Whether you're hosting a summer pool party or cheering on your favorite team during football season you need snacks.
Great snacks. Like this recipe!
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Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- No-bake dip (so it's super quick, too!)
- Perfect appetizer for game day, holiday parties, and fun family nights
- Only has 5 ingredients, but is jam-packed with creamy, classic flavors
This easy BLT dip recipe tastes just like your favorite sandwich but in an exciting, delicious dip form.
As a fun bonus, I'll show you how to serve the creamy dip in a "bowl" made from lettuce—it takes almost no time and is sure to be a huge hit at your next gathering!
🔪 Instructions overview
The full ingredients and instructions are on the green recipe card below.
- Cut the head of lettuce in half, hollowing it out from the center. Chop up the lettuce that you remove from the inside. Set aside.
- Cook bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Chop or crumble bacon and place into a
mixing bowl . - Add the mayo, sour cream, drained Ro*tel, and 1 cup of chopped lettuce to the crispy bacon. Mix well until combined.
- Place the head of lettuce into a large bowl for support, and fill the center with dip. Refrigerate and serve with your favorite crackers or veggies.
🥫 Storage
This creamy BLT dip is truly the perfect party dip because, unlike some other appetizer recipes, you can make it up to a day in advance. Store it tightly covered and serve chilled.
Scoop leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate promptly. The lettuce starts to get soggy the longer it sits, but if that doesn't bother you, the dip will keep for three or four days.
📖 Variations
This great recipe has tons of variations. However, for BLT dip most like the classic sandwich, I don't recommend making too many swaps.
- I prefer Ro-Tel tomatoes because they add a nice bit of spice. However, you can use fresh tomatoes. (To prevent your dip from tasting watery, choose a firm variety, like Roma or Plum tomatoes.)
- If you really don't want to cook bacon, you can get away with using bacon bits. It's not quite the same, though.
- Let's talk types of lettuce: you'll want to use a nice, round head, such as iceberg lettuce, Boston bibb, or even cabbage. Romaine lettuce works, but it's not round, so you can't make a "bowl" from it.
- On that note, if you don't want to make a lettuce bowl, spoon everything into a shallow dish, like a pie pan, or another pretty serving dish.
- Or, nix the lettuce bowl and try this fun royal princess coach made from a sourdough bread boule!
- Some people like to stir shredded cheddar cheese into the creamy base. If you like blue cheese, it's another tasty option!
- Feel free to add a dash of garlic powder or onion powder if you enjoy those flavors. It's not necessary, though.
- Garnish with green onions or chives for a fresh, herby flavor.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Be sure to grab regular, full-fat sour cream. Low-fat is too watery.
- A pound of bacon (average-sized cuts) is generally around 16-20 slices. Feel free to add more to taste.
- After coming home from the grocery store, wrap the head of lettuce in a paper towel (or dish towel) to absorb excess moisture. This will keep it crisp while it's stored in the fridge.
- BLT dip should stay chilled since it is made with dairy. If you're serving it at a party where it'll sit out longer, place the bowl in some ice.
- Feel free to set aside extra bacon and lettuce to sprinkle on top of the dip just before serving. It'll give a pretty presentation and show guests what's inside the creamy goodness.
- Don't forget to load up on dippers! We love serving BLT dip with tortilla chips, pita chips, toasted baguette slices, corn chips, bell peppers, cucumber slices, radishes, crackers, flat pretzel "chips," and so on. You can even get cute and toast little triangles of white bread to fit the BLT sandwich theme.
👩🍳 FAQs
Classic BLT sandwiches are made with crispy bacon, lettuce, and thick tomato slices. They are usually topped with mayo and a little S&P.
Juicy tomatoes tend to water down BLT dip, but if it's all you have, you can get away with it. Just be sure to dice them with a very sharp knife, and dab up some of the moisture before adding them to the mix.
Sure, you can use it! Miracle Whip is a tad sweeter than traditional mayo, but it should work in a pinch.
While some recipes start with a cream cheese base, I find it's a little too heavy for this dip. My family loves the light, classic BLT flavor that comes from a perfect balance of sour cream and mayo. Feel free to experiment if you want, but don't say I didn't warn ya!
