Layered Taco Dip

Name: Layered Taco Dip
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 can refried beans; 2-3 ripe avocados, smashed; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (1 lime); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 cups sour cream (sub: plain organic Greek yogurt); 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning, according to your taste; 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1 cup loosely packed shredded Romaine or Green Leaf lettuce; 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped; Optional Additions: Diced red onion, black olives, salsa, fresh cilantro, canned chiles (drained), fresh or pickled jalepenos

5 /5

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By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 3/15/23Updated: 6/23/25

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Layered Taco Dip is the ideal party appetizer. The ingredients are simple and cheap, it’s easy to make ahead of time, and the flavor is amazing. The layers make it look like a complex recipe when, in reality, it takes only a few minutes to throw together. Serve it alongside some of our favorite Mexican recipes like our Dutch Oven Carnitas, Steak Fajitas, or Baked Nachos.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Eat on it all week. I left this in the fridge, and we ate on it for lunch, snacks, and dinner throughout the week. Not only can you dip tortilla chips but carrot sticks, as well. Seriously one of my favorite meals.
It’s a perfect recipe for groups of people. Perfect for a game day dip! You can throw this Layered Taco Dip together in about 15 minutes and there’s no cooking required.
This version of the Layered Taco Dip is actually healthy! Just look at all of the real food ingredients in it.

“Layered Taco Dip is one of my staples to bring to parties. The best part is if there is any left, I get to eat it for lunch!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Carla

Layered taco dip in a square glass dish.

Ingredient Notes

Refried beans = full of fiber and protein, and low in fat and calories. Make sure you either make your own refried beans or buy organic to avoid strange ingredients. (The Vegetarian Refried Beans in my store had the least amount of ingredients.)
Avocados = good fat, vitamins, and minerals. This is a great way to use up some frozen avocado.
Sour Cream – Greek Yogurt is a near-perfect substitution for sour cream.
Taco Seasoning – While you can use store-bought taco seasoning, we recommend just making your own homemade taco seasoning. I always have a jar of this in my pantry since I use it so frequently on recipes like our Chicken Taco Soup, Taco Bar, and Mexican Soup.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1) Refried Beans

The base of this dip starts by spreading out refried beans in the dish.

2) Avocado

Mix together some ripe avocados and lime juice (or use our Guacamole recipe) and then spread it out over the bean layer.

3) Sour Cream

Mix together sour cream and taco seasoning before spreading it over the avocado layer.

4) Shredded Cheese

Cover the layers with shredded cheese.

5) Veggies

Top your Taco Dip off with the veggies of your choice.

Refried beans spread out in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.

Guacamole covering refried beans as the start to a layered taco dip.

Sour cream mixed with taco seasoning spread out in a glass baking dish over refried beans and guacamole.

Shredded cheese covering layers of refried beans, guacamole and sour cream in a baking dish.

Layered taco dip in a glass 8x8 pan with refried beans on the bottom and chopped tomatoes and lettuce on top.

What to Serve with Layered Taco Dip

The main team player with Taco Dip is tortilla chips. They are simply a must!

More Ideas:

Load up a crunchy tostada. Add some taco meat if you want or just spread it on a tostada shell!
Wrap it into a burrito. You have everything you need for a tasty bean burrito with this dip. Wrap it in a flour tortilla.
Top quesadillas. Turn a boring quesadilla into a gourmet delight by topping it off with this dip.

Meals to Pair it With

Layered Taco Dip would pair well with these dinner ideas.

Chicken Chimichangas

Beef Taquitos

Bowl of taco soup with sliced avocado and tortilla strips on top.

Instant Pot Taco Soup

Shredded Beef Nachos

See More Mexican Recipes

Storing Taco Dip

To store taco dip, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or lid in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3–4 days.

If the dip contains fresh toppings like tomatoes or lettuce, consider storing them separately to keep them from becoming soggy.

This recipe does not work well to freeze.

Layered taco dip in a glass dish with a lid.

FAQs

How long will layer taco dip last?

Layered Taco Dip will keep for 3-4 days, but the longer it’s kept, the more the layers will “bleed” together and it can start to get a bit watery. If it gets watery, just drain it off, or use a paper towel to absorb the liquid. It will still taste amazing.

What other ingredients do people use for a Mexican dip like this?

Many people add black olives, pickled red onions, chopped cilantro, green onions, and/or jalepenos (fresh or pickled) to the top of their dip. You could also add canned chiles, but be sure to drain them.

Can I use canned tomatoes?

Yes! Be sure to drain the tomatoes really well. Chop them if they are larger than diced and then spread them on top.

Can I make this dairy-free?

You can. What’s great about recipes like these are how customizable they are. You could leave the sour cream and cheese out completely. Or you can replace the sour cream with a dairy-free version. If you leave the sour cream out, you can mix the taco seasoning in with the refried beans.

Layered taco dip in a glass baking dish.

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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