Oliver Bozanic's free-kick was his first goal for Hearts
Clinical Hearts moved six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership after two early goals helped inflict Dundee's ninth loss in 10 league games.
Oliver Bozanic and Steven Naismith struck in the opening 14 minutes to push Craig Levein's side further clear of Celtic and Kilmarnock.
Steven MacLean added a third 46 seconds after the break in an inauspicious home debut for Dundee boss Jim McIntyre.
Calvin Miller dragged a penalty wide on a miserable evening for the hosts.
The defeat leaves the Dens Park side three points adrift at the bottom, with McIntyre having lost both games since replacing Neil McCann last Wednesday.
Hearts, meanwhile, have only spilled five points in their opening 10 Premiership games and face Celtic in Sunday's League Cup semi-final at Murrayfield in fine fettle.
- Relive Hearts' win as it happened
New faces, same result for Hearts
Hearts have now played a game more than their rivals at the top end of the division, but will now take a comfortable cushion into testing league meetings with Hibernian, Celtic and Kilmarnock following Sunday's Murrayfield test.
Levein is without the spine of the side who started the season, but his team show no signs of slipping from the summit and were hardly troubled at Dens.
Jimmy Dunne and Clevid Dikamona are proving able deputies for Christophe Berra and John Souttar; Bozanic is covering for the loss of Peter Haring; while Naismith is continuing his stunning spate of scoring.
The Scotland international nudged in his 10th goal in 14 Premiership games - bustling in at the back post after Maclean flicked on a Michael Smith cross - to double the lead established when Bozanic's stunning 30-yard free-kick reared past a befuddled Jack Hamilton.
And Naismith was also involved in the third. Arnaud Djoum burst into the area and fed the 32-year-old, who shuttled into Callumn Morrison's path. The youngster slashed across goal and the alert Maclean snaked out a leg to jab over the line.
It was the least Maclean - and Hearts - deserved after he kissed the face of the crossbar with an impudent chip and was thwarted by a stunning Hamilton save.
Familiar flaws for panicked Dundee
Calvin Miller tugged his penalty kick horribly wide
McIntyre said beforehand that his team needed to be "more streetwise" after they conceded goals from four set pieces at Livingston on Saturday.
To that end, he restored experienced defender Darren O'Dea - who has only played 51 minutes this term - but inside two minutes another free-kick had winded them.
It was to proved a foreboding portent, with Dundee panic-stricken every time Hearts attacked. Hamilton looked nervous, those in front of him lacked composure, and gaping chasms continually appeared in the defence.
The Dens Park side did look a little more accomplished going forward, but Zdenek Zlamal was untroubled in the Hearts goal; not least by Calvin Miller's 22nd-minute penalty, which trundled a yard or so past the Czech's left-hand upright after Dunne was penalised for grapping with Benjamin Kallman.
Miller skidded an angled shot wide, and Lewis Spence might have done better with a free header, but it took 88 minutes for Dundee's first shot on target - Roarie Deacon's effort, which was easily saved.
Ultimately, McIntyre was left to reflect on how he revives a side who have now suffered six consecutive top-flight home defeats. He has eight days to consider how he might stop champions Celtic extending that run to seven games.
'That squad will get you relegated' - analysis
Former Hearts midfielder Allan Preston on Sportsound
It's been an absolutely hammering and 3-0 flatters Dundee. I can't see any positives for them over the last four days - they've changed their goalie, their back four has been different, their midfield is completely different as well and they've changed their strikers, which Jim McIntyre has had to do after having a look at them.
But on the evidence of what I've seen of about 16 players, none of them are good enough. That squad, with that effort, will get you relegated.
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Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Dundee
1Hamilton
2KerrBooked at 90mins
15Inniss
6O'Dea
17Miller
27Curran
8Kamara
28SpenceSubstituted forMadiangaat 45'minutes
19Kallman
10NgwatalaSubstituted forDeaconat 52'minutes
20Miller
Substitutes
7Deacon
11Mendy
12Parish
14Nabi
22Madianga
23Boyle
46Henvey
Hearts
1Zlamal
2Smith
28Dikamona
3Dunne
11MitchellSubstituted forGaruccioat 73'minutes
38Morrison
7BozanicBooked at 43mins
20CochraneSubstituted forLeeat 77'minutes
10Sutchuin-Djoum
14NaismithSubstituted forWightonat 72'minutes
18MacLean
Substitutes
8Lee
9Clare
13Doyle
15Wighton
16Hughes
17Garuccio
23Mulraney
Referee:
Craig Thomson
Attendance:
6,112
Match Stats
Home TeamDundeeAway TeamHearts
Possession
Home48%
Away52%
Shots
Home11
Away15
Shots on Target
Home2
Away8
Corners
Home3
Away6
Fouls
Home14
Away9
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Dundee 0, Heart of Midlothian 3.
Full TimePosted at 90'+3'
Second Half ends, Dundee 0, Heart of Midlothian 3.
BookingPosted at 90'+2'
Cammy Kerr (Dundee) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 90'+2'
Foul by Cammy Kerr (Dundee).
Posted at 90'+2'
Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 90'+2'
Attempt saved. Oliver Bozanic (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Posted at 90'
Attempt saved. Jesse Curran (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Posted at 90'
Attempt saved. Oliver Bozanic (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Posted at 90'
Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Cammy Kerr.
Posted at 87'
Attempt saved. Roarie Deacon (Dundee) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Posted at 87'
Foul by Calvin Miller (Dundee).
Posted at 87'
Callumn Morrison (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Posted at 84'
Corner, Dundee. Conceded by Jimmy Dunne.
Posted at 84'
Attempt blocked. Jesse Curran (Dundee) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked.
Posted at 84'
Roarie Deacon (Dundee) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Posted at 84'
Foul by Ben Garuccio (Heart of Midlothian).
Posted at 78'
Attempt blocked. Oliver Bozanic (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
SubstitutionPosted at 77'
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Olly Lee replaces Harry Cochrane.
Posted at 77'
Foul by Karl Madianga (Dundee).
Posted at 77'
Callumn Morrison (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 76'
Attempt missed. Oliver Bozanic (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Posted at 75'
Attempt saved. Craig Wighton (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
SubstitutionPosted at 73'
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Ben Garuccio replaces Demetri Mitchell.
Posted at 73'
Cammy Kerr (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 73'
Foul by Djoum (Heart of Midlothian).
Posted at 73'
Foul by Darren O'Dea (Dundee).
Posted at 73'
Craig Wighton (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
SubstitutionPosted at 72'
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Craig Wighton replaces Steven Naismith.
Posted at 70'
Roarie Deacon (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 70'
Foul by Djoum (Heart of Midlothian).
Posted at 70'
Foul by Calvin Miller (Dundee).
Posted at 70'
Callumn Morrison (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Posted at 68'
Foul by Kenny Miller (Dundee).
Posted at 68'
Harry Cochrane (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 67'
Foul by Cammy Kerr (Dundee).
Posted at 67'
Steven Naismith (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Posted at 62'
Foul by Jesse Curran (Dundee).
Posted at 62'
Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 61'
Glen Kamara (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 61'
Foul by Steven MacLean (Heart of Midlothian).
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Source: bbc.com