📚 Related recipes
- Easy and quick, Buffalo Chicken Dip is a family favorite during football season. It's tangy, hearty, a tad spicy, and decadently creamy.
- Keto Spinach Dip is made with cream cheese so you get the gooey flavor everyone loves in an app. Pepper-Jack cheese seals the deal!
- So much better than a mix, Homemade Onion Dip has an amazing caramelized flavor and a cheesy, creamy texture. Caution: it's addicting!
- Rotel Sausage Dip has just 3 ingredients (yes, three!) but rivals any appetizer recipe in both flavor and creaminess. Try it to believe it!
- Your favorite pepper "popper" is now available in dip form: Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip is spicy, gooey, and has a crunchy, buttery topping!
🍽️ Serve with...
- Homemade Baguettes aren't difficult to make and taste so much fresher than store-bought. Use them for dipping!
- Honey Garlic Meatballs add a sweet, meaty element to gatherings, so no one is left hungry. Skewer them on toothpicks for mess-free eating.
- Fried Oreos disappear at parties faster than I can type this sentence... they're a fun, sweet option for easy munching!
📞 The last word
Love bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches?
Yep so do I. And this dip has definitely got the flavor.
A big plus is that it is quick and easy, you can make it a day ahead of time, and it won't cost you an entire month's pay to create. Most of us will have the ingredients on hand - or most of them.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Spicy BLT Dip
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 10 oz Ro*tel tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 head of lettuce, leave whole
- salt
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the head of lettuce in half and hollow it out to make a bowl, leaving the sides about 1 inch thick.
- Chop the lettuce you took out of the "bowl" finely and set aside.
- Cook the bacon until crisp. Crumble.
- Mix the mayo, sour cream, crumbled bacon, drained Ro*tel, and 1 cup of the chopped lettuce.
- Taste and then add salt and several grinds of cracked black pepper as needed.
- Spoon into the lettuce bowl and refrigerate until serving.
- Serve with baguette slices, crudites, chips, or a spoon!
Notes
- Use full fat sour cream. Lowfat or fat free won't work. You can use full fat unflavored Greek yogurt but it's not as good.
- A pound of bacon (average-sized cuts) is generally around 16-20 slices. Feel free to add more to taste.
- After coming home from the grocery store, wrap the head of lettuce in a paper towel (or dish towel) to absorb excess moisture. This will keep it crisp while it's stored in the fridge.
- BLT dip should stay chilled since it is made with dairy. If you're serving it at a party where it'll sit out longer, place the bowl in some ice.
- Feel free to set aside extra bacon and lettuce to sprinkle on top of the dip just before serving. It'll give a pretty presentation and show guests what's inside the creamy goodness.
- Don't forget to load up on dippers! We love serving BLT dip with tortilla chips, pita chips, toasted baguette slices, corn chips, bell peppers, cucumber slices, radishes, crackers, flat pretzel "chips," and so on. You can even get cute and toast little triangles of white bread to fit the BLT sandwich theme.
- You may substitute plain diced tomatoes or diced fresh tomatoes.
- Adding a little of the bacon grease to the mayonnaise gives it more flavor. Just make sure it is not super hot when you add it to the mayo.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published December 28, 2011. Last updated May 12, 2023 for readability and more helpful content.
Patricia says
Hi Mary’s,
Just a note to let you know that Burman brand mayo from Aldi is the best mayonnaise out there. Give it a try, not only super tasty, but $ saving also. I have had Hellman’s for years, and recently did my own taste test right out of the jar. I love mayo and for me to rptastse just the mayonnaise was easy. I love your site and recipes.
Marye says
OOH! I'll have to try it! Thank you!
Kathleen-Florida says
I CAN DO THIS!!!
Marye, I want you to know that this is the FIRST recipe/cooking blog I have EVER subscribed to. And I am 55. --- I hate to cook but I love to eat and your stuff looks good AND easy. Plus I like the way you write. -- I just wanted to you to know how special you are -- at least in MY world of what I read. --- Just know YOU ARE VERY SPECIAL!!! :o) --- Must go cook bacon now.