Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip
24 Comments Oct 06, 2021
Updated May 05, 2025
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This warm Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip is a great way to enjoy your favorite dips without using your oven! This recipe combines refried beans, ground beef, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, jalapeno, and green onion in one easy dish.
Slow cookers are the perfect kitchen appliance for entertaining because they eliminate time spent hovering over pots on the stove or waiting for an oven recipe. This 7-Layer Bean Dip can be served with tortilla chips or fresh veggies like celery sticks or carrots. We also like to make grape jelly meatballs or little smokies in our other crockpots for gameday!
Why this recipe works
7-layer bean dip has everything in one pot but layered and not mixed together. Each chip-full will have a little of everything! Whether it be a game day or just needing an appetizer for a party, this dip will do the trick of making everyone happy.
Serving in a slow cooker will keep this dip warm during the party and will not heat up your house as an oven version would.
How do I make 7-layer Bean Dip?
Recipes for 7-layer bean dip vary with different layers of popular Mexican food flavors. Our recipe is a “baked” seven-layer bean dip and is best served warm.
Ingredients
- Layer one: (the bottom layer): Refried beans- canned or homemade
- Layer two: Cooked and crumbled ground beef – season with salt, pepper and garlic powder
- Layer three: Sour cream
- Layer four: Salsa: – I use this refrigerated style salsa for shelf stable salsas can be very vinegary.
- Layer five: Shredded cheddar cheese.
- Layer six: Jarred jalapenos.
- Layer seven: Sliced green onions – wait to add until you’re ready to serve so they don’t wilt. OR you can use freshly diced tomatoes.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1 – Brown the meat or meatless substitute in a skillet set to medium-high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. If you want to add taco seasoning, go ahead and add that now. Drain the hamburger meat and discard the grease.
Step 2 – Spread the refried bean layer evenly in a slow oval cooker.
Step 3 – Sprinkle the beef evenly over the beans.
Step 4 – Layer the sour cream, next salsa, next cheddar cheese, and then jalapenos.
Step 5 – Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
Step 6 – Blot with a paper towel if the salsa has caused some liquid on the top. Add the chopped green onions when you’re ready to serve the dip.
Step 7 – Serve with tortilla chips or tortillas and enjoy!
What do you eat with bean dip?
- Mini bell peppers (halved) or carrot sticks
- Tortilla chips or Fritos Scoops
- Flour tortillas make a great meal out of an appetizer if you want to make burritos instead
Recipe FAQs and Variations
Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip is great without meat, or you can substitute a meatless vegetarian option like Beyond Meat or Before the Butcher.
If you prefer to have a taco flavor to the dip, you can add a packet of taco seasoning to the ground beef or meat substitute before cooking.
Most bean dip recipes that include guacamole are served cold, but versions without an avocado layer are so much better warmed up. This slow cooker Mexican bean dip is made to serve straight from the crockpot!
To save your dish for later, you can freeze your bean dip in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw overnight in your fridge and then reheat as desired.
Chili Cheese Dip – Use a can of chili with beans instead of refried beans; it’s delicious!
Black Bean Dip – Use canned refried black beans instead of refried beans.
Chicken Dip – Cut 2 cups of rotisserie chicken in place of the ground beef in this recipe.
The rich flavors are layered together to create an easy Mexican appetizer that doubles as dinner when served over tortilla chips. Try my slow cooker version for your next party. It’s sure to be a hit!
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Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip
How to Video
Ingredients
- 15 oz. can refried beans
- 1 lb. ground beef ,
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup salsa, (I use refrigerated style salsa)
- 8 oz. block cheddar cheese , shredded
- 1/2 cup jarred jalapeno slices, drained
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced (add after cooking time is up)
Serving ideas:
- corn chips
- veggies such as carrot chips
- tortillas for anyone who wants to make a burrito
Instructions
- In a large skillet set to medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and crumble. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Drain and discard the grease.
- In oval slow cooker start by spreading the refried beans on the bottom. Sprinkle over the beef evenly.
- Then layer the next items. Next sour cream, next salsa, next cheese, and then jalapeno. Wait to add the green onion until the end.
- Cover, and cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
- Blot with a paper towel if the salsa has caused some liquid on the top. Add the chopped green onions when you're ready to serve the dip.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- Chili Cheese Dip – Use a can of chili with beans instead of refried beans, it’s delicious!
- Black Bean Dip – Use canned refried black beans instead of refried beans.
- Chicken Dip – Cut 2 cups of rotisserie chicken in place of the ground beef in this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I have to agree with others that the sour cream curdled and gave it a grainy texture. Definitely not gonna keep this one on rotation, sorry.
This was gross…… it sounded very good because I love the cold version but it was just not good hot. The sour cream basically curdled. Too runny. Bumner
Can I make this ahead time.
Yes!
love the bean dip and the meatballs.
Amazing dip! I cook my meat w/ taco seasoning and add a layer of black olives!! Sooo good!
I made this dip today. It was very good and flavorful. A couple of things I did different, was when I cooked my ground beef I added onions to it. I seasoned my beans. Also when I put my dip on my plate I added guacamole to it. I will make this dip over and over. I will probably double the recipe. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Soooo, you used this recipe as a base for your OWN dip, which is completely fine and I do it all the time (alter recipes based on what my family will/won’t eat.) However , when you add this many changes to a recipe, you actually DIDN’T make “the recipe.” You made your own. Still fun, I just love when people say,”J made your recipe and only changed this and this and this, etc.
I’m making this in my casserole crock pot. Thanks for the recipe.
I bet that will work great in the casserole crock!
Hi! I just love how simple this recipe is!! It is definitely perfect for game day!
Also, wanted to let you know I will be featuring your recipe in a newsletter for my recipe site SimpleRecipes.Club 😀 I will also give it a share on FB/Pinterest!
Hope you have a great day!
This looks SERIOUSLY divine!!! I love cheese. I can’t wait to try this!
Totally drooling over this! So glad to meet you at the conference. Loving all the slow cooker goodness!