Mexican Spinach Dip – great for parties!
Posted: 09/23/2016
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Surprise party guests or family members with this fun and festive take on spinach dip. This Mexican spinach dip will be a new favorite!
Spinach dip is one of my all-time favorite things. I feel like everyone loves spinach dip.
A true indicator of a restaurant’s quality (especially a chain or sports bar type place) is a taste test of their spinach artichoke dip. Let’s be honest, it’s not a complicated situation: cheese, spinach, artichoke hearts … get it nice and hot and bubbly and serve with some salty chips. But if it’s on the menu at a restaurant and they can’t produce a good quality dip, I might not be returning for round 2.
I must be on a spinach dip kick because I recently stuffed spinach artichoke dip (or a mixture similar to it) into hasselback chicken breasts (side note: have you tried those yet? SO GOOD). I love this Skinny Spinach Dip made with Greek yogurt and these easy Kale and Spinach Dip Bites with only five ingredients are really good, too.
And now I’m back with Mexican spinach dip, and let me tell ya … there’s a few reasons to make this stuff for a crowd. For one, it will be a complete and total hit. For two, if you don’t make it for a crowd, you’ll eat it all yourself. Not like I’m speaking from experience or anything.
Truthfully, we’re lucky this got to my studio for photography. I couldn’t stop “taste-testing.” Or at least that’s what I told myself I was doing, as opposed to stuffing my face like a pig.
About This Dip
A combination of pepper jack cheese, cumin, and chili powder gives this dip its Mexican flavor. Bell peppers, red onions, and tomatoes drive the flavors home.
I don’t love super spicy food and I love this, so I think the level of spice is perfect for a large crowd. It’s really subtle with just a little warm heat.
If you’re worried, or if you try this and feel as though it’s too spicy, you can do one of two things. You can reduce the amount of chili powder, or you can use Monterey Jack cheese in place of the pepper jack. I would urge you to try it as is first, though, because if you mess with it too much you’ll be left with plain ol’ spinach dip instead of Mexican spinach dip.
You’ll find the printable recipe card at the end of this post. It has complete directions and nutrition information.
How To Serve The Dip
Serve the dip with lots of tortilla chips. Another option is crackers.
If you want to keep the dip warm for awhile, put it into a crockpot, set it on “Warm” and it will be the perfect temperature to serve at a party.
I like to serve this dip in a small cast iron skillet. The skillet retains the heat and helps keep the dip warm, especially if you preheat the empty skillet in the oven before you put the dip in it. Plus I think the little skillet looks great!
Enjoy!
More Party-Friendly Dips
- Baked Goat Cheese Dip with Lemon and Thyme
- 7 Layer Dip Recipe – THE BEST!
- Black Bean and Avocado Salad (great with chips!)
- Mexican Corn Dip – Skinny and Easy to Make!
- Cherry Cheesecake Dip with Lime
- Healthy Queso Dip with Butternut Squash
- Pepperoni Pizza Dip
- Healthy Southwestern Black Bean Dip (secret ingredient!)
- Stovetop Spinach Dip with Sundried Tomatoes
- Herbed Feta Dip Recipe
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Surprise party guests or family members with this fun and festive take on spinach dip. This Mexican spinach dip will be a new favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced bell pepper (any color, about one pepper)
- 3/4 cup diced red onion (about 1/4 large red onion)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 cups (8 oz.) grated pepper jack cheese
- 8 ounces ( one pkg.) full fat cream cheese
- 1/4 cup milk (any type from skim to whole will work)
- green onions for garnish, optional
- tortilla chips for dipping
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute pepper and onion for 3-4 minutes or until softened and onions are translucent.
- Add cumin and chili powder and cook for 1-2 minutes to toast spices.
- Add spinach and tomatoes and cover for 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted, stirring as necessary.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add pepper jack cheese, cream cheese, and milk. Continue to stir until all the cheese is melted and combined into a smooth dip.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips (see note). Nutrition information does not include chips.
Notes
- If desired, keep dip warm in a slow cooker (on “warm” setting) for entertaining/parties. I like to put mine into a preheated cast iron skillet which keeps it warm for quite a while.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in fridge 2-3 days. Reheat slowly in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 162kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 238mg, Potassium: 295mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 3152IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 205mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Disclosure: I have been compensated by Milk Means More for my time to develop this recipe and write this post. All opinions are as always, my own. Find out more about why Milk Means More on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.
Hannah says
I like your recipes a lot but you never say how big a serving size is. All the nutrition information doesn’t mean anything unless you include the size. Thank you and I hope you can include that info for us calorie conscious!
Rachel Gurk says
We are slowly adding this information. Turns out I really didn’t know what I was doing when I started the site in 2011. ha! We’re going through all the recipes and updating them with new info but it requires retesting them and going through a whole process. With over 1000 recipes on the site, it’s a daunting task! I appreciate the feedback (and that you did so kindly, many people are less kind!). Please know that we’re working on it!
Bonnie McGinnis says
My friend made this dip for our book club and everyone loved it!
Rachel Gurk says
Hooray! That makes me so happy!
denise says
looks tasty