Spinach Dip Recipe: How to Make Spinach Dip in 30 Minutes

Spinach dip consists of spinach, cheese, usually artichoke hearts, and a binder like sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, or a combination of all three. Both cold spinach dip and hot spinach dip are popular. The hot version cooks in the oven, either in a baking dish or a sourdough bread bowl, to allow the cheese to melt and crisp up. Cold spinach dip usually features a vegetable soup mix as the base, with the addition of thawed frozen spinach, water chestnuts, and other veggies. In the United States, the dish is a popular appetizer to serve at parties, gatherings, and during game day watch parties.

Spinach dip comes together quickly and uses relatively few ingredients. Here are a few tips for making hot spinach dip that will simplify the cooking process and garner the best results possible:

1. 1. Add marinated artichoke hearts. Restaurants often serve hot spinach dip with the addition of marinated artichoke hearts for a bit of briny flavor and a crunchy texture. You can elevate your own spinach dip with a can of artichoke hearts. Drain the liquid away first, then chop the hearts and add them to your recipe for a spinach artichoke dip.
2. 2. Defrost frozen spinach. If you’re using frozen spinach, you run the risk of introducing excess liquid into the recipe, which will make the dip thinner and dilute the flavor. Thaw frozen spinach first, then drain all the excess liquid on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
3. 3. Try Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Both ingredients are tangy and thick and will help you achieve slightly different tastes and textures. If you already enjoy spinach dip containing sour cream, give Greek yogurt a try—it adds an even creamier texture and mixes well with the other ingredients.
4. 4. Use a slow cooker. Making spinach dip in a slow cooker is convenient, as it requires no hands-on time while the ingredients cook. For this type of spinach dip, use a recipe specifically for a slow cooker since the ingredient amounts might vary from that of an oven-baked recipe.

Spinach dip is creamy, cheesy, and full of veggies; therefore, it complements many other foods well. Here are five foods to enjoy with spinach dip:

1. 1. Bread: Almost any type of bread works as a dipper for spinach dip. Try pumpernickel bread, sourdough bread, or pieces of baguette. To make a bread bowl, hollow out a round loaf of bread, then scoop all of the uncooked dip into the middle of the bread loaf. Bake the loaf until the dip is hot and the bread a little crispy. Meanwhile, tear the portion of loaf that you removed into big chunks—you can toast those pieces, too, to serve with the dip.
2. 2. Pita triangles: Serve warm pita wedges or pita chips with spinach dip. Fresh pita is soft and chewy, while pita chips are crispy, but both will add a contrast in texture to the dip itself without overpowering the flavor of the dish.
3. 3. Pretzels: The salty crunch and toasted flavor of pretzels contrasts pleasantly with spinach dip. Additionally, pretzels hold their shape well when you dip them into sauces and other condiments. Try a variety of pretzel flavors, or try soft pretzels.
4. 4. Tortilla chips: The crunch, salt, and corn of tortilla chips complements the dish’s cheesy flavor well. This snack is a classic dipper for almost any dip, including spinach dip.
5. 5. Veggies: For a particularly fresh appetizer, or for a dipping option that feels lighter than bread, use carrot sticks, celery, cherry tomatoes, or raw broccoli to scoop up the spinach dip. Almost any sturdy veggie works, and most will be fairly neutral in flavor.