31 Savory Party Dips

Try making this tangy dip at your next cookout—it takes just 20 minutes to make, and makes for a smoky, addicting spread for Grilled Flatbreads or a dip for crudités. The grilled kale leaves won't char evenly, and that's fine—a mix of doneness that ranges from lacy and blackened to deep emerald green and tender gives the dip a deep, savory flavor.

This outside-the box salsa is made from a fragrant blend of toasted chiles, garlic, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Spoon it over Tuna-Avocado Ceviche, grilled fish, quesadillas, tacos, Mexican-style street corn, salad, pizza, or crusty bread.

Beets have a strong presence in the cuisine of almost every ethnic group in Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi explains. They color pickling juices on the Arab table and form the basis for a soup of Jewish, Iraqi and Kurdish origin. Ottolenghi purees them for this luscious spread.

This smoky, salty guacamole is a great game-day dip—but you might want to double it if you're having friends over. Anything with bacon tends to disappear quickly.

French onion soup mix combined with sour cream is the quintessential '70s dip. This luxurious upgrade eschews the powdered stuff in favor of crunchy fried scallions. Replacing the sour cream with the Lebanese cheese lebneh creates a dip that's fairly low in fat; substituting nonfat fromage blanc or drained Greek yogurt would make the dip more virtuous yet.

This healthy, fast and supertasty version of a classic ranch dip features kale, labneh and buttermilk.

This creamy, smokey dip features flaky smoked salmon two ways: half is finely chopped to add a pleasant texture to the dip alongside briny pops of capers, and the rest is pureed with the mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese, lending its beautiful color and deepening the flavor.

This sweet, sour, and pungent Laotian dipping sauce from 2020 F&W Best New Chef Donny Sirisavath gets a kick of heat from Thai chiles, ginger, and garlic balanced by bright, fresh lime juice. It's a delicious partner for the beefy tri-tip.

This dip can be made in advance and refrigerated overnight.

Michael Solomonov makes his signature hummus with an unusually generous amount of tahini—something that distinguishes the hummus of his native Israel from that of other Middle Eastern countries. He tops the dish with warm chickpeas fried with jalapeño, cumin and crushed Aleppo pepper.

A little thicker and saltier than yogurt, kashk is an Iranian dairy product that gives this aromatic eggplant dip its luscious texture and tart flavor. Floral saffron, fried dried mint, and more kashk dot the top, adding beautiful color.

Alex Stupak prepares this outstanding Yucatán-style dip by pureeing pumpkin seeds with roasted tomatoes, garlic and chile. Typically served with tortilla chips, it also makes a healthy vegan accompaniment for vegetables.

To give this creamy bean dip its fresh herbal flavor, Jim German drizzles it with olive oil blended with lovage leaves. Since lovage isn't always easy to find, a combination of parsley and celery leaves can mimic its flavor.

F&W's Grace Parisi invented this smoky guacamole.

A mix of five different alliums—shallots, scallions, and sweet, yellow, and red onions—upgrades this classic caramelized onion dip with layers of flavor. Yellow and red onions give it bite, while Vidalia onion and shallots lend a pleasant sweetness. Taking the time to cook the onions low and slow concentrates their flavor, while adding scallions halfway through cooking keeps them just fresh enough to serve with chips, toasted bread, or vegetables like endive, steamed fingerling potatoes, and roasted Broccolini.

Canned chipotles in adobo sauce give this clever, creamy dip an enticing heat and smokiness. The spiced pepitas (roasted and salted pumpkin seeds) scattered over the dip are addictive and great as a snack on their own.

Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these meatballs are loaded with cumin, garlic, and paprika for the ideal one-bite nosh. Harissa gives them a fiery heat that's tempered by the herby dip.

In its pure simplicity (no additions, no riffs), this salsa is one of Rick Bayless's favorites.

Jerry Traunfeld toasts and grinds whole coriander seeds before pureeing them with roasted cauliflower, tahini paste, lemon and cilantro. At home, use ground coriander from a bottle to season this bright, tangy recipe.

This recipe is in honor of Devita Davidson, who comes from Detroit, where farmers are super connected to the city. The Eastern Market is one of the oldest farmers' markets in the country. This dish is inspired by the farm–city connection, with benne seeds and peanuts bringing it back to Africa.

The Provençal dish known as brandade de morue is a great example of how to elevate modest ingredients like salt cod and potatoes—in this case, by whipping them with milk, olive oil and garlic until luxuriously silky.

Pumpkin seed oil from southern Austria gives this spread its nutty flavor.

As a dairy-free alternative to creamy dips, the recipe here calls for pureeing sweet peas with scallions, ginger and jalapeño, then seasoning the mix with yellow miso. Serve the spread with different kinds of crackers and breads or sugar snap peas and celery for dipping.

The taste of the Mediterranean shines through in this airy feta spread that's served with olive oil-marinated cucumbers.

Filled with four kinds of cheese and plenty of tender artichoke hearts, this dip is creamy with a crisp, golden top. Be sure to drain the thawed frozen spinach well to avoid excess water, which can break the cheese sauce.

This classic white clam dip, filled with cream cheese; crème fraîche; and, of course, canned clams, is salty, cheesy, and craveable. Some generous splashes of hot sauce and plenty of fresh dill add brightness and cut through the rich, indulgent dip.

Raita, a classic Indian yogurt sauce, pairs well with flatbreads or grilled meat. It's also delicious on its own.

Layers of creamy egg salad; crisp red onion; herbed cream cheese; and salty, briney caviar come together in a beautiful molded dip that serves up an entire caviar platter in one dish.

In this Kamaboko Dip recipe from chef Sheldon Simeon, tender julienned kamaboko (a pink-and-white fish cake sold frozen at Asian grocery stores) plays off of crunchy scallions, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and sour cream laced with umami-packed dashi concentrate (hondashi). Alaea salt, a red Hawaiian sea salt enriched with volcanic clay, adds color and an earthy flavor. Somewhere between a dip and a spread, Kamaboko Dip is an addictive appetizer smeared over crackers or bagels or dunked into with fresh crudité.

Smoked fish dip is a summer staple on the Georgia coast. This creamy mayonnaise and whipped cream cheese dip, seasoned with lemon juice, mustard, horseradish, and Old Bay, is inspired by Griffin Bufkin's smoked fish dips at Southern Soul Barbeque on St. Simons Island. It can be customized with your favorite smoked seafood, found in the refrigerated section of the seafood counter, or from local smokehouses.

In this recipe from Atlanta chef Ford Fry, bacon fat helps make homemade tortillas tender and gives them a deep flavor. They're delicious for scooping up melty cheese and crispy mushrooms.