7-Layer Dip
Make the best 7-layer dip with this foolproof recipe! It's fresh, creamy and delicious. Use store-bought ingredients with great results.
Posted by Kathryne Taylor on September 19, 2024
Meet the best 7-layer dip Iโve ever had. Iโve sampled my fair share of them, and wow, this recipe is the winner! Every layer is delicious on its own and builds on the last. The end result is creamy and cheese, of course, but itโs also perfectly balanced. Fresh avocado, jalapeรฑo, cilantro, green onion and salsa offer fresh and bright flavors that cut through the cheddar cheese, sour cream and refried beans.
Store-bought ingredients yield great results, so you donโt have to turn on the stove to make this one. Each layer contains a fun little surprise, like a splash of salsa in the refried beans to loosen the texture and a burst of freshness from jalapeรฑo in the sour cream. All seven layers come together quickly, too, so you can enjoy your appetizer after about twenty minutes of assembly.
Bring this 7-layer dip to your next watch party. Football season is in full swing (go Chiefs!), and Iโll make this recipe again this weekend. Iโve enjoyed the leftovers for lunch, so you donโt need a big occasion to make this recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do.
How to Make 7-Layer Dip
Here are the seven layers that comprise this dip recipe. Once they all come together, youโll see why this is the best seven-layer dip recipe!
1) Refried beans
Mix refried beans (canned or homemade) with a splash of salsa to loosen up the texture and some cumin to boost the flavor. Adding salsa ensures that your tortilla chips can easily scoop the bean layer. (Broken chips in dip are the worst!) If youโre choosing store-bought refried beans, I like Amyโs brand.
2) Guacamole
Weโre making simplified guacamole rather than going all out with my best guacamole recipe. Mash two avocados with lime juice, half of a chopped fresh jalapeรฑo, and salt. Easy enough.
3) Sour cream
To take your sour creamโs flavor up a notch, stir in the rest of the chopped jalapeรฑo and season it to taste with salt. Yum. I borrowed this idea from Ali Slagle of The New York Times, and it takes the flavor up a notch.
4) Salsa
Whether youโre using my quick and easy red salsa recipe or store-bought, drain off some excess liquid in a mesh colander over the sink. This step takes just a few seconds and ensures that the salsa layer doesnโt water down your dip.
5) Cheddar cheese
Freshly-grated cheese only, please! Pre-grated cheese is coated with powder to prevent clumping, which dulls the flavor and texture.
6) Pickled jalapeรฑos or black olives
I love the spicy pop that pickled jalapeรฑos add to this recipe. Black olives are standard on seven-layer dip, but why? Pickled jalapeรฑos are more complementary.ย If youโre sensitive to spice, choose black olives for a similar briny flavor.
7) Green onions & cilantro
Thinly sliced green onions and fresh cilantro finish this layered dip with welcome fresh flavor. They bring this dish to life! If you dislike cilantro, you can skip it, but I love it.
Watch How to Make 7-Layer Dip
Serving Suggestions
Serve this seven-layer dip with tortilla chips on game days and bring it to casual gatheringsโyour friends will be thrilled! If you make my homemade red salsa for this recipe, which is ready in under 10 minutes, youโll have some extra to serve alongside the layered dip.
Given this recipeโs Tex-Mex flavors, this dip will be a beautiful accompaniment to other Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes. Here are a few main dishes to serve with it:
For cocktails, try my Skinny Margarita,ย Ranch Water Cocktail orย Paloma Cocktail. For a non-alcoholic option, makeย Refreshing Hibiscus Mocktails. Cheers!
More Delicious Dips to Make
Hereโs a small sampling of the dip recipes available on Cookie and Kate. For a larger spread, choose one of these!
Please let me know how your layered dip turns out in the comments. I love hearing from you and hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.
7-Layer Dip
Make the ultimate 7-layer dip! This notoriously creamy, cheesy dip tastes fresh and irresistible when you follow these simple steps. Store-bought ingredients yield great results. The recipe yields about 12 servings (about 6 to 7 cups of dip total).
