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5 layer Mexican Dip is easy, creamy, and spicy. This delicious party appetizer is made with layers of refried beans followed by sour cream, taco sauce, veggies, and lots of shredded cheese. It’s an easy make-ahead option for any party or bring it to a potluck.
Mexican food is undoubtedly one of my all-time favorite cuisines. I love the spice, creaminess, and cheesiness. Now that I live in Southern California, I have access to really good Mexican food, and I find myself getting inspired by the dishes I try regularly.
If you’re hosting a Mexican-themed party, you must make this 5-layer Mexican dip, which is a party favorite. Other party favorites are my Vegetarian Bean and Cheese Enchiladas, Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna, Bean and Cheese Tostadas, and my famous guacamole.
What is 5 Layer Mexican Dip?
Essentially, a 5-layer Mexican Dip is five layers of dip. The first layer begins with doctored-up refried beans, followed by sour cream, taco sauce, veggies, and lots of shredded cheese.
The veggie combo comprises green bell peppers, jalapenos, scallions, tomatoes, olives, and cilantro. This combo is scrumptious and a total crowd-pleaser.
This appetizer is perfect for a holiday party, Super Bowl party, Cinco de Mayo, Game Day event, BBQ, pool party, or a girl’s night in. Throw in some margaritas, and you’ve got yourself a real party!
Other party appetizers you’ll enjoy are Enchilada Bean Dip, Jalapeno Popper Corn Dip, Pav Bhaji Dip, and Mexican Pani Puri.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make-Ahead option – You can make the Mexican Dip a couple of days in advance, giving you more time to prepare for your party and entertain your guests.
- Crowd-pleaser – This spicy and creamy dip is sure to please the crowd. It’s packed with flavor, and there will be no leftovers.
- Simple Ingredients – Mexican dip requires no special ingredients. You’ll need a handful of basic ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store.
Ingredients
- Refried Pinto Beans – I love Trader Joe’s Traditional Refried Beans. You can use any store-bought can of refried pinto beans or refried black beans; however, this recipe tastes best when using refried pinto beans.
- Taco Sauce – I like Taco Bell’s Mild or Hot Sauce, but you can use any brand you want. You may also use salsa instead.
- Taco Seasoning – Again, I love Trader Joe’s brand, and it’s spicy. You’ll need taco seasoning for the beans, veggie mixture, and garnish.
- Tomatoes – Drain your tomatoes using a colander before adding them to the veggie mixture. This prevents the dip from getting soggy.
*See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.*
Substitutions & Variations
- Vegan – For a vegan option, use non-dairy sour cream and cheese.
- Veggies – Feel free to add or remove veggies as needed. Red bell pepper or corn would be a great addition to this dip.
- Lettuce – Shredded lettuce would be a nice touch in this dip. I would add the lettuce on top of the veggies and before the cheese.
How to make 5 Layer Mexican Dip
STEP 1 – Make the Beans
- Add the canned refried beans to the pot, along with taco seasoning, taco sauce, sour cream, and water on medium heat. Stir and warm up for about 4-5 minutes (Image 1).
- The result should be smooth and slightly creamy (Image 2). Pour the beans into a serving dish and allow them to cool (see Step 3 – Image 5).
STEP 2 – Make the Veggie Mixture
TIP: Drain the tomatoes for 10 minutes to avoid a soggy dip. This helps and is key to making a good dip.
- Add drained tomatoes, green bell peppers, jalapenos, olives, cilantro, and taco seasoning to a large mixing bowl (Image 3).
- Mix well (Image 4).
STEP 3 – Assemble the Mexican Dip
- Transfer the beans to a glass serving dish and spread (Image 5).
- Once the beans are cooled, add large dollops of sour cream and spread (Image 6).
- Top with Taco Bell mild/hot sauce (Image 7).
- Spread the taco sauce (Image 8).
- Top with the veggie mixture and spread evenly (Image 9).
- Then, top with a Mexican shredded cheese blend (Image 10).
- Finish with chopped cilantro, scallions, and a few olives as garnish (Image 11).
- Sprinkle some taco seasoning. Refrigerate for a few hours for the best results. Serve cold or at room temperature with tortilla chips and veggies (carrots, broccoli, celery) (Image 12).
Nisha’s Tips
- Tomatoes – Chop and then drain the tomatoes. This will prevent the tip from getting soggy.
- Beans – Once you prepare the beans, transfer them to the serving dish and let them cool. Once cooled, add the sour cream and spread.
