Individual 7 Layer Dip Cups
These fun, individual 7 layer dip cups with meat are made with creamy refried beans, seasoned taco meat, a blend of cheeses, and topped with crisp lettuce, freshly diced tomatoes, onions and garnished with sliced black olives.
After making seven layer dip with homemade taco seasoning for many get togethers, I thought it would be really fun to make this fan-favorite and raved about appetizer into individual portions. Not only are the layers just beautiful on their own, but they look so decadent plated on a table when hosting. Plus, they are really fun to make.
Why You Will Love These 7 Layer Dip Cups
Whether you love to host parties, enjoy tailgating, football munchies on game day, or just love a really good appetizer, these individual seven layer dip cups are such a fun way to elevate this 7 layer dip with meat. Not only are these two healthy and tasty dishes a hit at parties and get togethers, both of these recipes are are one of the top recipes on my blog as a reader’s favorite!
- Recipe adapted from my popular seven layer dip with meat recipe.
- Fully customizable – Customize the layers that you love the most. Feel free to use guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, sour cream, and so on. Get creative with it.
- 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 tortilla chips, pita chips, or scoops for the perfect finger food.
Ingredients Needed
- Seasoned beef: ground beef with taco seasoning creates a flavorful depth.
- Refried beans: pairs perfectly with ground beef, cheese and additional toppings.
- Chopped white onion: brings another dimension and flavor profile to this recipe.
- 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.
- Optional garnishes and toppings of your choice: Sliced black olives, chopped green onions, salsa, and sliced, pickled jalapeños can be added if you want to give the dip a little bit of heat.
How to Make Individual 7 Layer Dip Cups (Step-by-Step)
Prepare the ingredients. The easiest way to make this dip is toprepare the ingredients first. It will make assembling the dip smooth and quick.
Step One: Soften the refried beans. Add 1/3 cup water, milk, or salsa to the refried beans before warming them up. Microwave for 45-60 seconds. Stir well. (You can also heat on the stovetop in a medium sized pan on low heat, stirring occasionally.)
This will help to spread the beans in the baking dish and make it easier to scoop with a tortilla chip.
Note that all refried beans are not the same. If your refried beans look thick and gelatin-like (see image on the left), you will definitely need to add a liquid to the refried beans to help make it easily spreadable.
Step Two: Cook and season the ground beef. Cook one pound of lean ground beef on the stovetop with medium heat until there is no pink. Add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Mix together. Set to side.
Step Three: Make the cream cheese mixture. In a microwave safe bowl, add 4 ounces of cream cheese and 8 ounces of sour cream. Microwave for 15-25 seconds. Use a hand-held mixer to blend both cheeses together until light and creamy. Add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Mix together. Set to side.
Step Four: Dice and chop vegetables. Shred two cups of shredded lettuce. Dice two Roma tomatoes and drained them. This will prevent the dip from getting soggy. Dice one large white onion. (You can also use a yellow, purple, or green onion.)
Prepare any other vegetables of your choosing such as chunky salsa (drained), cilantro (chopped), black olives (sliced), etc.
Assemble The Layers
Layer’s 1 and 2 – Spread a thin layer of refried beans followed by a thin layer of seasoned taco meat.
Layers 3 and 4- Spread a thin layer of seasoned cream cheese mixture followed by a layer of shredded cheese.
Layers 5 and 6 – Top with a thin layer of shredded lettuce and diced onions.
Layer 7 and beyond – Sprinkle with diced tomato and black olives.
Ingredient Substitutions
The beautiful thing about this recipe is its versatility. Feel free to create the layers of your choosing for these seven layer dip cups. 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
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Soften the refried beans. This will help soften the refried beans. It will also help spread the beans and make it easier to scoop with a tortilla chip. Microwave for 45-60 seconds. Stir well. You can also heat on the stovetop in a medium sized pan on low heat, stirring occasionally
- Use a strong tortilla chip or scoop. This is a hearty dish. Thin tortilla chips will easily break.
- Do not use guacamole as a top layer, or it will brown quickly. Let guests top with fresh guacamole when serving, or make it a middle layer.
- Drain tomatoes and/or salsa. This will help keep the dip from getting soggy.
- Spice up the dish! Or, make the dish half and half. Add sliced, pickled jalapeños to the dish, or even one side of the dish for your spicy eaters.
What is the best type of clear plastic appetizer cups for a party?
Most people look for clear plastic beverage cups for individual appetizers for when hosting a party. The best type of individual appetizer party cups to use are actually dessert cups not beverage cups.
They are different than clear beverage cups because they have a wide base that is similar to the top of the cup. The cups below have a 2.5″ base and a 3″ wide top.
You can use any type of clear cup for serving and showing all of those beautiful layers of dip. Just keep in mind, beverage cups are tall and narrow. This makes dipping through all of those layers a bit more difficult with a chip.
If you use a drink cup, I would recommend serving the 7 layer dip cups with a spoon. This will help guests scoop the mixture onto the chips better.
How to Serve
This is a hearty dip! Serve 7 layer dip cups with a strong or thick tortilla chip or scoop. Thin tortilla chips will break. You can also serve with disposable appetizer spoons similar to what is used at cocktail hour and receptions to help scoop the mixture onto a tortilla chip for guests.
How to Store
Individual 7 layer dip cups are best served the day off for optimal freshness. You can store leftover cups in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Some of the toppings, such as lettuce, may start to wilt.
More Tailgating, Football Munchies and Appetizers to try
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Get the Recipe: Individual 7 Layer Dip Cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided
- 16 ounces refried beans
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup diced onion , white, yellow, or purple
- ¼ cup sliced olives, optional
Instructions
- Soften the refried beans. Add 1/3 cup water, milk, or salsa to the refried beans before warming them up. Microwave for 45-60 seconds. Stir well. (You can also heat on the stovetop in a medium sized pan on low heat, stirring occasionally.)
- Cook and season the ground beef. Cook one pound of lean ground beef on the stovetop with medium heat until there is no pink. Add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Mix together. Set to side.
- Make the cream cheese mixture. In a microwave safe bowl, add 4 ounces of cream cheese and 8 ounces of sour cream. Microwave for 15-25 seconds. Use a hand-held mixer to blend both cheeses together until light and creamy. Add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Mix together. Set to side.
- Dice and chop vegetables. Shred two cups of shredded lettuce. Dice two Roma tomatoes and drained them. This will prevent the dip from getting soggy. Dice one large white onion. (You can also use a yellow, purple, or green onion.)Prepare any other vegetables of your choosing such as chunky salsa (drained), cilantro (chopped), black olives (sliced), etc.
- Assembler the layers. Spread a thin layer of refried beans followed by a thin layer of seasoned taco meat, seasoned cream cheese mixture shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion.
- Last step: ⭐️ Please leave a comment and rating below after you make this recipe.