Ingredients
- 1 can refried beans (15 to 16 ounces) or 2 cups homemade refried beans*
- 1 ยผ cups mild red salsa, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 medium ripe avocados
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 medium jalapeรฑo, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- Fine salt, to taste
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6 ounces freshly grated Cheddar cheese (about 1 ยฝ cups)
- โ cup drained pickled jalapeรฑo peppers, roughly chopped, or 1 small can (2.25 ounces dry weight) drained sliced black olives
- โ cup thinly sliced green onions (about 2 to 3)
- โ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together the refried beans, ยผ cup salsa, and cumin. Spread the mixture across the base of an 8-inch square baking dish.ย
- In another bowl, use a large fork to mash the avocado. Add the lime juice, half of the chopped jalapeรฑo, and ยผ teaspoon salt, then stir until combined. Spread the mixture evenly on top of the beans.
- In another bowl, stir together the sour cream and the remaining jalapeรฑo. Season it with a pinch or two of salt, to taste. Spread the sour cream over the beans.ย
- Pour the remaining salsa into a mesh colander over the sink to release the excess moisture. Spread the salsa over the mixture.ย
- Sprinkle the cheese all over, followed by the drained jalapeรฑos, green onions, and cilantro.ย Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
*Homemade refried beans: After making the homemade version, youโll have about ยฝ cup extra refried beans. Use it all for an extra-beany dip! You can also save it as a protein booster for an upcoming meal or enjoy it on the side with chips.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute vegan sour cream and omitย the cheddar cheese.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Sounds yummy!
We donโt do โsalsaโ. Not enough heat for our tastes. I donโt typically have many of those ingredients on hand (refriend beans, sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, avocados.
Another recipe. Layer from the bottom of the platter:
โ Cream cheese (Philly if you like); 1 package.
โ Lettuce (any type) chopped to fit on a chip and into mouth
โ Scallions, chopped, good to split the rings apart too, but not necessary if you are lazy
โ Black olives, chopped, for a kick. The little pre-chopped cans are great for this.
โ Green olives, chopped
โ Diced fresh tomatoes, any type. Usually needs 2 whole for coverage.
โ Sharp Cheddar, freshly grated โ half a cup to 2 cups, if you want heavy cheese.
โ Picante, not from NYC! Add just before serving.
Serve or cover with plastic wrap and eat the next day with chips.
Use as much or as little of each as you like to cover the platter. Skipping 1 or 2 ingredients isnโt terrible either. Iโve skipped the cream cheese and built one on a thick layer of lettuce. Worked great and wasnโt nearly as heavy. This is always popular for tailgating or parties. 10 minutes out of the fridge will let the cream cheese soften, so chips donโt break. Or just use thicker โScoops.โ
I always call it 7-layer, but it could be counted as 8, I suppose.
Get the single men to bring chips. Something they can easily bring to a party.
I have had it this way and found the cream cheese too heavy/thick. Also the guac/avocado layer really adds somethingโฆ would miss it in your version.
Picante IS salsa though. So you DO โdo salsaโ. Salsa is like the word sauce. There are lots of different kinds of salsa. Picante salsa is spicy salsa. Picante just means spicy. I also think itโs rude to post your own recipe as a comment to someone elseโs recipe. Particularly since youโre criticising the recipe they spent so much time and money to make and photograph and write up for the internet.
I think you might be allergic to black olives if you think they add kick. They arenโt supposed to have any kick. Also picante is just spicy salsa.
Peter? My dude? Youโre trolling us all, right? Like, this seems almost tailor made to annoy people. So this is trolling, right?
You donโt think olives are spicy, right Peter? And you know that picante sauce is a salsa, right? And you donโt really make this, right, because thereโs no way itโs a functional dip, Peter.
Hi Kate, we are huge fans of your recipes!! Love your red salsa and guac so decided to try this for game day. Simply outstanding! Thank you!!
Hooray! Iโm very happy to hear that you enjoyed this dip. Thanks so much, Ann!
This was so delicious and easy to make. The pickled jalapenos were an amazing addition!
Hooray! Thanks so much for letting me know, Desiree!
Jalapenos instead of olives is such a great idea! Iโm no fan of olives and people seem to put them in all the dips for some reason. Canโt wait to make this!!!
