Growing up, my family ate 7-Layer Bean Dip on almost a weekly basis, and I always enjoyed it. When I first met my husband Jonny, he introduced me to his version of 7-Layer Bean Dip. Consequently, I will never go back to the way my family used to make it!
Compared to Jonny’s version, my family’s version is boring and bland (and remember, I used to eat it weekly). Jonny’s version of 7-Layer Bean Dip is the perfect mix of fresh ingredients and pantry ingredients.
This bean dip elevates beyond the every day generic bean dip by very simple additions! The refried beans are flavorful and seasoned, the black beans are sweet and add soft texture, the sour cream adds a tangy, acidic richness, the cheese adds a smooth sharpness, the tomato adds a fresh crisp texture, and the creamy avocado brings everything together. It is so delicious, and I could eat this every day of the week!
During their bachelor years, Jonny and his best friend Josh developed this recipe together. For them, it is a quick and easy meal that wasn’t too expensive. Over the years, they both made little tweaks to keep making this 7-Layer dip better and better. Jonny continued perfecting it, and it has become one of the best bean dips I’ve ever had.
7-Layer Bean Dip Recommended Ingredients
The quality of your ingredients makes a huge difference in the final flavor outcome of the dip.
Refried Beans
Using a good quality variety of refried beans is essential. Previously, we used vegetarian refried beans made without lard. But when we used those beans, we did not like the flavor of the final dish. We also made this dip with homemade refried beans. While delicious, the homemade refried beans overpowered the other ingredients of the 7-Layer Bean Dip. So, after a lot of trial and error, we recommend using Rosarita Traditional or the Old El Paso Traditional style beans.
Cheese
I HIGHLY recommend to grate your own cheese rather than using the pre-shredded cheeses because prepacked cheeses are coated with starches and other products to prevent the cheese from clumping. The flavor of these anti-clumping agents really detracts from the overall flavor of the dish. So, take a few extra minutes and grate your own cheese!
Tomatoes
When tomatoes are not in season, we like to use roma tomatoes because these tend to have more flavor than other varieties of tomatoes. Additionally, to prevent the bean dip from becoming watery, deseed and drain the tomatoes to remove extra moisture.
Tortilla Chips
Jonny will be the first to tell you all corn tortilla chips are not created equal. He has tried a lot of tortilla chips in search of the perfect tortilla chip. The perfect tortilla chip is not too thick or thin, has a subtle corn flavor that is not overpowering, has the right amount of salt, and has a crunchy bite.
Our favorite tortilla chip is On the Border brand, and we will use both the Cafe Style and the Cantina Thins.
I love beans, and I love this version Jonny created of 7-Layer Bean dip. It’s perfect as a snack, lunch, or dinner. Need an appetizer for the Super Bowl? Give this a try. Just do it!
Jonny’s 7-Layer Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup Refried Beans (1/2 16 oz Can)
- 1/2 cup Salsa
- 2 tsp Seasoned Salt
- 1 15.25 oz Black Beans Drained and Rinsed
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 cup Corn
- 1 cup Colby Jack Cheese Grated
- 2 Roma Tomatoes Diced
- 2 Avocados Diced
Corn Tortilla Chips (for serving)
Instructions
- Combine refried beans, salsa, and seasoned salt in a small saucepan, and heat on the stove over medium heat until refried bean mixtures is heated through.
- Spread refried bean mixture in an even layer into a 7.5″ x 11″ pan.
- Add black beans and brown sugar to the small saucepan, and heat on the stove over medium heat until the brown sugar melts and the black bean mixture is heated through.
- Dallop sour cream over refried bean mixture and spread sour cream into an even layer.
- Using a slotted spoon, distribute black beans evenly over sour cream. (Some liquid from the beans is important to incorporate to flavor the sour cream, but you don’t want it to be too liquidy).
- Sprinkle the corn over the black beans.
- Evenly top the corn with the diced tomatoes.
- Divvy up the avocado over the tomato. (We only add the avocado right before we serve to prevent browning.)
- Cover the entire mixture with the grated cheese.
- Serve with corn tortilla chips. (We like to let the dip sit out at room temperature for an hour before serving to allow all the flavors to combine).
Please leave me a comment and let me know if you give it a try!
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