- Refrigerate – For the best results, Refrigerate the Mexican Dip for a few hours before serving. This allows all the flavors to marry together.
- Salt – This recipe doesn’t need salt, as taco seasoning already contains salt.
Make-ahead Option
You can make this dip up to 2 days in advance. It’s super easy to make. Cover the dip with a plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Storage
→ Store the leftover Mexican Dip in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this dip is naturally gluten-free, however make sure the brand of refried beans you’re using is indeed gluten-free.
Replace sour cream and cheese with the non-dairy versions, respectively.
For less spice, deseed the jalapenos. Also, feel free to use one jalapeno instead of two. Also, use a mild taco seasoning.
Yes, absolutely. This recipe can easily be doubled.
Serve with the classic Tortilla Chips. I love blue tortilla chips, but you may also use white or yellow ones. For a healthier option, I love Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa and Black Bean Chips.
Cheddar Cheese would work great, but you can also use Colby Jack Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese. They would all be delicious.
More Dip Recipes
Tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment & rate it. That would mean so much to me. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me to see your creations. I’m happy to share and mention you. Thank you!
This post has been updated from the recipe archives with new photos and tips, first published on January 3, 2010.
5 Layer Mexican Dip (easy, creamy, spicy)
Ingredients
Make the Beans
- 16 ounce canned refried pinto beans, I used Trader Joe's traditional
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning, I used Trader Joe’s
- 1/4 cup taco sauce, I used Taco Bell hot sauce
- 1/4 cup cold water
For Veggie Mixture
- 1 cup scallions, chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped & drained
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 jalapenos with seeds, chopped, remove seeds for less heat
- 1/4 cup black olives, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning, I used Trader Joe's brand
To Assemble
- add bean layer
- 12 ounces sour cream
- 1/4 cup taco sauce, I like Taco Bell hot sauce
- top with veggie mixture
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
To Garnish
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- few scallions, chopped
- few black olives, sliced
- sprinkle of taco seasoning
Instructions
- Make the Beans. Add the canned refried beans to the pot, along with taco seasoning, taco sauce, sour cream, and water on medium heat. Stir and warm up for about 4-5 minutes until the beans are smooth and creamy. Pour the beans into a serving dish and allow to cool.
- Make the Veggie Mixture.TIP: Drain the tomatoes for 10 minutes to avoid a soggy dip. This helps and is key to making a good dip. Add drained tomatoes, green bell peppers, jalapenos, olives, cilantro, and taco seasoning to a large mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Assemble the Mexican Dip. Transfer the beans to a glass serving dish and spread. Once the beans are cooled, add large dollops of sour cream and spread. Top with Taco Bell mild/hot sauce. Spread the taco sauce. Top with the veggie mixture and spread evenly. Then top with a Mexican shredded cheese blend. Garnish with chopped cilantro, scallions, and a few olives as garnish. Sprinkle some taco seasoning. Refrigerate – for the best results, refrigerate for a few hours. Serve cold or at room temperature with tortilla chips and veggies (carrots, broccoli, celery).
Notes
- Tomatoes – Chop and then drain the tomatoes. This will prevent the tip from getting soggy.
- Beans – Once you prepare the beans, transfer them to the serving dish and let them cool. Once the beans are cool, then add the sour cream and spread.
- Refrigerate – Refrigerate the Mexican Dip for a few hours before serving for the best results. This allows all the flavors to marry together.
I would like the name of the chopper that Nisha uses,I don’t have a good one.The dip is wonderful. Thank u
Just made this for Super Bowl and it was amazing. Loved the 5 layer mexican dip thanks Nisha!
You’re welcome Sandy… so glad you enjoyed it.
How many servings does 1x, 2x, 3x make??
HI Jenn. If you check out the recipe box the number of servings changes as you double or triple the recipe.
1x = 8 servings, so 2x is 16, and 3x is 24. Hope that helps.
Thank you for the great recipe. Maybe when you have time, you can update the recipe card and add 3 Tbsp of taco sauce to the ingredients list under the beans mixture.
Hi Susan, Thank you so much! Yes, I need to do so soon… this recipe is thankfully doing well so I don’t want to touch it right now. 🙂 It’s on my todo list. Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m making this now – under beans “step 2. Add water, taco seasoning, and taco sauce. Stir.” — how much taco sauce are you adding here?
HI Kristyn, Sorry about this. You’ll need 2 tbsp (1/8 cup) – 4 tbsp (1/4 cup). I sent you an email immediately – hope you received it on time. Thanks.