Thank you, Megan! Please report back! I think jalapeรฑos are a much better fit for this recipe. :)
One of the best recipes
Thank you, Erica!!
Made this for a potluck and everyone really enjoyed it, from the babies to the adults. My kids kept asking for me to make it again. Great recipe
Thanks for letting me know, Emily! Iโm happy to hear you all enjoyed this dip.
I made this recipe and it was a hit with my family! I was able to make it with Trader Joeโs ingredients. I only used about 1/4 of the fresh jalapeno called for and I didnโt use the pickled jalapeno as I knew that was going to go over well with my family. But, otherwise, I stuck to the recipe. It was easy and delicious and I would definitely make it again.
Hooray! Thank you, Elizabeth. Iโm glad you scaled back on the spice to suit your familyโs taste buds!
Great recipe and definitely a keeper. Itโs a much healthier option than the premade, store bought ones โcuz you can control the fat and salt content. I made the homemade fried beans using 1 can of pinto beans and 1 can of black beans. Instead of the jalapeno (the one I had was waayyy too hot), I subbed chili powder in the avocado layer and taco seasoning (salt free) in the sour cream layer. I only had pre-grated cheese and it was perfectly fine.
I have made this dip before and it was delicious. But i have a dear friend that will not eat sour cream. Would whipped cream cheese be a suitable alternative to the sour cream in this recipe? And I love your โLove Real Foodโ cookbook!
can you make this a day ahead? Will the guac turn brown
Encore une fois, une recette dโexception qui rรฉjouit toute la famille: savoureuse et originale! Jโai remplacรฉ la crรจme sรปre par un labneh maison, et y suis allรฉe plus doucement avec le jalapeno pour mรฉnager nos papilles fragilesโฆ merci du Quรฉbec, CookieandKate:D
I made this for a Cinco de Mayo work potluck. I felt a little silly having to look up a recipe for seven layer dip, but Iโm glad I did because this recipe offered some good little tips. It was a great idea to add the. Cumin to the beans, to drain the salsa, and to use the pickled jalapeรฑos on top. The dip was gone in a very short time, and I already have requests to bring it for our company summer barbecue!
Soooooo good! This was a hit at my kidโs birthday party this party weekend. I made my own recipe for the refried beans (pinto beans in the instant pot with onions, garlic and homemade chili powder, lightly smashed), but purchased the guac It was gone by the end of the festivities nonetheless! Thank you, I always appreciate your recipes.
I love this layered dip! I always use refried black beans instead of the blander regular refried. It adds color and the beans keep everything together, making it easier to scoop chips.
This looks like a great recipe for my arsenal of potluck/party receipes. (I donโt personally like the heat of jalopenos but the pickling process you suggest looks easy and should do the job to bring the heat level down. )
This is a flop from start to finish. Pickled peppers of any kind are almost always nasty. Use fresh jalapenos, green chiles and a mix of bell peppers. Half the amount of pinto beans and replace with red kidney beans. Season to taste with cumin, chili pepper, paprika, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Go easy on the seasoning itโs easy to over do it. If you are willing to spend a bit more, skip the avocado and salsa. Go to your favorite mexican restaurant and order guacamole and salsa. Most restaurants will be happy to sell you large side orders. Letโs be honest, most people can not make good guacamole and salsa. And anything worth buying in stores will cost almost as much as a restaurant. Cilantro is a lot like liver. People either love it or they hate it. Itโs best to skip cilantro unless you know everybody really likes it. 7 Layer Dip is called 7 Layer Dip for a reason. It is a mistake to try and cram six layer into three. Vegetarian 7 layer dip is one thin layer of beans, one thin layer of guac, one thin layer of sour cream. (Layers 1-3) Repeat to get layers 4-6. The seventh layer is a blend of bell peppers, cheese, green onions, lettuce, olives and yellow onion. Meaty 7 layer dip is a bit different. Get good low fat beef, fry it and season with a good taco seasoning. 1 layer beans, 1 layer meat, 1 layer sour cream, 1 layer guac, 1 layer salsa, 1 layer cheese blend and 1 layer vegies. Take the time to layer your dip properly and you will avoid the usual complaints.