Dig into this Easy Mexican Dip with Cream Cheese and you will find it hard to stop! Three ingredients is all it takes to make this baked Mexican dip recipe– cream cheese, salsa and some shredded cheese. Of course, you could add some more ingredients if you want to mix things up; we’ll offer some tips on that.
I can’t believe it took me so long to make this Easy Baked Mexican Dip.
My Aunt Mary Ellen brings this dip with some regularity to family gatherings. When I see her ready to put the baking tray with cheese and salsa into the oven, I am careful not to stray too far. If you are out shooting hoops when the Easy Mexican Dip emerges from the oven and gets set out with the other apps, you are likely to be out of luck.
So with a dip that is so good, I’m surprised it took me so long to figure out how to make it myself. Several years ago, I was at a local food event where I sampled some fresh salsa by a local maker. We chatted about collaboration, and I made this Mexican dip as a recipe to feature their salsa.
Unfortunately, the company (Nola’s Fresh Salsa) is no longer in business. So I’m in search of a new favorite salsa to recommend for this recipe — let me know in the comments if you have a favorite salsa to use!
Or if you’d like to make your own, you could try this Easy Mexican Salsa recipe from Cooking Up Memories.
The recipe is still delicious with the various store bought salsas I’ve tried. So this Mexican dip is still a favorite! Time to cover some details.
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What makes this recipe work
Just three ingredients delivers tons of flavor! This recipe is one of the easiest dips to make. This makes it a great game day recipe, and can also be something you can whip up for unexpected guests. Keep this in mind for Cinco de Mayo, too!
Once you start digging into the melted cheesy, spicy goodness of this Easy Mexican Dip, it is definitely hard to stop.
So as soon as this gets set out, it usually gets gobbled up pretty quickly. Just be careful, it comes out piping hot and you really should let it cool for a few minutes before you dig in…either way, have a nice cold beverage ready to enjoy with it.
Ingredients
That’s right, just 3 ingredients required!
For this recipe, you just need:
- Cream cheese — low fat is fine.
- Salsa — ideally, some high quality, fresh salsa really makes this recipe work the best. But once the salsa company I originally used went out of business, I’ve tested the recipes with a variety of salsas that have worked fine.
- Shredded cheese — I like to use a Mexican blend, which typically includes cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack and other cheeses. Some pepper jack cheese in the blend can bring some extra heat!
You just need three ingredients, but some optional ingredients you could layer into the dip include:
- Chopped green onions
- Sliced olives
- Refried beans
If you add any of the extra ingredients, I would layer them on top of the cream cheese.
And of course, after you bake the dip, you will want a bag of chips handy for serving!
Step by step
Here’s a step by step overview of how to make this easy dip recipe with some pictures to guide you. Get the full recipe instructions in our recipe card.
Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the cream cheese out of refrigerator 15 minutes before making the recipe to let it soften.
Place the cream cheese in the baking dish.
Spread the cream cheese to cover the bottom of a baking dish.
Layer of salsa Spread the salsa in a layer over the top of the cream cheese.
Top with cheese – For the next layer, sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of the salsa.
After you sprinkle the cheese over the salsa, you are ready to bake the dip at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Get ready to enjoy it!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes. This Mexican dip gets baked to melt the cheese and blend the flavors together.
Serve this easy dip with tortilla chips. The scooper kind come in handy for getting all the cheesy goodness! And we like to enjoy it with a good beer — more on that below.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. Reheat the portion you want in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until the cheese on top gets melty again.
Well, this has some similar flavors but it only has 3 layers. The great thing is that it is easier to make!
More dip recipes
Below we highlight some of our favorite dip recipes. But if you are looking for more Mexican recipes, check out What to Serve with Enchiladas roundup and our new Steak Picado recipe. And you might also like our Baked Fiesta Dip!
Pairings
We pair wine with most of our recipes here on Cooking Chat, but sometimes beer is the beverage of choice. That certainly seemed to be the way to go with this dip given its nice healthy kick. Not to mention, this recipe is perfect for serving during the big football games, when there just might be a beer or two involved.
IPA style beers tend to be good paired with spicy food, the crisp hoppiness balances the spice. The first time I mad this baked Mexican dip, I served it with the Hopponius Union from Jacks’ Abby in Framingham, MA. This beer is technically an India Pale Lager, details on what that means over on their website. As anticipated, this IPL made for a very nice beer pairing for the Easy Mexican Dip.
Sticking with the local theme, I paired the dip with a Glorious IPA from Lord Hobo, which is located in our hometown of Woburn, MA. Another excellent pairing!
PrintRecipe card
Easy Mexican Dip with Cream Cheese
You won’t be able to resist this cheesy baked Mexican Dip with cream cheese, fresh salsa and melted cheese!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 16 ozs lite cream cheese, left at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften
- 16 ozs fresh tomato salsa, medium spice
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread the cream cheese out to cover the bottom of a baking pan. 9 by 5 inches and 2 to 3 inches deep or thereabouts works well.
- Scoop the salsa onto the cream cheese layer and spread even across the cream cheese to cover it.
- Sprinkle the cheese around the pan to cover the salsa.
- Place the baking pan in the oven. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Remove dip from oven and serve along with tortilla chips. We typically have it served right from the pan. Enjoy!
Emily
Oh myyy, this looks like it would be hard to resist! I’m definitely making this asap!
Cooking Chat
Hope you like it!
Bill
I smoke the cream cheese in my pellet grill first…yummy !!!
Cooking Chat
Interesting! Haven’t heard of that technique before but sounds tasty.
Demeter
Love that this dip is so easy to make! Even better: it’s just a few ingredients. I know I’ve got to share this with my dip-loving friends!
Kristi
At our house we make a lot of chips and cheese for appetizers, this would totally be stepping our game. Looks delicious!
Kristen Chidsey
There is something about creamy Mexican dip that gets me every time! This is a dip to whip up when last minute guests show up–it is so easy!
Cooking Chat
gotta love recipes that can be prepped last minute!
Cooking Chat
Gotta love recipes that can be made in a flash for company!
Chris
This looks absolutely mouthwatering!! That cheese pull in the first photo, oh my.
Cooking Chat
Thanks Chris! Definitely good and cheesy.
Speed, Testera
I like this cheesy Mexican Dip just looking at it. Looks so delicious and tasty.
Cooking Chat
Thank you!
Cindy
We are always looking for new recipes to try as a family. It has helped our kids to expand what they eat being involved in this. We found your recipe and are adding it to next week’s menu to try! YUM . Perfect for game night snacking
Cooking Chat
Glad you found it, Cindy! Cooking with family is fun — we have a goal to do that more this year. Hope you enjoy!
Valorie
Black diamond salsa is great from Julie Engel in Colorado! Different heats and different flavors!
Cooking Chat
Thanks for the tip!