The Best Taco Dip

thetipsyhousewife
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The Official Garage Party Dip of Chicago

Platter of shredded orange and white taco cheese, tomatoes cut into quarters on top of sour cream, beans and guacamole.

Ah, the legendary Chicago Garage Party Taco Dip, where bean dip meets avocado in a dance of flavors and sour cream whispers sweet nothings of taco seasoning.

It’s a culinary masterpiece hidden amidst the toolboxes and lawn chairs. It’s the hero of every potluck and the legend of every gathering.

If you haven’t had it at a Chicago Garage Party, have you even lived? This is the BEST Taco Dip.

My Aunt makes this dip for EVERY family party. My version is slightly different.

It is delicious, but I will forever love my Aunt’s recipe the most. Her ingredients are the same, I think it is just her magical touch.

My Aunt also only puts tomatoes on HALF the top, since my family has a love/hate relationship with the tomatoes. This way there is a side that everyone loves.

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Below I have included some information regarding the ingredients. There is also the recipe methods to help those who may need more clarification.

Specific Ingredients Make This Special

I am not usually too much of a stickler when it comes to what ingredients you buy but in this instance, I am a little particular. I have highlighted certain brands in this recipe for no other reason than they are the classic ingredients we have always used in this dip.

These specific brands are a suggestion. You can replace them with your own brands if needed.

I just swear by the way these specific ingredients and brands come together to make this dip the classic recipe that it is for myself and my family.

None of these brands are sponsored. These are just the brands my family has always used.

Three cans of Fritos bean dip stacked on top of one another

Bean Dip

Fritos Bean Dip makes the base of this Taco Dip. The texture is smooth and spreadable.

This spreadable texture makes it al very dippable, which honestly is what you want out of a dip. Hopefully these hot takes aren’t too much for you!

The flavor of this bean dip is also what makes this Best Taco Dip the best. You find this product in the potato chip aisle.

It is usually on this little hanging shelf between the top row of chips and the bottom row of chips. I swear by this bean dip and I will never use anything else in my Taco Dip.

Fritos dip spread across the bottom of a baking dish
You can see these beans are creamy and smooth. They also have great flavor.
Two Lawry Taco spice seasoning packets held by me

The Taco Seasoning

This Lawry’s Taco Seasoning is also a MUST when it comes to my Taco Dip recipe. To me, it is the perfect blend of seasonings and flavors.

I mix this into the sour cream and it makes the dip delectable. This blend has a slight sweetness to it that really takes away the SOUR of the sour cream.

I find these packets at every grocery store. It is usually by the powdered gravies and such.

A Little Secret

I have a secret to share.

Now I usually ALWAYS use sour cream in my dip. Today as I was making it I realized I did not have enough sour cream.

The only thing I had on hand was vanilla Greek yogurt, so I had to use half sour cream and half vanilla Greek yogurt.

I will tell you, it was pretty dang good!

I don’t know if using yogurt makes it any healthier for you. If it does, the vanilla yogurt was not a bad addition.

Taco seasoning on top of sour cream in a white bowl with a blue spatula
The sour cream mixture has taken on a reddish tint after the taco seasoning has been stirred in
This is the color the sour cream should be after you add the taco seasoning. It should be a little rusty brown colored. This is just a guide if you are eyeballing this step.
Two packets of McCormick Guacamole spices being held by me
I love this Guacamole seasoning packet for this dip.

Avocado + Seasoning Packs

I know I will get hate for this, but I love these McCormick Guacamole Seasoning Packets.These packets are only used for this dip.

I make my guacamole for chip eating differently.

These packets gets mixed in with the avocado for this dip. This adds such great flavor to the avocado without being overpowering.

Where To Buy

I easily find these seasoning packets in every single grocery store. It is a very common grocery store item.

You may find that you like it so much that you use it for your chip eating guacamole. For this dip, it is key for flavor and texture.

An avocado mixture in a white bowl with a blue spatula
I like my mix to be ever so slightly chunky for this dip.
Globs of avocado on top of the bean dip spread
Add dollops for easier spreading.
A package of Sargento brand shredded taco cheese blend

Cheese If You Please

This is the specific cheese I always use for this dip. I am sure any other taco cheese will be just fine for this dip.

