This foolproof 7 Layer Mexican Dip Recipe has a little bit of a twist on ingredients compared to Mom’s classic 7 Layer Dip recipe. It’s a combination of layers that is both colorful and delicious. And those layers are extremely customizable, according to your ingredient preferences (suggestions are included below!)
If you love a good Mexican dip, you might also like to try my recipes for Baked Elote Dip and the Best Taco Dip.
I believe we’ve made this popular classic Tex Mex appetizer even better by using more authentic ingredients to the Mexican culture. We use cotija cheese, a favorite of ours, and that makes it pretty irresistible (see our recipe for Bacon and Cotija Cheese Guacamole!) It’s a dip that can either be served warm (with warmed refried beans), room temperature or cold just out of the refrigerator. I prefer to serve it cold since there is no stove needed! This recipe also made an appearance in The Recipe Girl Cookbook!
The History of the 7 Layer Dip:
The exact origin of how it started isn’t know, but it likely emerged in the 1980’s, inspired by Tex-Mex flavors and the layered casseroles popular during that time. It mimics the layered effect of Mexican-style tostadas. It gained traction in American kitchens during the 1980’s thanks to cookbook recipes and potlucks. Original versions were often called “Tex-Mex Layered Dip” or simply “Layered Bean Dip.”
Ingredients Needed:
- Avocado: You’ll need 3 large, ripe avocados. Use avocados that have beautiful green flesh (not brown!)
- Sour Cream: I like to use full-fat sour cream for maximum flavor in this recipe, but you can certainly use light.
- Lime: Fresh limes!
- Salt and Pepper
- Refried Beans: Be creative with what you use there. Use plain refried beans, spicy refried beans or some other kind of interesting flavor.
- Tomato: We use Roma tomatoes because they’re easy to cut and use in the dip. If you have access to a variety of tomato that is more flavorful (like Flavor Bombs), use those!
- Bacon: Use any kind of bacon. You’ll be cooking and crumbling it. Easy baking instructions for bacon are included in the recipe card.
- Corn: Fresh corn is what you’ll be using- the kernels from one large cob. No need to cook it.
- Cotija Cheese: This is a crumbly Mexican cheese that can usually be found in the specialty cheese section of your market. Queso Fresco or feta cheese crumbles can be substituted in a pinch.
- Tortilla Chips, for serving
How to make this 7 Layer Mexican Dip Recipe:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post. Here’s a brief overview.
Make a simple guacamole. Then layer the dip ingredients. The layers go like this: refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, tomato, bacon, corn and cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Tips:
- Use a 9×13-inch dish or something similar to make this recipe. With the clear, glass pyrex, you can see the layers, so it looks a little fancy. You want to use some kind of shallow dish so it contains the ingredients well and you don’t have it spilling all over the place.
- Be sure to add a good amount of lime to the guacamole. That’s what will help it to avoid becoming brown if it sits a long time (or in leftovers).
- Mix a splash of salsa into the refried beans to loosen them up a bit and add additional flavor.
- Season the sour cream with a little of the packaged taco seasoning to spice things up a bit.
- Make a lower fat version of this recipe using turkey bacon, fat free refried beans, light sour cream and light shredded cheese.
- Tortilla chips are typically used for dipping. It’s a good idea to buy a brand of “sturdy” tortilla chips so you don’t experience a lot of frustrating breakage.
- You can prepare this 7 layer Mexican dip recipe a few hours in advance of serving. Store leftovers for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
Suggested Additions or Substitutions:
- salsa
- seasoned taco meat
- shredded cheese in place of the cotija cheese
- sliced black olives
- sliced green onion
- chopped fresh cilantro
Individual serving suggestion:
Make individual servings of this 7 layer Mexican dip recipe for a party. Use clear plastic cups, and include the same layers with some chips placed on top. Then, it’s an easy grab and go kind of appetizer!
Since 7 layer Mexican dip recipe feeds a crowd, serve it for a party, potluck, Game Day, football season, Super Bowl, family cookout or happy hour with friends. You can serve it with tacos, Mexican salad and tortilla soup. And don’t forget the margaritas!
7 Layer Mexican Dip Recipe
Ingredients
QUICK GUACAMOLE:
- 3 large avocados (pitted, peeled & cored)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper
DIP LAYERS:
- One 30-ounce can refried beans
- 1½ cups sour cream
- quick guacamole (recipe above)
- 2 cups chopped Roma tomato
- 10 sliced cooked bacon
- 1 large ear of corn (shucked), kernels cut off of the cob
- 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (or Queso Fresco)
- tortilla chips, for dipping
Instructions
- Prepare a simple guacamole. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados and stir in ¼ cup sour cream and lime juice.
- Assemble the dip: Spray a 9×13-inch dish lightly with nonstick spray. Spread the refried beans in the bottom of the dish. Add the sour cream on top and spread to cover. Spoon the guacamole on top of the sour cream and gently spread it to the edges to cover the sour cream. Sprinkle the tomato over. Crumble the bacon over the tomato. Layer the corn and cheese. Cover the dip with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
- For easy clean-up, cook your bacon in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. Lay the bacon slices on the rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bacon, until the bacon is crisp.