This 7 Layer Dip (with meat) is a fully customizable and crowd appeasing appetizer perfect for any get together with seasoned beef, refried beans, three types of cheese, and loaded with your favorite toppings.

7 layer dip in a glass baking dish topped with shredded lettuce, diced tomato and onion.

7 Layer Dip Highlights

Whether it’s for a potluck, get together or even football season, this dip is such a crowd pleaser! It’s a healthy dish with the perfect pairing of protein and and your favorite veggies.

  • Fully customizable – One of the best features of any seven layer dip is how fully customizable it is. Like guacamole? Don’t like refried beans? Get creative and swap out the layers to make it your own. Check out more variations below.
  • Crowd pleasing finger food – This recipe is so well received (and devoured) at potlucks, family get togethers, social events and especially around football season. Serve with tortillas, pita chips or crackers for the perfect finger food.
  • One dish, serves many! – This recipes requires one large baking dish and makes 16 servings. You can half the recipe with a smaller dish for a smaller party serving size.

“All I can say is this. It was fantastic! 5 stars!” – Elizabeth

7 layer dip ingredients with purple onions, taco seasoning, diced white onions, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, refied beans and seasoned taco meat in individual small white bowls on a gray wood background.

Ingredients for a 7 Layer Dip (with meat)

This 7 layer dip recipe is so versatile. Feel free to add and swap out ingredients of your choice. *See full ingredient list in the recipe card below.

  • Seasoned beef – ground beef with taco seasoning creates a flavorful depth.
  • Refried beans – pairs perfectly with ground beef, cheese and additional toppings.
  • Cream cheese/sour cream blend – blended together with sour cream and more taco seasoning to make a light and creamy, seasoned layer to the dip.
  • Roma tomatoes – are less watery than other tomatoes, making this the best type of tomato for this dish.
  • Chopped white onion – brings another dimension and flavor profile to this recipe.
  • Sliced jalapeños – can be added if you want to give the dip a little bit of heat to it.

“It was a hit with my friends! This is a new go-to for my house.” – Andrea

7 layer dip in a glass baking dish with a tortilla scooping the dip

How to Make a Seven Layer Dip (with meat)

The easiest way to make this recipe is to prepare each of the ingredients before assembling each layer. This important step will make assembling the layers smooth, efficient and stress-free as you create the dish.

Prepare the Ingredients

A scoop of refried beans on a spoon beside another spoonful of refried beans on a small white plate
  1. Refried beans – Not all refried beans are the same. Look at the image above. If your refried beans look gelatin-like (image on the left), you will need to add 1/3 cup water or milk to the refried beans, and microwave for 45-60 seconds (or heat on the stovetop in a medium sized pan on low heat). Stir the mixture together well. Otherwise, the refried beans will be too thick to scoop with a tortilla chip and will break. *If your refried beans looks almost like a thick puree (like the image on the right), you can skip this step.
  2. Cook one pound of ground beef – on the stovetop on medium heat until there is no pink. Add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Mix together. Set to side.
  3. Heat cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl for 15-25 seconds. Add 8 ounces of sour cream to bowl. Use a hand-held mixer to blend both cheeses together until light and creamy. Add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning to the cheese mixture. Mix together. Set to side.
  4. Shred 2 cups of shredded lettuce.
  5. Dice 2 roma tomatoes (drained).
  6. Dice 1 large white onion. (You can also use a yellow, purple, or green onion.)
  7. Prepare any other vegetables of your choosing such as chunky salsa (drained), cilantro (chopped), black olives (sliced), etc.

Assemble the Layers

Layers 1 & 2 – Spread refried beans evenly into a 9×13 pan. Spread seasoned beef on top of refried beans.

Layers 3 & 4 – Add cream cheese/sour cream layer. *Note – It’s ok if the seasoned beef pulls up and sticks to the sour cream mixture a little bit as you spread it out. It won’t be noticed as more layers are added, anyways. Sprinkle 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese evenly on top of cream cheese/sour cream layer.