If you can get this cheese however, I would recommend trying it. It just adds some special flavor and texture to my family dip recipe.

This cheese also makes excellent quesadillas.

Again, this is not sponsored, it is just what I always use for this recipe.

The shredded cheese spread over the rest of the dip
Sliced tomatoes over the dip, all of which is in a baking dish next to a bag of Tostitos Scoops chips

Now you’re ready for dipping. Just grab your favorite chip.

I think Tostitos Scoops are a great choice!

Yield: 15 servings, Party Size

The Best Taco Dip

Platter of shredded orange and white taco cheese, tomatoes cut into quarters on top of sour cream, beans and guacamole.

Ah, the legendary Chicago garage party taco dip! Where bean dip meets avocado in a dance of flavors, and sour cream whispers sweet nothings of taco seasoning. It's a culinary masterpiece hidden amidst the toolboxes and lawn chairs. It's the hero of every potluck, the legend of every gathering. If you haven't had it at a Chicago garage party, have you even lived? The BEST taco dip.

Ingredients

  • 3 avocados
  • 1 packet of McCormick Brand Guacamole seasoning (pictured in post)
  • 2 to 3 cups of sour cream
  • 2 packets of Lawry's Taco Seasoning (pictured in post)
  • 3 cans of Frito's Bean Dip (pictured in post)
  • 1 to 2 cups of Sargento Off The Block Taco Cheese (pictured in post)
  • 1 to 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup (approximately) of diced cherry tomatoes
  • Black Olives and Green Onions Optional
  • *links to unique products and other clarifications in the post before the recipe card

Instructions

  • To make the avocado layer, cut your avocados in half and add them to a large bowl. Then add one packet of the guacamole seasoning. I sometimes buy two packets and add more depending on the size of my avocados. I like to use my ground meat chopper to make the avocados somewhat smooth but still with a few chunks. Stir well to combine the seasoning packet with the avocados. Taste, and add some or all of the second seasoning packet if needed. Set aside until step 3.
  • In a large 9 x 13 casserole dish, spread the 3 cans of bean dip evenly across the bottom of the dish. This bean dip is silky smooth and has great flavor. I add three cans, you can reduce to two for a thinner layer of beans.
  • Add spoonfuls of the avocado mixture to the top of the beans. I like to do large tablespoons across the whole dish then spread each little dollop of avocado. This makes it easier to spread across the soft beans. Spread them evenly across the beans.
  • In a bowl, add your sour cream and then the two packets of Lawry's Taco Seasoning. Mix well to combine. See the post for a picture of how this looks. You can use more or less of sour cream and seasoning to adjust the thickness of your sour cream layer. It should be the color of the sour cream I have pictured in the post for optimal flavor. I sort of eyeball this but its about 2.5 cups of sour cream and 2 packets of the seasoning.
  • Spread the sour cream layer evenly on top of the avocado.
  • If you are making this ahead of time you can now wrap this up in saran wrap and let this refrigerate overnight. I recommend this step. After it sits overnight you can follow the rest of the steps. If you do not have that kind of time, you can follow the next steps and then refrigerate for 2 hours or so, or in a desperate situation serve right away and it will be fine.
  • Chop your lettuce into smaller pieces and sprinkle all across the top of the dip. Then add your cheese, as much as you like. Next I cut each cherry tomato into half or fourths and sprinkle across the top.
  • If you like olives and or green onions you can also top with that.
  • I like to serve with the scoops chips.
    • © thetipsyhousewife
    A bag of Tostitos Scoops chips on the counter

    Want another great dip? My Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip is a hit for a reason!

    1 Comments

    • Beth Fuchs

      June 4, 2024 at 6:44 pm

      I make a very similar dip although we add seasoned taco meat as one of the layers. We use about a pound of ground beef cooked with 1 packet of taco seasoning. It is really quite tasty. If I have people that like their food on the spicy side we will use some jalapeno bean dip and add some hot salsa in place of the tomatoes.

      Reply

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