Sausage Dip (crockpot or stovetop)

At a glance

What stands out: There are only 5 straightforward ingredients in this popular dip that’s creamy, savory, and meaty. It’s a snap to make and you can keep it warm in a crockpot if you like.

How long it takes: 25 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: skillet or slow cooker
Servings: 8

When you hear the words “sausage dip,” you immediately know it’s going to be good—and that instinct is spot-on. This is the kind of warm dip that keeps your guests hovering around the snack table. “we're just going to have one more…,” they say as they dip a tortilla chip into the creamy dip, and then they dip another, and another.

Can you blame them? With meaty ground pork sausage, spicy Rotel tomatoes, and cream cheese, all cooked until the flavors blend and the cheese melts, this dip is the dictionary definition of irresistible. Like pizza sliders and BBQ chicken nachos, sausage dip is the kind of recipe that will go on frequent repeat during football season and the holidays!

Straightforward Sausage Dip

Hits all the comfort food notes. Warm, hearty, creamy, cheesy, and rich—we don’t think there’s anything that’s missing!

Straightforward to mix. When you’re entertaining, you don’t want a bunch of recipes that require long lists of ingredients and complicated steps. This sausage dip is a no-fuss recipe! (So is this black bean dip recipe and it’s a good alternative to sausage dip.)

Reliable for feeding a crowd. Whether you’re hosting a game day party, bringing food to a tailgate party, or looking for an appetizer idea for a holiday gathering, this sausage dip is a good choice. The recipe makes a big batch, it’s easily transportable, and it’s a total crowd-pleaser. Win and win!

LQ Said:

“Rich! We served this to our girlfriends, and it was a big hit. Our spouse and children snuck a few bites, and they liked it so much that we made another batch for ourselves the next day! We served it with tortilla chips and colored bell peppers, and both were rich topped with this.”

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What goes in

• Ground Pork Sausage: Any brand you like will work. We would choose plain breakfast-type sausage, not Italian sausage which might conflict with the other flavors. Turkey sausage is fine although pork sausage is a little more flavorful, in our opinion.
• Onion: A regular yellow onion is reliable but if you happen to have a red onion or sweet onion, that will work, too. Many sausage dip recipes do not include diced onion but we think you’ll agree that adding onion works in this dip.
• Canned Rotel Tomatoes: Rotel diced tomatoes are seasoned with green chilies and cilantro. You can also use another brand of diced tomatoes with green chilies or even a jar of salsa.
• Cream Cheese: We usually use full-fat cream cheese for the richest, creamiest sausage dip. Be sure to purchase a block of regular cream cheese, not a tub of whipped cream cheese. You could substitute reduced fat cream cheese if you prefer; the dip will have a slightly thinner, softer texture.
• Garlic Powder: A lot of three ingredient sausage dip recipes skip the seasonings but after testing, we like the addition of garlic powder (and the onions).
• Green Onions: An optional garnish, sliced green onions add a bit of color, texture, and flavor. You won’t be sorry that you added them!
• Tortilla or Corn Chips: Have lots of chips on hand because you’re gonna need them!

How it comes together

Brown sausage and onion. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion, then cook until the sausage is browned, breaking it up into fairly small pieces with a wooden spoon as you go. You don’t want gigantic chunks of sausage because that makes it hard to dip. Drain off excess grease.

Add remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to low and add the canned diced tomatoes (don’t drain them), cream cheese, and garlic powder. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the cream cheese melts and everything is heated through.

Serve. Garnish with green onions and serve the dip warm with chips.

Ways to change it

• Take a shortcut. To make a 3-ingredient sausage dip, omit the garlic powder, diced onion, and sliced green onions. You can use Rotel or a jar of salsa.
• Spice it up. Use hot sausage, add your favorite hot sauce, or double up and try both.
• Heat it in a crockpot. Cook the sausage and onions on the stove, then add them to your slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally until everything is melted and well combined. Leave it on the WARM setting to serve. We tested this recipe both on the stovetop and in the slow cooker and they are equally rich. We like to use a crockpot when we're transporting the dip to serve at another location or when we'd like the dip to stay warm for a longer period of time.

What to Serve With Sausage Dip

• Tortilla chips or corn chips. The classic choice!
• Pita bread or pita chips. Cut pita bread into triangles and toast it, or simply use pita chips. Naan also works.
• Crackers. Choose crackers that are sturdy enough for dipping rather than crackers that are light and flaky.
• Vegetables. Thick cut celery, halved sweet mini peppers, or chunks of bell peppers work well as dippers.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: If the sausage dip hasn’t been sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, you can transfer it to a covered container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat: Put the dip in a skillet over low heat, stirring frequently until it’s warm, or warm it up in the microwave.

Leftover Love

Make straightforward sausage mac & cheese. If you have a lot of leftover sausage dip, cook up a pan of macaroni. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Stir the sausage dip into the hot macaroni, adding pasta water for the right consistency. If you like, add a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, too.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #90. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list.

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• Yield: 8
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 15 minutes
• Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 ounces ground pork sausage (turkey sausage is okay, too)
• ½ cup finely diced onion ( 1 small onion)
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies (such as Rotel)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces (full-fat recommended)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

For serving:

• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (optional garnish)
• tortilla or corn chips (crackers, pita chips, or veggies are good, too)

Method

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion and cook, breaking sausage up into small pieces, until sausage is browned and cooked through. If needed, drain excess fat.
2. Turn heat to low and add diced tomatoes, cream cheese, and garlic powder. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until cream cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
3. Garnish with green onions, if desired, and serve warm with tortilla or corn chips.

Notes

Crockpot sausage dip: Cook the sausage and onions on the stove as directed. Add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally until everything is melted and well combined. Turn to warm setting until ready to serve.

Spicy sausage dip: Use a hot variety of sausage and/or add a few dashes of hot sauce for extra heat.

3 ingredient sausage dip: Use 16 ounces sausage, browned, 8 ounces cream cheese, and 1 can Rotel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chilies), OR a 10 ounce jar of salsa. Cook as directed.