Layers 5 & 6 – Spread 2 cups shredded lettuce. Sprinkle diced tomatoes on top of shredded lettuce.

Layer 7 – Top next layers with toppings of your choice. In the pictures below, the next layers are diced white and purple onions. Add any additional toppings of your choice such as sliced olives, cilantro and/or chunky salsa (drained).

7 Layer Dip with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, red and white diced onion in a 9x13 baking dish.

Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes before serving.

Substitute Ingredients

Let’s take this recipe to the next level with some of these add-ons or substitutions.

  • chunky salsa (drained)
  • black olives
  • green onions
  • pico de gallo
  • cilantro
  • flavored cream cheese such a veggie or jalapeño for an extra dimension of flavor
  • spicy beans instead of regular refried beans
  • guacamole (not as top layer or it will turn dark)
  • jalapeños
7 Layer Dip in a glass baking dish with a bowl of tortilla chips

Tips and Tricks

  • If using quacamole, make it a middle layer so it doesn’t brown.
  • Layer refried beans before the seasoned beef. (If you layer the beef before the beans, the meat sticks to the beans and makes a layering mess.)
  • Alternatively, the refried beans and ground beef can be mixed together to create one layer.
  • When layering the cream cheese mixture, use the back of a spatula or spoon, and without lifting the spoon or spatula, spread the mixture around. If you lift the spatula or spoon up, it will pull some of the ground beef up with it. No worries. Just keep smoothing the layer out. It won’t be noticed after the additional layers are added to it.
  • Drain the tomatoes well before adding them to the dip. This will help keep the dish from getting soggy. *Pro tip – After dicing tomatoes, place on a plate layered with two paper towels. This helps absorb the extra moisture even better.
  • Make the dish a half and half, like a pizza. Consider spicing up one half of the dish with sliced jalapeños or sliced, black olives. Similarly, you can make one side onion-free for those who don’t like onion.

Fun Serving Ideas

You can use a clear punch bowl to see all of the beautiful layers. Place the bowl on a tray surrounded by tortilla chips for an elevated touch.

7 layer dip in a glass bowl on a tray with tortillas

*Did you make this recipe?

If you love this recipe, please consider giving it a rating below. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Thank you for supporting me! ~ Heather

7 Layer Dip in a glass baking dish with tortilla chips
7 Layer dip in a 9x13 glass baking dish with red salsa.

Get the Recipe: Mexican 7 Layer Taco Dip (with beef)

5 from 1 rating
7 Layer Dip (with meat) is a fully customizable and crowd appeasing appetizer perfect for any get together with seasoned beef, refried beans, three types of cheese, and loaded with your favorite toppings.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lb ground beef, cooked
  • 4 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided
  • 16 ounces refried beans
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese
  • 1 ½ cups shredded lettuce, washed
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 medium white onion , diced (can also use yellow, green or purple onion)

Instructions
 

  • Cook one pound of ground beef on stovetop on medium heat until there is no pink. Add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning and 3-4 tablespoons water. Mix together. Set to side.
  • Layer 1 – In a small glass bowl, add 1/3 cup water or milk. Microwave for 45-60 seconds and stir (or heat on the stovetop in a medium sized pot on low heat.) Spread refried beans as the first layer into bottom of 9×13 glass dish.
  • Layer 2 – Spread seasoned beef. on top of the layer of seasoned beef.
  • Layer 3 – Warm 4 ounces cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl for 15-25 seconds. Add 8 ounces of sour cream. Use a hand-held mixer to blend both cheeses together until light and creamy. Add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Mix together. Spread layer over seasoned beef.
  • Layer 4 – Sprinkle 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese evenly on top of refried beans.
  • Layer 5 – Spread 2 cups shredded lettuce.
  • Layer 6 & 7 – Top next layers with toppings of your choice. In the pictures above, the next layers are tomatoes, diced white onion and diced purple onion.
  • Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes before serving.
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Course: Appetizer
Calories: 158kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 342mg, Potassium: 166mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 426IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 158mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @simplerevisions on Instagram or tag #simplerevisions.