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Every party needs a warm, cheesy bean dip, and this one is so easy to make! This homemade bean dip uses refried beans, salsa, green chiles, plain Greek yogurt, simple Mexican spices, and plenty of cheese. Not only is it a great appetizer, but you can also use it as a filling for burritos, tacos, and quesadillas.
Bean dip is one of those party appetizers that you can be assured will disappear before the end of the night. It’s essentially refried beans with a glow-up! The best part is, it can be prepped in 10 minutes or less and all in one bowl. You can also make it ahead of time!
Along with being creamy, cheesy, and full of Mexican flavors, this warm party dip is packed with protein and fiber. Greek yogurt gives it a boost of protein and beans are a great source of fiber. Just one more reason to grab some tortilla chips, crackers, or veggies, and dive in!
Ingredient Notes
Refried beans – Canned refried beans work perfectly for this recipe and they’re a great time saver. If you prefer to make homemade refried beans go for it. My favorite brand to use is Siete Foods.
Salsa – A red restaurant style or chunky salsa works best for this recipe. You can use mild, medium, or hot depending on how spicy you want the bean dip to be. Salsa verde is great alternative and give the bean dip a slightly tangier flavor because of the tomatillos.
Greek yogurt – Plain Greek yogurt makes the bean dip super creamy and adds a good amount of protein to it. Use whole milk Greek yogurt for the creamiest and richest flavor and avoid using non-fat or it may curdle when the dip is baking.
Spices – Chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and garlic powder boost the flavor of the dip and give it a mild earthy, smoky flavor. They pair perfectly with the salsa and green chiles too.
Green chiles – I love the subtle tang and subtle smoky flavor of green chiles. It’s one of my favorite ingredients to add to my Southwest and Mexican inspired recipes. You can also save time and use a taco seasoning packet. You’ll want to use 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning.
Shredded cheese – I like to use colby jack and monterey jack cheese for this dip. You can also use shredded cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend. I find that the consistency and flavor is better when you use a block of cheese and grate it yourself.
Tips for Making Homemade Bean Dip
- Make the bean dip ahead of time. Make it up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it covered in the refrigerator. Add an additional 5-10 minutes to the baking time since it will be going into the oven cold.
- Warm the refried beans before making the dip. Refried beans can be a little hard to mash and mix with other ingredients straight out of the can. Add them to the mixing bowl then microwave for 30-45 seconds so they’re slightly warm (not hot). This softens them and makes it so much easier to mix with the remaining ingredients.
- Use a thicker salsa. It’s best to use a thicker, chunkier salsa for this refried bean dip to prevent it from being too runny.
- Cover with foil. Cover the dip with foil for half of the baking time. This will keep the cheesy top from getting too crispy. If it’s too crispy it won’t give you that nice cheese pull when you dip tortilla chips into it.
Substitutions and Variations
Use black beans or pinto beans. Instead of refried beans use a can of black beans or pinto beans and mash them yourself. You may want to reserve a tablespoon of the liquid in the can so the beans aren’t too dry. You can also used refried black beans.
Add ground beef. For a meatier version of this bean dip, cook and crumble a 1/2 pound of ground beef and stir it in with all of the ingredients.
Add toppings. This is a great dip to add toppings to after it’s baked. Sliced green onions, cilantro, black olives, chopped tomatoes, avocado, or jalapeno slices would all be delicious.
Repurpose the leftovers. Not only is this baked bean dip a fantastic party appetizer, but the leftovers can be used in a variety of ways. Think bean and cheese burrito filling, taco filling, a topping for nachos, or spread it inside a quesadilla.
What to Serve with Bean Dip
This is one of my favorite dips to serve for game day or Cinco de Mayo. If you want to turn it into a full Mexican feast here are some of my favorite recipes to serve with it.
Appetizers – Add a couple more appetizers to the spread like pico de gallo, green chile guacamole, hot corn dip, and chicken enchilada dip.
Side dishes – I like to have a couple sides and my cilantro lime rice and Mexican street corn salad are a must!
Main dish – Bean dip goes great with this beef enchilada skillet, carne asada, and chicken fajita skewers.
How to Store Bean Dip
Storage and reheating – Bean dip will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or in the oven at 350° F. for 15-20 minutes or until warm.
Freezing – You can freeze this bean dip, however the texture may change once it’s defrosted because of the dairy in it.
Bean Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounce can refried beans
- 3/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack or Monterey Jack cheese I like to use both
- Sliced green onions and cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray an 8×8 or similar sized baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl add the refried beans. Microwave them for 30-45 seconds so they're softer and easier to mix with the other ingredients.
- Add the Greek yogurt, salsa, green chiles, spices, salt, and half of the cheese in with the refried beans. Stir until well combined.
- Pour the bean dip into the baking dish and top it with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the dip is bubbly.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and cilantro and serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or veggies.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Dip Recipes
- Dill Pickle Dip
- Beef Enchilada Dip
- Mexican Corn and Green Chile Dip
- Whipped Feta Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
If you make this Bean Dip Recipe, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
