Name: 5 Layer Dip
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups refried beans (pinto or black beans, store-bought or homemade); 1 ½ cups full-fat sour cream; 2 ½ tablespoons taco seasoning (store-bought or homemade); 2 cups guacamole (store-bought or homemade); 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend; 2 medium fresh red tomatoes (diced, approximately 1 cup; drained well, see Notes); tortilla chips; tortilla scoops; crispy cheese chips (store-bought or homemade)

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This Mexican 5 layer dip is an absolute must for parties! A base of refried beans, topped with guac, seasoned sour cream, cheese, and fresh tomatoes, for 5 layers of irresistible flavor. Super easy to make, with basically no cooking, and served chilled with your favorite dipping vessels.

Top-down, overhead view of a 5 layer dip topped with gorgeous bright red tomatoes. Half the bowl is out of frame on the right side of the image.

🫘 What Makes This Recipe So Good

This 5 layer dip has all the Mexican flavors you love, layered together in a simple, group-friendly appetizer. It’s like deconstructed bean burritos! Plus it’s put together in such a way that you get every delicious layer of irresistible flavor in a single bite. Love!
It’s actually kind of pretty? Or it can be, at least, if you want it to be. If you’re someone that cares about the presentation almost as much as you care about the food, 5 layer dip can be a great option for you. There’s just something really satisfying about those perfect, defined layers showing through the sides of a glass dish. You can also just throw everything in a bowl and chow down. You won’t get any judgment from me!
It’s super flexible. Use whatever ingredients you like! Guac not for you? No problem. Leave it out or replace it with taco meat. Top it with chunky, fresh pico de gallo instead of diced tomatoes. Use plain sour cream instead of seasoned sour cream. Throw some black olives, diced jalapeños, or cilantro on top. Add a layer of red onions or corn. Drizzle a little crema or creamy cilantro-lime dressing on top.

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

You can make this 5 layer dip as easy or as involved as you want! It’s a great dish to throw together with all store-bought components, but you can also make the beans, taco seasoning, and guac from scratch. It’s totally up to you! Check out our recipes for refried beans, homemade guacamole, and homemade taco seasoning to help you decide.
Unlike our bean dip, this 5 layer dip is best served cold, and it’s best on the day it’s made.
For food safety reasons, don’t let the dip stand at room temperature any longer than 2 hours. If you’re serving it outside at a cookout or potluck, don’t let it stand at temps higher than 90° Fahrenheit for more than 1 hour.
Be sure to drain as much liquid as you can from the tomatoes before you put them on top of the other layers. Wet cheese is no one’s idea of a good time.
Instead of serving 5 layer dip in one large dish, you can make smaller versions in clear cups for individual servings. I love that option when I’m having a bunch of people over – being able to just grab a cup makes everything super easy and keeps everyone from being tethered to one spot.