Seven layer dip is a perfect appetizer for game day, holidays, or a get-together with family and friends. It’s also great for munching on at home. Easy to make and sure to be a hit at parties, seven layer dip is perfect for any time of year.

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Seven layer dip is one of the best dips for a party–from potlucks to holiday get togethers.

Seven layer dip is a classic party recipe and it makes a great appetizer or main dish for tailgating, holiday parties, potlucks, and football parties. This is one of those dishes where you take it to a party and you come home with an empty dish.

I love that seven layer dip is so flexible—it is perfect to make for parties and gatherings, but you can also make individual seven layer dip party cups to eat at home with family or on your own. The ingredients can keep for up to a few days in the refrigerator.

We often make seven layer dip to eat with tortilla chips at home—it doesn’t need a special occasion. The main ingredients for seven layer dip are refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cheese, olives, and green onions, but you can add a layer of ground beef and make seven layer dip a main dish meal.

Seven layer dip is a wonderfully easy dip to make and it is excellent for parties. Most of the ingredients can be bought at the grocery store, saving you a lot of time and energy when it comes to food preparation.

7 Layers to Make an Awesome Dip

• Refried beans. Refried beans make the first layer of the dip. Use brown or black refried beans. Mix in some taco seasoning to help flavor the beans.
• Salsa. Chunky salsa works best. Drain some of the liquid before adding it to the dish. If your salsa is runny, consider stirring it in to the refried beans layer. It adds a lot of flavor.
• Guacamole. Buy pre-made guacamole at the store to save time. We use mild guacamole when making seven layer dip to take to tailgating events, potlucks, and parties.
• Sour cream. Use plain sour cream for this layer.
• Cheese. Shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack and Colby cheese, or Colby cheese work well for this layer.
• Sliced olives. Use sliced ripe olives to add delicious, briny flavor to your salad. If you aren’t sure if your family or friends like olives, then only put olives on half the dip or serve them in a small appetizer bowl nearby.
• Green onions. Diced fresh green onions add a delicious flavor to seven layer dip that can’t be missed. Plus they add fresh, bright green color to the salad.

Seven Layer Dip | Bonus Layers

Add these to add more flavor and freshness to seven layer dip.

• Ground beef. You can add a cooked ground beef layer to the dip to make it heartier. Cook 1 lb of lean ground beef with your favorite taco seasoning, drain, and then add it as a layer on top of your beans.
• Diced tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are my favorite tomatoes to use for making this dish. Homegrown tomatoes taste amazing, too. If your tomatoes have a lot of juice, be sure to drain them before adding them to the dip.
• Pickled jalapeños. These add delicious, briny flavor to the dip, but not everyone likes them. If you aren’t sure about them, serve pickled jalapeños in a bowl near the dip. We use mild pickled jalapeños if taking these to a party.
• Diced red onion. I’m a big fan of diced red onion and topping seven layer dip with fresh vegetables for good, crunchy flavor. Sprinkle these over the dip for sweet flavor with a bit of bite.
• Shredded lettuce. Crispy shredded romaine lettuce makes a great topping for seven layer dip.

Tips for Making the Best Seven Layer Dip

• Use a clear dish. Making the seven layer dip in a clean dish makes it easy for guests to see your layers and it looks pretty. Of course, any dish will do. This is a great dip to show off in a beautiful ceramic baking dish.
• Keep it simple. You can make seven layer dip using fresh, homemade ingredients, like homemade beans, homemade salsa, and homemade guacamole, but we typically make this recipe using pantry ingredients or whatever we have on hand. Using refrigerated salsa and guacamole and canned refried beans is a great time saver.
• Make the dip the day that you plan to use it. Seven layer dip doesn’t store well so make it the day of or the night before you plan to eat it. It can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge, but if you want your layers to look crisp and pretty, make your dip the day of your party or gathering.
• Mix the salsa with the refried beans if you don’t want a soggy salad. Sure, this combines two layers, but it is a way to help keep the salsa from bleeding into other layers. You can add another layer, such as pickled jalapeños, diced tomatoes, or shredded lettuce, to make up for the list layer.
• Season everything. Add taco seasoning to the refried beans to flavor them. You can also add taco seasoning or ranch dressing mix to the sour cream layer to flavor it, too.
• Awesome add-ins. Black beans, sweet corn, fresh cilantro, pickled jalapeños, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, and shredded lettuce make excellent additions to seven layer dip.
• Don’t forget the chips. Serve seven layer dip with your favorite tortilla chips. We like to mix plain tortilla chips and blue corn tortilla chips. Fajita-size flour tortillas also make a great serving option for seven layer dip. You can use them to make soft tacos or burritos.

How to Make Seven Layer Dip

Here is how to make seven layer dip, a perfect dip for parties, gatherings, and game nights.

This post was all about how to make a seven layer dip recipe.

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Credits

• Featured photos by bhofack2 via Canva.com
• Photos are for illustrative purposes only.

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