Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: 7 layer salad is a potluck favorite that’s always a crowd-pleaser! My tested-and-perfected recipe pairs a creamy, sweet, and tangy dressing with layers of lettuce, peas, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, bacon, and more.
How long it takes: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling
Equipment you’ll need: a large serving dish such as a trifle bowl, large clear glass bowl, or 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish
Servings: 10
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Pin ItLike its distant cousin 7 layer dip, 7 layer salad is a classic dish that has been a staple at potlucks, family gatherings, and backyard get-togethers for decades. I think every family has their own go-to recipe for it, although a sweet, creamy dressing, peas, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese are non-negotiable!
My goal in working on this recipe was not to reinvent the wheel. The wheel is invented! It’s rolling down the road! But I did want to play around with proportions and the dressing to find the absolute BEST way to make a classic 7 layer salad. You won’t be disappointed!
Old-Fashioned 7 layer Salad Recipe
A recipe that won’t let you down. I tested this recipe multiple times to make sure it’s just right, with a rich, creamy dressing that doesn’t separate and the right balance of flavors.
Easy to make (and make ahead). This salad has a relatively short list of ingredients and you can prep parts of it ahead of time or assemble the whole salad beforehand and let it sit in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Seven layer salad is one of the few lettuce salads that you can make ahead and not have it become wilted or soggy.
A feast for the eyes. Don’t serve it in a regular salad bowl—it’s the layers that make this salad! I think the visual appeal is one of the reasons 7 layer salad is such a favorite for parties.
Recipe Tip
Usually a 7 layer salad is assembled and served in a large clear glass bowl or trifle bowl. Another popular option is a large glass baking dish or 9×13 pan, like Pyrex. It doesn’t have the same visual appeal as a trifle dish because the layers are thinner, but the salad is easier to serve this way because you don’t need to dig deep down to get a little of each layer.
Ingredient Notes
- Iceberg lettuce: Just like with a wedge salad, you’ll appreciate iceberg lettuce in a 7 layer salad because it has such a crisp, refreshing bite and stands up well to layering. A more delicate green will simply get smashed at the bottom of the trifle bowl. Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
- Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes are fine, too. I like using small tomatoes because they’re less pulpy than full-sized tomatoes, so they won’t release liquid into the salad and make it too juicy.
- Red onion: If you’re worried about the onion flavor overpowering the salad, use less or tame the flavor of the chopped onions by soaking them in ice water while prepping the rest of the ingredients. (You could also “quick pickle” them in apple cider vinegar with a sprinkle of salt.) Drain well and pat dry before adding them to the salad.
- Frozen peas: You don’t need to cook or thaw the frozen peas; their small size means they’ll thaw quickly right in the salad. If you cook them, they may become too mushy or lose their bright green color.
- Hard boiled eggs: I like to use Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, but air fryer boiled eggs are fantastic too. It’s best if you cook the eggs ahead of time so they have a chance to chill.
- Cheddar cheese: If you’ve got the time, shred your own cheese for the tastiest results. I like a coarse shred better than the finely shredded cheese for this salad.
- Cooked bacon: I use my baked bacon recipe or my air fryer bacon recipe to cook the bacon. You can do this ahead of time if you like.
- Mayonnaise: The base of the dressing is mayonnaise. Although you could lighten things up with Greek yogurt, I appreciate the richness mayonnaise adds.
- Sour cream: Use a brand with cultured cream as the only ingredient. When we tested this recipe, we tried a store brand that (surprisingly!) contained additives and preservatives. It interacted with the other dressing ingredients, causing the dressing to separate and become too juicy.
- Sugar: Some 7 layer salads are quite sweet. I add just enough sugar to make the dressing sweet without being cloying.
- Apple cider vinegar: A little vinegar adds a tangy kick and balances the richness of the dressing. You could substitute plain white vinegar if you prefer.
- Salt and black pepper: I use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make 7 Layer Salad
Make the dressing. Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl until smooth.
Assemble. Layer the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peas, boiled eggs, dressing, and cheese in a trifle dish, in this exact order! The order is important to keep the salad from becoming soggy.
Chill. Cover the salad tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Serve. Add the bacon, then serve.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Dry the lettuce. After you rinse the head of lettuce, be sure to drain it well, and pat it dry to remove as much of the water as possible. If there is a lot of water still clinging to the lettuce, your salad may become soggy.
- Add other veggies. You can swap in celery, cucumber, radishes, or bell peppers, or add them as additional layers. Green onions are a good substitute for the red onions if you’d like a milder flavor.
- Use ham instead of bacon. Finely cubed ham can make the salad feel even more substantial (and it’s a great way to use up leftover crockpot ham!).
- Make it vegetarian. Omit the bacon or serve it on the side for garnish if you’re feeding a crowd with specific food preferences.
Serving Ideas
I always associate 7 layer salad with cookouts, picnics, or potlucks. It’s such a large (and popular!) salad so it feeds a crowd, and you can make it ahead.
- Grilled foods. Serve seven layer salad with grilled chicken thighs, grilled salmon, burgers, or hot dogs.
- Other make-ahead salads. If you’re serving a crowd, add dill potato salad or ranch pasta salad or the menu, too.
- Bread. If you’re serving seven layer salad as a main dish, pair it with this healthy cornbread recipe .
Refrigerate: Store any leftover 7 layer salad wrapped in the serving dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Although it defeats the purpose of layering, I recommend tossing everything together before serving leftover salad to freshen it up and distribute the dressing evenly.
Make ahead: If you want to prep the salad ahead of time before a party, you can layer the whole thing up to 2 hours ahead of time or layer it ONLY up to the boiled eggs up to a day ahead of time. Then just before serving, add the dressing, cheese, and bacon.
More Salad Recipes
7 Layer Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 6 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped (about ½ large head or 1 small head)
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup diced red onion (about ¼ onion)
- 2 cups frozen peas (no need to thaw)
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (coarsely shredded cheese works better than finely shredded)
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream (see important note)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Set aside.1 cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- In a large clear glass bowl with straight sides or trifle dish (see note), layer ingredients in the following order: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peas, boiled eggs, dressing, and cheese.6 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped, 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, ½ cup diced red onion, 2 cups frozen peas, 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped, 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Add bacon to the top of the salad immediately before serving.6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
Notes
- Sour cream: We highly recommend looking for a sour cream that has “cultured cream” as the only ingredient. We also tested this with a store-brand sour cream with a longer ingredient list (which interacted with other dressing ingredients) and the dressing was much thinner and didn’t stay on the top of the salad, affecting the taste and appearance.
- What kind of dish to use: You’ll want to use a clear glass dish that showcases the colorful layers of the salad. A large shallow bowl with straight sides or a trifle bowl work well. A good alternative is a 9 x 13 inch glass dish (baking dish). The salad is somewhat easier to serve from a 9 x 13 dish, so each serving includes all the layers. You can roughly cut the salad into squares with a spatula when you serve it in a 9 x 13 pan.
- Switch up the veggies: Celery, cucumber, sliced radishes, bell pepper are all tasty. If you prefer a lighter onion flavor, use green onions instead of red onion.
- Yield: This is a large salad that will serve between 8 to 12 people, depending on what it’s served with. It could potentially be a main course salad since it contains eggs, bacon, and cheese.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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