Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Crackers Recipe

Spinach and artichoke dip is American chain-restaurant cooking from the 1980s, Houston’s Restaurant in California being the kitchen that put the warm baked version on chain menus and into every home cook’s repertoire. The version below leans on frozen chopped spinach twisted dry in two dish towels, water-packed artichoke hearts chopped (not blended), and a parmesan-panko top that crusts under the broiler. Bake it in a wide cast-iron skillet, set it on a board with toasted baguette and water crackers, and pour a cold sauvignon blanc.

Equipment You’ll Actually Use

A 25 cm (10 inch) or 30 cm (12 inch) cast-iron skillet does the work here: the depth-to-surface ratio matters for a baked dip, and cast iron holds heat at the table so the cheese stays melted through the first 30 minutes of serving. Beyond that, a few mixing bowls, a sharp knife, and two clean dish towels for the spinach squeeze. A wood serving board lets you set the hot skillet down on a coffee table without burning a ring.

Recommended Reads

• Best Christmas Finger Foods
• Christmas Snack Ideas
• Friendsgiving Dinner Party Food Ideas
• Cheese and Charcuterie Board
• Cranberry Brie Bites

Why the Frozen Spinach Is the Right Call

Most home cooks reach for fresh spinach because fresh sounds better. In a baked dip, it isn’t. Fresh spinach releases water as it heats; a 280 g bag of fresh spinach can shed nearly 200 ml of liquid in the oven, which curdles the dairy and leaves the dip thin and weeping. Frozen chopped spinach has already been blanched and frozen, which means the cell walls have already broken down. Thaw it, twist it dry in two dish towels until no more liquid comes out, and you have spinach that holds its place in the dip without sabotaging the cream base.

The chain-restaurant version that put this dip on every menu in 1985 was working with frozen, not fresh, for the same reason. Houston’s Restaurant kitchens needed a dip that hit the table consistent across hundreds of orders a night. Frozen spinach is the only way to get there. The squeeze is the move; everything else is just dairy.

A Few Notes on the Ingredients

Frozen chopped spinach is what you want, not whole-leaf frozen. The chopped version distributes through the dip and reads as flecks across each cracker. Buy the 280 g (10 oz) boxes; thaw in the fridge overnight or in the microwave for 4 minutes, then transfer to two clean dish towels and wring it out over the sink. The squeeze should yield about 110 g (½ cup) of usable spinach from a 280 g box.

Water-packed canned artichoke hearts are the right choice, not marinated. Marinated artichokes bring vinegar and oil that throw the dairy off and turn the dip slightly broken. Chop the hearts roughly with a knife rather than pulsing them in a food processor; you want recognizable pieces in the bite, not artichoke paste.

For the cheese, mozzarella inside (low-moisture, shredded; the kind in plastic bags at the grocery store) and parmigiano-reggiano on top with panko. Full-fat cream cheese is the binder; do not use whipped or low-fat. The mayonnaise-and-sour-cream combination is what gives the dip its restaurant tang; Hellmann’s or Duke’s mayo and full-fat sour cream are the right brands.

Recipe: Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Crackers

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes | Serves: 8 to 10 as appetizer

Ingredients

• 280 g (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) water-packed quartered artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 225 g (8 oz) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 120 g (½ cup) full-fat sour cream
• 120 g (½ cup) full-fat mayonnaise
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 225 g (8 oz / 2 cups) low-moisture shredded mozzarella, divided
• 60 g (½ cup) grated parmigiano-reggiano, divided
• 30 g (¼ cup) panko breadcrumbs
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 15 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted, for the topping
• For serving: water crackers, toasted baguette slices, pita chips

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Set a 25 cm (10 inch) cast-iron skillet on the stovetop or a sheet pan on the counter; the skillet will go straight from oven to table.
2. Squeeze the thawed 280 g (10 oz) chopped spinach in two clean dish towels. Pile the spinach in the center of the first towel, gather the corners, twist hard over the sink, then transfer to the second towel and twist again. Keep twisting until no more water comes out; you should yield about 110 g (½ cup) of dry spinach. This step is the difference between a dip that holds together and one that weeps in the oven.
3. Drain the can of 400 g (14 oz) artichoke hearts thoroughly, then roughly chop them on a cutting board into pieces about 1 cm (⅓ inch) across. Resist the urge to use a food processor; recognizable pieces are the goal.
4. In a large mixing bowl, stir together 225 g (8 oz) softened cream cheese, 120 g (½ cup) sour cream, and 120 g (½ cup) mayonnaise with a flexible spatula until smooth and uniform. Cream cheese pulled straight from the fridge will leave lumps; let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before mixing.
5. Stir in 3 finely grated garlic cloves, 15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if using. Taste and adjust; the base should read tangy and well-salted before you add the spinach.
6. Fold in the dried spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, 170 g (1½ cups) of the mozzarella, and 45 g (heaping ⅓ cup) of the parmigiano-reggiano. Fold gently; you want the spinach and artichoke distributed evenly, not pulverized.
7. Transfer the dip to the cast-iron skillet and spread it evenly with a spatula. Scatter the remaining 55 g (½ cup) mozzarella across the surface.
8. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 15 g (2 tablespoons) parmigiano-reggiano, 30 g (¼ cup) panko, and 15 g (1 tablespoon) melted butter. Sprinkle the panko mixture evenly over the dip, paying attention to the edges where the crust will be deepest.
9. Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and the top is beginning to color. Move the skillet to the upper rack and run the broiler on high for 2 to 3 minutes, watching the surface like you would a piece of toast, until the panko is deep gold and the cheese has caramelized in spots.
10. Let the dip rest for 5 minutes off heat. Set the skillet on a wood board, surround it with water crackers, toasted baguette slices, and pita chips, and serve while it’s still hot enough to pull a thread of cheese.

