Should I soak beans before slow cooker?

Let beans soak overnight or 6 hours covered on the counter . Use colander to drain and rinse beans before cooking. Place soaked beans in crock pot. Add any seasonings: salt and pepper, garlic, jalapenos, onions (to taste).

How to layer slow cooker?

There's a method to food placement in your Crockpot slow cooker. The slowest cooking items should go on the bottom and then layer accordingly for the remaining ingredients . The top layer should be for any fresh herbs or slices of citrus.

What happens if you don't pre soak beans?

If you don't have time to presoak, don't sweat it– your beans will still be tender and delicious . However, there is one exception: if you're starting with old beans that have suffered moisture loss (Primary Beans defines as beans older than 2 years from harvest), a presoak may help you achieve evenly cooked beans.

Which beans should not be cooked in a slow cooker?

Slowly heating raw kidney beans in a slow cooker may increase the toxicity of the beans. Studies have found slow cookers do not reach a high enough temperature to destroy the harmful bacteria in undercooked beans. The PHA toxin is destroyed at 212°F when cooked for at least 10 minutes.

Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip (hot and gooey!) - The Magical Slow Cooker (2024)

Home Appetizers

By Sarah Olson

24 Comments

Oct 06, 2021Updated Apr 05, 2024

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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!

Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip (hot and gooey!) - The Magical Slow Cooker (6)

Why this recipe works
How do I make 7-layer Bean Dip?
What do you eat with bean dip?
Recipe FAQs and Variations
Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip Recipe
More appetizers to make in the slow cooker:

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.

Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip (hot and gooey!) - The Magical Slow Cooker (8)

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.

Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip (hot and gooey!) - The Magical Slow Cooker (9)

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.

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

Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip (hot and gooey!) - The Magical Slow Cooker (11)

Recipe FAQs and Variations

Can I make this vegetarian without meat?

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.

Can I add a packet of taco seasoning?

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.

Should I serve 7-layer bean dip hot or cold?

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!

Can I freeze Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip?

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.

Variations –

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.

Slow Cooker 7-Layer Bean Dip (hot and gooey!) - The Magical Slow Cooker (12)

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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