wants a soggy chip! This is going on the Super Bowl menu for sure!
This dip is so cheesy and delicious! Perfect for a game day!
This recipe looks wonderful – will be making this for the Super Bowl!!!
Can’t wait!!!!!
Brilliant! I mean, who in their right mind likes those soggy chips underneath? Ummm, nobody! Gonna make this one very soon.
Iman- Nope! I do that substitution all the time.
If I substitute ground turkey for beef, do I need to do anything else?
Thank you Anne! I love the idea of using pepper jack. I will have to try that next time. And I’m pretty sure there is never a thing as too much cheese when it comes to nachos : )
We loved it! We also used a cup of the cheeses instead of a half cup and pepper Jack instead of plain Jack. It was wonderful!!!!!
Thanks Ken! :)
THIS IS VERY VERY GOOD, I MADE IT TWICE NOW , ITS FAST & EASY & ITS A BIG HIT TY , Ken B. THE horseman FROM OREGON ,
It’s superbowl Sunday and I’m going to make your receipe it looks great thank you
Tim Bennett
This sounds great! Do you maintain a cookbook for individuals at this site or do we have to download and print? Right now my printer is being obstinate and won’t print anything off the web. My daughter [the almost resident comp. guru hasn’t had time to come and fix it, yet.”soon” she says].
Letty- that would be a great substitution. I’ll have to try it. Thanks!
Thinking this would be ultra good w/ chorizo fried up and added rather than beef. Zing!
Thank you Kevin!
What a tasty looking dip!
You’re welcome Gary! I’m glad you enjoyed it :)
Made this one tonight at the house… another hit Des.
Thanks for the recipe.