Best Bean Dip

This refried bean dip is creamy, cheesy, and easy to make! Serve it warm with tortilla chips for a delicious party appetizer or game day snack.

Bean dip

This bean dip recipe is the ultimate party appetizer! It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, and it’s perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips. Just make sure to hit up the snack table right after it comes out of the oven. This bean dip disappears QUICK!

And I haven’t told you the best part yet: this bean dip recipe is easy to make. It calls for refried beans (you can use canned or homemade), so instead of blending the dip in a food processor, you can simply stir it together in a bowl.

Spread it in a baking dish, sprinkle it with cheese, and bake until the top is melty and bubbly. From there, just add your favorite garnishes and dig in!

Bean dip ingredients

Bean Dip Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this bean dip recipe:

  • Refried beans – Canned and homemade refried beans both work well here! You’ll need 2 cups homemade or 1 (16-ounce) can refried pinto beans.
  • Sour cream – It adds richness to the dip and perfects its creamy texture. If you don’t keep sour cream on hand, feel free to substitute plain Greek yogurt.
  • Canned diced green chiles – They add delicious tangy flavor.
  • Taco seasoning – Use store-bought or make homemade taco seasoning with spices like chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder. Note whether or not your taco seasoning is salted. If it is, you may not need to add much salt to the dip.
  • Shredded cheese – For topping! I like to use shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend.
  • And a lime wedge – Squeeze it over the dip before serving for a pop of bright flavor.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Refried beans, sour cream, green chiles, and spices in mixing bowl

How to Make Bean Dip

This refried bean dip is so simple to make!

First, mix together the dip ingredients. Place the refried beans, sour cream, green chiles, and taco seasoning in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.

Mixing bean dip in bowl

Next, taste the dip. Does it need more taco seasoning or salt? If it does, add some. Continue tasting and adjusting until you love the flavor. The amount of salt and spices you need will depend on the potency of your taco seasoning and whether or not your seasoning and refried beans are salted.

Get ahead! Stir together the refried beans, sour cream, green chiles, and taco seasoning up to 2 days in advance, and store the mixture in an airtight container in the fridge.

With this step out of the way, you’ll be able to easily bake off the bean dip just before serving.

Spreading refried bean dip in skillet

Then, bake the dip. Evenly spread it in an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or baking dish. Top with the cheese, leaving a bit of the dip exposed around the edges.

Topping bean dip with cheese

Bake at 375°F until the cheese is melted and the dip is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let the dip cool for 5 minutes before garnishing it, squeezing it with lime juice, and serving.

Bean Dip Serving Suggestions

I love this refried bean dip with fresh garnishes on top! Before serving, load it up with any of the following:

  • Halved cherry tomatoes or diced plum tomatoes
  • Thinly sliced green onions
  • Thinly sliced jalapeños or serranos
  • Sliced or diced avocado
  • Chopped fresh cilantro

I also love to add one tangy, salty topping for extra depth of flavor. Cotija cheese is my favorite, but pickled jalapeños or even black olives would be fun too.

Enjoy with tortilla chips!

Bean dip recipe

More Favorite Dip Recipes

If you love this easy bean dip recipe, try one of these party dips next:

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Best Bean Dip

rate this recipe:
5 from 12 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 8
This bean dip recipe is an easy, delicious party appetizer or game day snack! Serve it warm with tortilla chips.

Ingredients

Topping options

  • Halved cherry tomatoes or diced plum tomatoes
  • Thinly sliced green onions
  • Thinly sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers
  • Sliced or diced avocado
  • Cotija cheese
  • Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and oil an 8x8-inch baking dish or 8-inch oven-safe skillet.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the refried beans, sour cream, green chiles, and 1 teaspoon taco seasoning. Taste and add more taco seasoning and salt as desired. (When I make this recipe with unsalted beans and unsalted taco seasoning, I add a heaping ½ teaspoon salt at this point, though you may want less or none if your beans and/or taco seasoning are salted.)
  • Transfer the bean dip to the prepared pan and evenly spread it to the edges. Top with the cheese, leaving some dip exposed around the edges. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dip is bubbling.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes, then add desired toppings. Squeeze with lime juice and serve with tortilla chips.

7 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Sabrina from newkitchenlife.com
    02.05.2024

    I love a good bean dip and this one works well for me, thank you!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.09.2024

      So glad you love it, Sabrina!

  2. Great dip! I also like using feta or goat cheese.

  3. Danielle
    02.24.2022

    My daughters and I would love this! great idea.

  4. Jacqueline
    02.10.2022

    How many chili peppers (the small ones) would you replace the can of chili peppers with? Thanks a lot 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.10.2022

      Hi Jacqueline, the canned green chiles are very different (they’re roasted, soft, and have tangy juices). If you don’t have them, I would skip them, add more lime juice to the bean mixture (to taste), and then add however many sliced jalapeños or serranos you want as the topping. Hope that helps!

  5. Sabrina from newkitchenlife.com
    02.07.2022

    great reminder of a favorite dip of mine and a key part of my diet (legumes) less the chips, unfortunately, thank you

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.