Notes

The 5-minute rest after the broiler is the difference between a dip that scoops cleanly and one that fights the cracker. The rest lets the dairy reset and the cheese threads firm up; you’ll get a clean lift on each chip.

If your skillet runs smaller than 25 cm (10 inches), use a 23 cm (9 inch) round or square baking dish instead and add 5 minutes to the bake. The dip should be at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) deep across the dish so the center cooks through; a thinner layer cooks faster and dries out at the edges.

For a make-ahead service, assemble the dip in the skillet up to 24 hours before baking, cover with plastic, and refrigerate. Bake straight from cold and add 8 to 10 minutes to the total bake time so the center reaches a bubbling 75°C (165°F).

Tips and Variations

The squeeze is non-negotiable

Wateriness is the #1 failure mode for this dip, and it almost always starts with under-squeezed spinach. Use two dish towels (one squeeze is rarely enough), wring over the sink until no more liquid drops out, and weigh the result if you want certainty. A 280 g box should give you about 110 g of dry spinach; if you have more, keep twisting.

Two cheeses, not one

Mozzarella inside (for the melt and the pull) and parmigiano-reggiano on top (for the salty crust under the panko) is what gives restaurant dip its browned crust. Skipping the parm topping for “more mozzarella everywhere” produces a paler, blander dip with less textural payoff. Keep the cheeses in their lanes.

Skip the food processor for the artichokes

Most recipes call for pulsing the artichoke hearts in a food processor, and the result is artichoke paste that disappears into the dairy. Roughly chop the hearts with a knife into 1 cm (⅓ inch) pieces so guests can taste them in the bite. The texture is what makes spinach-artichoke read different from spinach-cream-cheese.

The right crackers

Water crackers and toasted baguette outperform tortilla chips here. Hot dip breaks thin tortilla chips on contact; water crackers are sturdy enough to scoop a heavy bite and neutral enough to let the dip read first. Pita chips work for guests who want crunch. If you’re set on tortilla chips, use a thick blue-corn variety, not standard yellow.

Storage and reheating

Leftover dip keeps 3 days in the fridge, covered. Reheat at 175°C (350°F) for 12 minutes in an oven-safe dish until bubbling, or in 90-second microwave bursts with a stir between each. The dip freezes for up to a month before baking: assemble the dip in a freezer-safe dish, wrap tightly, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.

What to Pour Alongside

The dip’s richness asks for acid. A chilled sauvignon blanc (a Marlborough or a Loire Valley sancerre) cuts through the cream and the cheese in equal measure. A French 75 does the same work with citrus and bubbles. A cold pilsner or a kölsch is the casual answer; both have enough hop bitterness to balance the dairy.

For a larger spread, the dip pairs comfortably with a tray of deviled eggs with smoked paprika and a cheese and charcuterie board. The dip plays the role of the warm scoopable thing on a table mostly built around cold platters. Plan about 60 g (¼ cup) of dip per guest for a cocktail hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use fresh or frozen spinach for artichoke dip?

Frozen, every time, for a baked dip. Fresh spinach releases too much water in the oven and breaks the dairy. Frozen chopped spinach has been blanched and frozen, which breaks down the cell walls in advance. Thaw it, twist it dry in two dish towels, and you have spinach that holds its place in the dip.

Can spinach artichoke dip be made ahead?

Yes. Assemble the dip in the skillet or baking dish up to 24 hours before baking, cover with plastic, and refrigerate. Bake straight from cold and add 8 to 10 minutes to the total bake time. The dip can also be frozen before baking for up to a month; thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.

What crackers go best with spinach artichoke dip?

Water crackers and toasted baguette slices are the strongest pairing. Both are sturdy enough to scoop a heavy bite without breaking and neutral enough to let the dip lead. Pita chips work for guests who want extra crunch. Skip thin tortilla chips; they break in hot dip.

Why is my spinach artichoke dip watery?

Under-squeezed spinach is the culprit 9 times out of 10. Frozen spinach holds a lot of water even after thawing, and a casual squeeze leaves most of it in the dip. Use two clean dish towels and wring until no more liquid comes out. The other watering source is marinated artichokes; use water-packed instead.

Can I make this dip without mayonnaise?

Replace the 120 g (½ cup) mayonnaise with the same amount of additional sour cream or with crème fraîche. The dip will read tangier and slightly thinner. Greek yogurt is a workable substitute but adds noticeable acidity; if using yogurt, drop the lemon juice and add a small pinch of sugar to balance.

Final Thoughts

The chain-restaurant version of this dip has been on American party tables for forty years for one reason: it works. The dairy carries the flavor, the spinach and artichoke do the texture, and the panko-parmesan top gives every scoop something to crunch against. The only place home cooks tend to fall short is the spinach squeeze, and it’s the one move that’s free.

Serve it straight from the cast iron set on a wood board, with a cold sauvignon blanc and a stack of toasted baguette. The skillet holds its heat through the first half hour of a party, which is exactly the window when guests want something warm and easy to share.

Last update on 2026-08-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API