Hot Virginia Dip in a brown dish with crackers around the bowl and a brown towel in the background (with logo overlay)

Hot Virginia Dip with Dried Beef and Cream Cheese

Hot Virginia Dip is a unique, creamy, salty delicious dip that is perfect for an appetizer or a late-night snack that is great with crackers.

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The holiday season is just around the corner, and that means office parties and potlucks galore. Sometimes it’s hard to find a unique dish to bring, but this Hot Virginia Dip usually does the trick!

One of my go-to potluck recipes is Taco Dip. But there are times when someone else has already claimed a similar dip, so this is my backup. This beef dip is also perfect for potlucks, game days, or family reunions.

I had never had a dip like this until I was living with my aunt and uncle during my sophomore year in college when I transferred to UCF (Go Knights!). She calls it Hot Virginia Dip, and it is fantastic!

Seriously, I could eat the entire pan in one sitting. I don’t make it too often because I know I will eat it all and I don’t need to. It’s a cheesy, salty, and creamy dip and oh-so-good.

It’s super easy to make, just mix cream cheese with the remaining ingredients, bake, and enjoy. The only ingredient I had a hard time finding at first was the dried beef. It is usually near the canned meats on the top shelf. It comes in a small glass container with a blue lid on it.

Garnish Ideas

There are a few things you could garnish the dip with, or choose to mix in.

  • Sauté pecans or 1/2 cup pecan halves
  • Sliced green onions
  • Crab meat
  • Worcestershire sauce

Hot Virginia Dip Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 16 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 2.25 oz dried beef (minced)
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 tsp onion (minced)
Stainless Steel bowls with ingredients for Hot Virginia Dip: cream cheese, sour cream, minced dry beef, milk, minced onion, garlic powder

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mince the dried beef and gather all of the ingredients. I like to use a food processor or a magic bullet to mince the beef quickly.

Combine the softened cream cheese, 4 T milk, minced dried beef, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and sour cream in a large bowl.

Hot Virginia Dip mixed in a stainless steel mixing bowl with a wooden spoon on a white and grey marble surface

Pour the dip into an 8×8 baking dish and level out as best as possible.

Hot Virginia Dip spread out in a glass baking dish on a white and grey marbled surface

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until it is bubbly. You can let it go for a few more minutes if you want it to brown on top. 

Little boy kneeling in front of the oven watching Hot Virginia Bake in the oven

Serve warm with your choice of crackers and enjoy! I prefer plain Wheat Thins with this dip, but any cracker will work.

Hot Virginia Dip in a brown dish with crackers around the bowl and a brown towel in the background (vertical)

Hot Virginia Dip Leftovers

Storage: Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Reheating: The best way to reheat this dip is in a saucepan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Make sure to stir constantly so the cheese doesn’t scald to the bottom of the pan.

Recipe

Originally Published On: January 12, 2016

Last Updated On: October 16, 2023

Hot Virginia Dip in a brown dish with crackers around the bowl and a brown towel in the background

Hot Virginia Dip

Hot Virginia Dip is a unique, creamy, salty delicious dip that is perfect for an appetizer or a late-night snack that is great with crackers.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course:
Appetizer
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
beef
|
crackers
|
cream cheese
|
dip
Servings: 8 cups
5 from 7 votes

Ingredients

  • 16 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 2.25 oz dried beef (minced)
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 tsp onion (minced)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F
  • Mix all ingredients (except crackers) thoroughly
  • Place in 8×8 casserole dish
  • Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly
  • Serve hot with your choice of crackers
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Nutrition Facts
Hot Virginia Dip
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 135 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 421mg18%
Potassium 64mg2%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 476IU10%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 48mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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46 thoughts on “Hot Virginia Dip with Dried Beef and Cream Cheese”

  1. (sucks in her breath, eyebrows shooting up in surprise as jaw drops) this has chipped beef in it??? And it’s HOT??? Oooh, gonna have to try this – my youngest has recently discovered the joys of one of my late father’s FAVORITE breakfast, Creamed Dried Beef On Toast, which she now asks me to make every other day (it’s one of my faves, too) even though it’s not something I keep on hand in the house! So she and I will gladly eat this all up!!!

    1. It has a lot of bold flavor, but I don’t know if I would say it’s spicy. I haven’t tried this with bread before, but now I want to do that next time I make it, which will be soon!

  2. 5 stars
    This dip has been a staple in my area of Virginia for at least 30 years. It originally came from what is still my favorite cookbook, Virginia Hospitality. It’s a Junior League cookbook from the Hampton Roads area. For the longest time, you didn’t go to a party around that didn’t have Hot Virgina Dip. It has always been one of my husband’s favorites. Back in the day we used to serve it in a chafing dish but I don’t think people use them any more! I use Pinterest more and more and I’m always happy to find my old favorites on here. Another one of my favorites from the newer Junior League book, Very Virginia, is French Quarter Cheese. It’s really different and it’s fantastic! Im going to look that one up next and hope I find it on Pinterest.

  3. I have never heard of this but I need it in my life for sure! It looks and sounds amazing. I bet it would be good to make for a sip and see we are having

    1. It was a new one to me, too, when my aunt first made it. But it’s perfect for large groups of people! I usually like plain Wheat Thins crackers with it, but you could also serve with Ritz or any other salty cracker.

  4. What a perfect looking dip. Ideal for the upcoming Christmas season, as there will be plenty of buffets for sure xx

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