The Easiest 3-Ingredient Dip Starts With This Pantry Staple

Always keep a few easy dip recipes in your repertoire. You never know when you might need to put together a party appetizer with the barest essentials. Without sufficient time for a trip to the grocery store or an elaborate chop-and-bake routine, it all comes down to choosing the right pantry staples. The first thing you'll need? A packet of taco seasoning. Pair it with mayonnaise and sour cream, and voilà, a low-effort dip that's good enough to wow any crowd.

Too often, dips are rendered to a monotonous fate, but that won't be the case if you've got taco seasoning. Here, it plays the exact same role as it does on Taco Tuesdays, acting as a convenient shortcut to complex flavors. This hack depends on store-bought taco seasonings, but even homemade blends of chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and various dried herbs can pack a punch. Layers upon layers of spicy, earthy, and savory warmth, all gathered in one singular spoonful, will set the most exciting tone for your dip.

Of course, it wouldn't be a dip without a creamy base, and that's exactly what sour cream and mayonnaise are for. Both ingredients form a thick, yet spreadable base that allows the flavors of the seasoning to shine. No less important are the tangy undertones, in which sour cream leans rich and fermented, while mayo is mild and subtly sweet. Together, they're the ideal antithesis to the taco seasoning's heated complexity, creating a well-rounded, harmonious dip.

After mixing the three ingredients together, the only thing left is deciding which foods to serve with the dip. As a nod to the taco seasoning, tortilla chips make perfect sense, and it's a good thing there are so many popular tortilla chip brands to choose from. Expanding further into Mexican cuisine, there are chicharrones de harina (also known as duritos), which are pinwheel chips. Otherwise, use flavored corn chips like Fritos. That said, all the usual veggies will work just fine; but even then, you can still use taco staples such as bell peppers, pickled jalapeños, and lettuce spears.

Heading into more creative grounds, there's a whole world of additions to experiment with. Predictably, typical taco toppings are at the top of the list. You can stick to meat-free choices like black olives, red onions, tomatoes, and cilantro, but don't be afraid to bulk up the dish with ground beef, crumbled sausage, or grilled chicken, either. For an ultra spicy dip, try adding habanero peppers or chipotles in adobo sauce. A smoky edge, on the other hand, is a job best reserved for sun-dried tomatoes. When you're in a pinch, skip over all that chopping and cooking with store-bought salsa and canned beans. Drawing inspiration from nachos, various cheeses are marvelous for an ooey-gooey pull each time you dunk into the dip, especially if you melt everything together in the microwave or oven.