Need the perfect hot dip for Super Bowl? I've got you!
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Cheesy baked cowboy dip is a scrumptious dip full of Southwestern flavors with minimal prep time and easy clean-up.
- It’s one of the best appetizer recipes for game day tailgating or your next party!
- Full mouthwatering flavor, cook the ground beef in the taco seasoning until it’s brown and crumbly before mixing it with the other ingredients!
Fresh and zingy ingredients like Rotel tomatoes, fire-roasted corn kernels, spicy green chiles, and green onions balance the creamy richness in this flavorful dip.
Cowboy crack dip is easy to customize and equally delicious hot or cold!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Swap the ground beef with crumbled hot Italian sausage links for a little extra zing.
- Buy taco seasoning or make your own! It’s a simple combination of salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, cumin, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Finely chopped red onion is a great option instead of green onion. The vibrant color, satisfying crunch, and sharp, peppery flavor are perfect in this cheesy dip!
- You can use other kinds of melty cheese in place of cheddar, such as Mozzarella cheese, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack.
- Regular diced tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes without chiles are fine, too.
- Bulk out this cowboy queso recipe with the addition of black beans or pinto beans.
🍴 Equipment
- Large skillet
🎥 Video
🥫 How to store leftovers
If you have any leftover cowboy dip—I’ll be shocked if you do—let the dip cool to room temperature and refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Serve the dip cold straight out of the fridge or reheat it in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until warmed through.
If reheating the dip in an oven or air fryer, cover the baking dish in aluminum foil so the top doesn’t burn.
Expert tip:
Use fresh corn sliced off the cob or frozen corn kernels. Canned corn is too soggy and mushy to be fire-roasted—no good in this dip!
💭 Things to know
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet on medium heat until it crumbles, using a flat wooden spatula to break up the meat. Drain excess grease before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients, or include the grease for a sinfully delicious dip!
- Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.
- I always grate cheese fresh from a block. The pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that affect the flavor and texture.
- I recommend getting a high-quality premium brand of sweet corn since you want its natural sweetness and crisp texture to shine through. Green Giant, Del Monte, and Birds Eye are good choices.
- You can fire-roast corn on the grill, on the stovetop, or in the oven on a lined baking sheet.
- There are several types of green chiles, but hatch chiles—also called New Mexico chiles—are my favorite! They have the subtle heat of jalapeño peppers but are sweet and smoky.
- I recommend placing your baking dish on top of a large sheet pan in the oven just in case the dip bubbles over the sides while it bakes.
- Garnish your dip with more green onions, fresh cilantro, candied jalapeno pepper, extra shredded cheese, hot sauce, bacon bits, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
👩🍳 FAQs
Sharp cheddar cheese is great in Tex-Mex dishes like this one but other melty cheeses work, too. You can use Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack. I wouldn't use parmesan cheese in this recipe.
Grill fresh corn cobs in the husks after removing the silk strands, or remove the husks and wrap them in foil. Cook ‘em on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the ears of corn occasionally so they cook evenly.
Or you can cook the corn kernels in a large skillet with olive oil on medium-high heat until they start to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
To roast corn in the oven, place the ears of corn on a baking sheet and coat them in olive oil. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Sure! Just combine cream cheese, sour cream, cooked ground beef, all of the shredded sharp cheddar, green onions, Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, salt, and pepper in a large
Yep! Assemble the dip in the baking dish a day in advance and keep it covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the fridge. Bake it the next day right before serving.
Serve cowboy dip with your favorite dippers, like tortilla chips, corn chips, crackers, saltines, pretzels, vegetable sticks, or crostinis.
📚 Related recipes
- Rotel Sausage Dip is full of creamy, cheesy Southern goodness with hot sausage, tomatoes, chiles, and cream cheese—a perfect dip for any get-together!
- Jalapeno Popper Corn Salad features fire-roasted corn, fresh jalapenos, shredded cheese, and savory notes of bacon in a creamy Ranch dressing.
- Mississippi Sin Dip is one of my favorite dips of all time, with ham and lots of cheese baked to gooey perfection!
🍽️ Serve with...
Create crostinis for scooping up this yummy dip with my Homemade Baguette Recipe that’s ready in about 30 minutes!
Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings are dipped in a sweet ‘n spicy honey-bourbon mixture that bakes into a sticky glaze—a must for game day parties and playoff snacking!
Decadent and moist, White Buttermilk Texas Sheet Cake is an easy party dessert topped with fudgy white icing and toasted pecans.
📞 The last word
I could make this hot, cheesy dip into a meal any time! It's so beefy and delicious - perfect for grazers like me.
It's also great at potlucks and parties.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Baked Cowboy Dip
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 taco seasoning
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces Pepper Jack , grated, or sharp Cheddar
- 2 cups sweet corn, fire roasted, thawed and drained
- 10.5 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles, Rotel
- 4 ounces green chiles, diced
- ½ cup sliced green onions
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Topping:
- ¼ cup Pepper Jack cheese, grated -or sharp Cheddar
- Sliced green onion
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Cook ground beef and taco seasoning in a cast iron skillet over medium heat breaking it up as it cooks.
- Continue to cook until browned and crumbly, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Drain if needed. If you use 90/10 ground beef you probably won't need to drain it.
- Add cream cheese, sour cream, 4 ounces grated cheese, corn, cooked ground beef, tomatoes with chiles, chiles, green onions, and salt and pepper to the cast iron skillet.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally until the cream cheese is melted and all the ingredients are blended together.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake until cheese is melted and dip is heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle green onions over top before serving.
Notes
- Drain excess grease before mixing cooked ground beef with the rest of the ingredients.
- Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.
- I always grate cheese fresh from a block. The pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that affect the flavor and texture.
- You can fire-roast corn on the grill, on the stovetop, or in the oven on a lined baking sheet.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Pam Booker says
Would this do well cooked in my crock pot? My oven doesnt work.
Marye says
I have never tried it that way - it should but since I haven't tried it I hesitate to say it would work.
Stephanie says
Would this cook well as a tator tot casserole?
Marye says
I wouldn't personally use it as a casserole because the dip is very rich. This cowboy tater tot casserole would likely work better - https://www.restlesschipotle.com/cowboy-casserole-recipe/
Laurie says
Do you have a recipe for the taco seasoning? I saw the spices listed for it, I'm just wondering how much of each? Thanks!
Laurie says
This looks just like what I like! I'm going to make it for Super Bowl Sunday! Thanks!