I can’t believe that December is in full swing already. This fall has flown by so quickly and now it is practically winter. During the fall, I don’t dive into pumpkin spice season so much. I do, however, love football food season. This black bean taco dip is one that I made repeatedly this year.
The base for this dip is black beans, seasoned with onion and taco seasoning (garlic, cumin, chili powder and paprika). Then I add salsa to give the dip some more body, and of course flavor.
The vegetable broth and corn starch are mixed into a cornstarch slurry that adds velvety texture to the dip and loosens the consistency so that it is extra scoopable.
Finally, add hot sauce and cheese. I like to mix in half the cheese to add richness, then melt the other half on top so you can see all the cheesy goodness and enjoy the strings of cheesiness with each scoop without overdoing it on saturated fats.
How to Serve this Black Bean Taco Dip
I serve this dip garnished with red onion and jalapeno slices. You can also give it a squeeze of lime before you add the cheese topping if desired.
Tortilla chips are the best scoops in my opinion. You could also consider potato chips, seed crackers or toasted baguette slices.
How much dip does the recipe make?
The recipe will fill an 8 inch skillet. This is enough for two people if it is all you are serving. If you are having multiple dips, it will stretch to make 4-6 servings. Double the recipe if you want to have enough for a large party (Superbowl style).
Variations to the Black Bean Taco Dip recipe:
- Salsa: I always have an open jar of salsa in the fridge. You could use green salsa in place of red, or you could try canned tomatoes with green chilies.
- Taco Seasoning: If you stock taco seasoning, use 5 teaspoons in place of the garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Broth: Broth adds more flavor, but water or a light beer could also be used.
- ¼ - ½ cup diced onion
- splash olive oil
- 1 cup cooked black beans (drained from a can)
- 1 tsp each: garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp each: black pepper and salt
- ½ cup salsa or canned tomatoes with green chilies
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 5 dash hot sauce (or to taste)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Saute the onion in a splash of olive oil until softened and translucent, 5-10 minutes.
- Stir the black beans, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, black pepper and salt into the onions and mix until well coated. Mix in salsa and stir to coat.
- Whisk the broth and cornstarch together and pour into the skillet. Stir to coat and bring to a boil. Let simmer for at least 1 minute, or until thick. Mix hot sauce and half of the cheese into the black bean mixture. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle the other half of the cheese on top. Cover the skillet for about 5 minutes to let the cheese melt.
Recipe adapted from The Chunky Chef.
