I made Rachael Ray's seven-layer dip to see if it was worth serving at a Super Bowl party.
The list of ingredients was long, but the dip was easy to make and really tasty.
With a few modifications, I think Ray's dip would be a hit appetizer.
As a new football fan who can credit the Taylor Swift effect for getting me into the game, my Super Bowl highlight has always been the food.
When I was tasked with bringing a dish to a Super Bowl party last year, I decided to make Rachael Ray’s seven-layer dip for the first time.
The Food Network chef is known for her straightforward 30-minute recipes, so I wanted to see how easy and flavorful this potential party appetizer could be. Here's how it went.
First, I gathered all of my ingredients.
Lara Walsh
Ray's recipe called for 19 ingredients, including tomatoes, cilantro, avocados, hot sauce, olives, two kinds of salsa, beans, and citrus. Her recipe also required sour cream, which I substituted with Greek yogurt.
Looking at the long list of ingredients at the grocery store, I was skeptical that Ray's recipe would be as easy as some of her others. This recipe required a lot of chopping, as well as homemade guacamole.
I also noticed Ray's recipe didn't include any cheese or meat, which made me wonder how flavorful it would be.
Chopping the vegetables was the most time-consuming step.
Lara Walsh
I started by prepping the vegetables and herbs. I cut the green onions into one-inch pieces and picked all the cilantro leaves off the stems.
I minced the garlic and jalapeño, diced the plum tomatoes, and sliced the avocados in half. This was the most tedious part of Ray's recipe.
Next, I heated a pan and cooked some of the layers.
Lara Walsh
After prepping the veggies and herbs, I heated the refried beans in a pan and seasoned them with 2 tablespoons of hot sauce.
I cooked them for two minutes, scooped them out with a spatula, and layered them in a glass casserole dish.
Next, I added extra-virgin olive oil to the same pan, seared the green onions for a few minutes, and mixed in the tomatillo salsa verde. This step took only a few minutes before it was ready to add to the casserole dish.
Finally, I seasoned the black beans with 2 teaspoons of cumin and added them to the same pan. Once this layer was heated through, I added it to the casserole dish and dumped a 16-ounce jar of chipotle salsa on top.
Things got a little messy when it was time for the Greek-yogurt mixture.
Lara Walsh
While some of the mixtures were cooking, I combined Greek yogurt with the lime juice and zest.
Once I was finished with the layers that needed to be heated, I spread the Greek-yogurt mixture over the chipotle salsa. This is when the dip started to look messy — as hard as I tried, it was almost impossible to keep the chipotle salsa and yogurt separate.
Finally, I made the guacamole and garnished the dip.
Lara Walsh
I made guacamole by using a fork to mash two ripe avocados with minced garlic, jalapeño, lemon juice, and salt. I layered it on top of the Greek yogurt.
As a final step, I sprinkled the diced tomatoes and sliced Spanish olives on top.
I was a little disappointed to see that the layers blended together.
Lara Walsh
Considering how messy some layers got, I was surprised by how aesthetically pleasing the finished dip looked. The freshly chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, and chunky guacamole added appealing colors and textures.
From the side, though, I was disappointed that there weren't more distinct layers. After all, this is meant to be a layered dip.
Once I piled everything on a chip, my taste buds were in heaven.
Lara Walsh
I enjoyed the flavor combinations, like the smoky chipotle salsa and tangy Greek yogurt. Thanks to the creaminess of the yogurt and the savory beans, I didn't miss having meat or cheese.
The sour citrus, smoky salsas, flavorful tomatoes, and chunky guacamole made Ray's dip taste fresher and lighter than I'd expect from a layered appetizer.
However, the texture of the dip was runnier than I would've liked. I made sure to drain the beans and any extra liquid from the salsas, so I'm not sure what happened.
The layers also blended together as I ate, making it look more like a sauce. I think adding something crunchy, like diced red onions, would prevent this. As it was, the size of the 1-inch green-onion slices made it hard to get any of that flavor or texture in a bite.
Though it needed a few improvements, I'll definitely make the dip again.
Lara Walsh
Though the dip wasn't perfect, it was still a really tasty appetizer.
My boyfriend and I inhaled a quarter of the dip in about 15 minutes, so it got full points in the flavor department. Despite the long ingredient list, it was deceptively easy to make.
Next time, I might make a few modifications, like adding diced onions to mix. However, I'll definitely be remaking Ray's dip for future dinner parties.
This story was originally published in February 2024, and most recently updated on February 6, 2026.