7-Layer Salad

A 7-layer salad is as simple to make as it is crowd-pleasing, with an impressive presentation thanks to colorful layers of bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and other vegetable. And the taste is so robust: savory, crisp, and satisfying.

The bacon and the seasoned black-eyed peas add a nice smokiness as well as texture and heartiness that helps bulk up each serving. The dressing is super creamy and tangy. With so many flavors and textures in one dish, it’s hearty and oh-so-fulfilling—like a classic BLT in salad form. 

Learn how to make 7-layer salad. Whip up this dish for an al fresco get-together for a large crowd; it’s especially ideal as a potluck dish because it travels so well.

Ingredients for a 7-Layer Salad

To make 7-layer salad, you’ll need:

• Mayonnaise: Mayo is the base of the mayonnaise dressing for this 7-layer salad. Use your favorite brand, or make your own homemade mayonnaise.
• Honey: Honey adds sweetness to the dressing. You could use maple syrup or agave syrup if you prefer those flavors over honey.
• Apple cider vinegar: ACV adds the tang and brightness to the salad dressing. You could substitute with another type of vinegar, perhaps champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar. But you may want a bit more honey to replace the sweetness you'll find in the apple cider vinegar.
• Garlic powder: Adds savory depth to the dressing.
• Kosher salt: For seasoning the dressing and black-eyed pea mixture.
• Black-eyed peas: To make this 7-layer salad more snappy, we call for canned black-eyed peas, but if you have the time, you can cook your own for this salad.
• Cayenne pepper: Optional spice if you don't like the heat, but it's added to the black-eyed pea mixture for a little warmth.
• Smoked paprika: Adds wonderful smokiness to the peas.
• Iceberg lettuce: The base of this 7-layer salad is lettuce. It captures all the wonderful juices and drips from the dressing and mixes up beautifully for the final bite.
• Red onion: If you don't like the sharpness of red onion, you can go for a sweeter Vidalia or milder yellow, but we like the bite agains the creamy dressing and rich bacon.
• Cheddar cheese: Classic cheese choice for this salad, as it's bold and nutty, but you can use any you prefer.
• Center-cut bacon: Cook a little extra bacon at breakfast, and save it for this salad. If you want, a flavored bacon would be great in this dish. If you like heat, consider jalapeño bacon.
• Eggs: Make your own hard-boiled eggs, or buy the pre-cooked kind if you're in a hurry.
• Grape tomatoes: Grape? Cherry? Doesn't matter. You could even dice up larger tomatoes.
• Parmesan cheese: The finishing topping. It adds a wonderful nutty saltiness to round out the salad.
• Scallions: A hint of grassy freshness to finish off the salad.

How To Make a 7-Layer Salad

The full recipe for 7-layer salad is below, but here's a brief outline of the process before you get started:

• Step 1. Make the dressing: To make a 7-layer salad, first whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and salt to combine. Cover and refrigerate the dressing. You can make this up to two days in advance if you need to get ahead. Just keep it covered well in the fridge.
• Step 2. Make black-eyed pea mixture: Next, stir together the black-eyed peas, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and the rest of the salt.
• Step 3. Assemble the salad: Put the lettuce in the bottom of a trifle dish or large high-sided bowl in an even layer. Top it with red onions. For the next layers, top with Cheddar cheese, bacon, eggs, black-eyed pea mixture, and tomatoes. 
• Step 4. Garnish and serve: Lastly, spoon the dressing over the tomatoes in an even layer, sprinkle with Parmesan, and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve right away.

Our Tips for the Best 7-Layer Salad

If you've made dozens of 7-layer salads, or this is your very first one, our Test Kitchen offers some tips for making sure your dish is extra great:

• Cut the bite: Sliced red onions can be quite sharp, and there are a lot of them in this salad. If you like, you can soak the sliced onions in a bowl of ice water for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain them. This helps to mellow out the onions’ intensity and makes the flavor milder.
• Cheese, please: You could also mix the Parmesan into the dressing, but using it as a topper instead keeps the dressing perfectly creamy—and it also helps mask any unevenness with the layers.
• Swap proteins: We have eggs and bacon in this 7-layer salad, but you could add chicken, or use it instead of the bacon for a meatier meal.

Can You Make 7-Layer Salad Ahead of Time?

You can make a 7-layer salad up to a day ahead of time. Cover it, and keep it refrigerated until you're ready to serve. Add the dressing and top with Parmesan and scallions just before serving.

How To Store 7-Layer Salad

If you're serving 7-layer salad at a picnic or barbecue, be sure it doesn't sit at room temperature longer than two hours. It should be refrigerated after that window to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Any leftovers can be stored, covered, in the fridge up to 3 days. The tomatoes may turn a little slumpy, and the lettuce might begin to wilt slightly, but once mixed, you'll never know. Besides, it probably won't last that long.

More Delicious Salad Recipes

When you're craving salads, you want a few more good ideas. Try these next:

• BLT Salad with Buttermilk-Parmesan Dressing and Buttery Croutons
• Lemony White Bean Salad with Broccoli
• Cornbread Salad
• Greek Chicken Bowls
• Orzo Salad With Shrimp and Lemon Dressing
• Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.