This easy recipe for slow cooker taco dip is a vegetarian version made with no meat or Velveeta, but it’s still ultra creamy from cream cheese and refried beans! Just dump the ingredients in the crockpot, stir, and cook for 1 to 2 hours until warm. Voila, your go-to party dip is ready! Make this healthy, Mexican-inspired recipe for The Big Game, football tailgates, and other gatherings.
I love a good dip while watching football…but I’m not a fan of feeling sluggish from the high-fat, high-sodium, and ultra-processed ingredients that often go into creamy dips. With The Big Game coming up (and my favorite team playing in it — go birds!!!), I wanted to create a snack option that was still creamy and flavorful but with lighter, more nutritious ingredients.
My slow cooker taco dip features fiber-rich refried and pinto beans, Greek yogurt in place of sour cream (more protein, yay!), and half the cream cheese found in other recipes. Plus, there’s veggie-loaded salsa and Mexican seasonings.
You can enjoy this party app with veggies for even more fiber, but it’s also the perfect companion to tortilla chips. I have a feeling it will become a go-to recipe for when you need a delicious crowd-pleaser!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Refried beans: You can use refried pinto or black beans, but I prefer pinto.
- Pinto beans: I also like to add a can of whole pinto beans to give slow cooker taco dip some texture. Sub another kind of beans, like black or kidney, or a second can of refried beans if that’s what you prefer.
- Cream cheese: Use lite cream cheese to cut down the fat content even more.
- Salsa: Use your favorite chunky salsa. A lot of taco dips call for Rotel brand diced tomatoes with green chilies, so feel free to use that as a sub for salsa if desired.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Sub sour cream.
- Chili powder and cumin: Use taco seasoning in place of these spices for even more flavor.
- Mexican cheese: Melt on top of the dip before serving.
- Toppings: Serve with toppings of your choice, such as shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, jalapeños, more shredded cheese, green onions, or black olives.
Instructions
The full recipe card for slow cooker taco dip is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to give you an idea of texture and appearance.
Combine all of the ingredients, except for the toppings, in a slow cooker.
Stir well, cover, and cook on low until warmed through (usually takes 1 to 2 hours).
Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 more minutes until melted.
Equipment
You can use any kind of slow cooker. The dip does not take up much room, so even smaller versions will work. I like to use a 4.5-quart or 7-quart slow cooker.
Serving
This slow cooker taco dip is intended to be a warm taco dip, so you can serve it right in the slow cooker if you want. Just remember to turn the slow cooker dial to the “warm” setting instead of leaving it on low so that it doesn’t overheat and scorch. To prevent potential food safety issues, do not leave the dip on warm for more than four hours. Discard the dip after the four hour mark.
Add toppings that can get warm, such as chopped tomatoes, black olives, and green onions, and avoid using shredded lettuce as a topping if you serve it right from the crockpot. Pair the dip with chopped veggies, tortilla chips, or corn chips like Fritos.
You can also transfer the dip to a serving dish (like you see in my photos) and add toppings to it there.
Storage
As noted, it’s best to discard leftover taco dip that’s been sitting out for a few hours. If you have leftovers that did not sit out that long, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave in intervals until warmed through.
More Party Dips and Apps
Love this slow cooker taco dip? Check out these other recipes for parties and The Big Game:
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Taco Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces refried beans - pinto or black
- 15 ounces pinto beans
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 16 ounces chunky salsa - can sub Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt - sub sour cream
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese - divided
- Toppings of choice - shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, black olives, green onions, or jalapeños
- Tortilla chips, veggies, or corn chips - for serving
Instructions
- Grease or spray the bottom and sides of your slow cooker. Combine all of the ingredients, except for ½ cup of the cheese and the toppings, in the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 to 2 hours. Check the dip at 1 hour to make sure it's not scorching.
- If you wish to serve the dip straight out of the slow cooker, sprinkle it with the rest of the cheese. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 more minutes until it's melted. Then, switch the slow cooker to the "warm" setting for serving. Add toppings of your choice, but consider using ones that taste good when warm (like tomatoes and green onions) instead of things like shredded lettuce. Serve with chips or veggies.
- You can also transfer the dip to a serving dish and add the toppings to it there instead of serving it out of the slow cooker.
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- To prevent food safety issues, do not leave the dip on the “warm” setting for more than 4 hours. Discard after 4 hours.
- If you have leftovers that did not sit out, transfer to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- Nutrition facts are for the dip only and do not include toppings, chips, or veggies.
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