Seven Layer Tex-Mex Dip (Printer-friendly)

A colorful Tex-Mex dip combining beans, avocado, cheese, and bold toppings served chilled with chips.

# Ingredient List:

→ Base

01 - 1 (15 oz) can refried beans
02 - 1 tablespoon taco seasoning

→ Guacamole Layer

03 - 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
04 - 1 tablespoon lime juice
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 cup diced red onion
07 - 1 small tomato, seeded and diced

→ Sour Cream Layer

08 - 1 cup sour cream

→ Salsa Layer

09 - 1 cup chunky salsa, drained

→ Cheese Layer

10 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Toppings

12 - 1/2 cup sliced black olives
13 - 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
14 - 1/4 cup chopped green onions

→ For Serving

15 - Tortilla chips

# Directions:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine refried beans with taco seasoning and spread evenly in the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish.
02 - Mash avocados with lime juice, salt, diced red onion, and diced tomato; spread this mixture evenly over the bean layer.
03 - Evenly spread sour cream over the guacamole.
04 - Top with drained chunky salsa, taking care not to mix with underlying layers.
05 - Sprinkle shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses evenly over the salsa layer.
06 - Scatter sliced black olives across the cheese.
07 - Top with shredded iceberg lettuce and chopped green onions.
08 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve chilled with tortilla chips.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in minutes, which means you can literally make it an hour before guests arrive and still look like you've got everything under control.
  • Everyone thinks it's complicated because of all those layers, but it's genuinely foolproof—there's almost nothing that can go wrong.
  • It's the perfect excuse to buy a huge bag of tortilla chips and nobody questions it.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the salsa—I learned this the hard way when my beautiful layers turned into a watery mess within thirty minutes at a party.
  • The avocado browns faster than you think, so if you're making this more than an hour ahead, press plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole layer to keep the air out.
  • Assemble it a few hours before serving, not the night before, or the lettuce loses its crunch and the whole thing gets soggy.
03 -
  • Use a shallow dish rather than a deep bowl so people can actually scoop all the layers in one chip without it falling apart.
  • If you want it to look extra fancy, use a straight-edged spatula to create neat lines between the layers instead of blending them together.
Go Back