In a large skillet, heat the oil. Sauté the onion along with the ground meat. Use paper towels to soak up the fat produced by the meat. Then mix in the salt, pepper and chili powder to taste. Set the meat mixture aside.
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the beans, cream cheese, sour cream, and salsa. Then stir in the spiced meat mixture.
Spread the mixed ingredients into a 9x13-inch dish. Bake, uncovered, until warm and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips for dunking.
Notes
If you can't find the refried beans with chilies, use two cans of regular refried beans + a small can of chopped chiles.