These 15 Super Bowl Dips Are Actually the Main Event

By Margaret Eby
Updated January 31, 2020
Caitlin Bensel
The Super Bowl, for some people, is about sports. But for the rest of us, it’s about the excellent snacking opportunities, and a core category is Super Bowl dips. There’s nothing wrong with opening a jar, but once you realize the vast array of dips you can make yourself, including an upgrade to your onion dip, a gorgeous purple-hued, za’atar beet dip, and manyintriguing kinds of hummus. If you want to get really fancy, you can even pair your Super Bowl dips with homemade chips. But even if all you have the strength for is mixing together a few things and plunking down a bowl next to a bag of tortilla chips, we have many dip options for you.
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Cool Ranch Kale Dip

Christina Holmes
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If you love ranch dressing, but you're trying to make sure there are a few actual vegetables on the table besides the crudité, this version of the party classic is for you. All the flavor of a packet, but with the added depth of flavor from kale, chives, dill, and parsley, it might actually be the coolest ranch. (Sorry.)

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Fried Scallion Dip With Labneh

MATT ARMENDARIZ
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  • Into dips with some frizzled onions on top? Try out this Super Bowl dip that replicates the flavors of sour cream and onion, but replaces the sour cream with a thick yogurt cheese and the onions with crunchy fried scallions. If you can't find labneh, Greek yogurt works well in a pinch, too.

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Avocado Hummus Dip

CHRISTINA HOLMES
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Do you like hummus? Do you like guacamole? If yes, good news: this dip is the place where those two categories meet in the middle. Add avocado to a classic hummus mixture of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil for a riff on a dip that's as great with chips as it is on pita—or whatever else you want to scoop it up with.

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Queso Fundido Al Tequila

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Chef Rick Bayless' spin on a queso dip is so much more than a jar of salsa and a block of American cheese that's been given a turn in the microwave. The tomatoes, chilis, and onions are rounded off with a hit of tequila that gives the dip a subtle twist. It all comes together in 20 minutes.

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Bacon Guacamole

© Todd Porter & Diane Cu
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Guacamole does just fine without bacon, but, well, if you're going to add some meat to it, bacon is definitely the way to go. This recipe adds just that little extra smokiness and saltiness, care of just three strips of bacon.

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Garlic Confit

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Is confit technically more of a spread than a dip? Is it weird just to want to eat garlic simmered in oil and spices straight, with a spoon? Who cares. Garlic confit sounds fancy, but it's just an excuse to eat softened garlic on crackers or flatbread or toasts, and that is a victory.

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Artichoke Dip With Crispy Shallots

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Artichoke Dip is a classic for a reason, and this version, from Chef Michael White, makes use of frozen artichokes, cream cheese, Gruyere, and plenty of garlic and onions to get that classic cheesy, savory flavor, topped with crispy panko bread crumbs for great textural contrast.

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Spicy Black Bean Dip With Cotija Cheese

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Sneak in some plant-based protein in your Super Bowl spread thanks to the heroes of the hour: black beans. All you need is a food processor. If you can't find cotija, queso fundido works, or you could even substitute in feta, if that's what you've got.

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Lump Crab Salsa

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This crab dip that avoids mayonnaise to focus on shallots, cilantro, jalapeno, and red bell peppers comes from Chef Michael Symon. It's perfect for your guests who love crab, but not a mayo-heavy dip.

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Pico de Gallo

© JAMES BAIGRIE
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This salsa is a staple for a reason: Bright, fresh, and easy to assemble, it brings much-needed acid to the pile of chips. If you happen to have leftovers, throw them into a salad the next day.

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Creamy Spinach-and-Shrimp Dip

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Vegetables just taste better when you get to dip chips in them, and particularly when they're enhanced with shrimp, like in this spinach dip. It's also one that you can make without touching the stove, a bonus if you're already juggling too many appetizers.

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Blue Cheese and Walnut Dip

David Malosh
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Waldorf salad has many things to recommend it, but unfortunately, it's difficult to eat with chips. Luckily, that problem is solved with this dip, which you can accompany with the traditional trappings of a Waldorf, like apple slices and grapes.

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Fancy Clam Dip

Justin Walker
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If you have access to clams—I'm looking at you Northeasterners—you should turn them into a fancy dip, best served along thick, crispy, barely salted kettle chips. Just saying.

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Instant Pot Baba Ganoush

Caitlin Bensel
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If the Instant Pot you got for Christmas has been sitting sadly in the corner, now is your chance to put it into action. The pressure cooking function allows you to get the texture of a great Baba Ganoush without fussing over a grill, plus you can make it a couple days ahead of time, if you'd rather relax on Super Bowl Sunday than spend time in the kitchen.

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Herbed Crème Fraîche

Justin Walker
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Crème Fraîche is a lovely, subtle version of sour cream, and adding herbs to it makes for a great dip that's in the same family as a sour cream and onion or ranch, but you know, a little fancier.

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By Margaret Eby