Best Spinach Artichoke Dip (Restaurant-Style)
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Learn the cheffy method for making a top-notch spinach artichoke dip — once you try it, you’ll never go back to the traditional recipe.
Creamy, cheesy, and brimming with veggies, spinach artichoke dip is a surefire hit at any gathering. While most homemade versions rely on cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, restaurant chefs take a different approach. They typically use a Mornay sauce—a cheesy variation of the classic béchamel sauce—to bind and flavor the dip. Although it sounds fancy, Mornay sauce is actually the same easy sauce you’d use for homemade macaroni and cheese and some creamed spinach recipes. This restaurant method, which is done entirely on the stovetop, is actually a bit faster than the baked home-style version. And, in my opinion, it results in a much more delicious dip.
Table of Contents
“This was AMAZING! There’s a restaurant near me that has something very similar and this was just as good if not better…It’s a WINNER!”
What You’ll Need to Make Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics form the flavorful foundation of the dip.
- Butter, Half & Half, and Flour: Combined to create a roux, these ingredients thicken the dip, ensuring a creamy, rich texture that’s perfect for scooping.
- Frozen Spinach: Adds a healthy, bright element to the dip. Thawing, draining, and squeezing the spinach removes excess water, preventing the dip from becoming watery.
- Canned Artichoke Hearts: Provide a slightly tangy flavor and hearty texture. Properly preparing the artichokes by draining, rinsing, chopping, and blotting ensures they integrate well without adding extra moisture.
- Shredded Cheddar and Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano): These cheeses melt into the dip, offering a gooey texture and rich flavor.
- Tortilla Chips: The perfect crunchy, salty vehicle for scooping the dip.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by prepping the frozen spinach and canned artichokes. The spinach should be thawed and squeezed as dry as possible. The artichokes are packed in water with salt and citric acid, so they need to be rinsed very well, drained, and then blotted dry with a paper towel. (If you add them directly to the dip without first rinsing them, they will give the dip an off flavor.)
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Stir in the flour.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Pour in the half & half.
Then add the spinach and artichokes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot and thickened, about 2 minutes.
Add the Cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the hot dip to a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can definitely use fresh spinach here. I’d start with about 1½ pounds and cook it down with a bit of water. You’ll need about 1½ cups of steamed chopped spinach (though it will seem like much less once you squeeze all the liquid out).
Yes, it can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated in a covered container. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a bit more half & half to thin the dip, if necessary. Because of all the dairy, this dip is not ideal for freezing.
Sliced baguette, pita chips, or toasted pita bread offer a nice crunch and surface area for scooping.
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Spinach Artichoke Dip (Restaurant-Style)
Learn the cheffy method for making a top-notch spinach artichoke dip — once you try it, you’ll never go back to the traditional recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups half & half
- 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
- 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed well, chopped, and blotted dry with paper towels (see note)
- 1½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch nutmeg
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Do not brown. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Pour in the half & half, and then add the spinach and artichokes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot and thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste with a chip and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
- Note: Canned artichokes are packed in water with salt and citric acid, so they need to be rinsed very well, drained, and then blotted dry with a paper towel before using. If you add them directly to the dip without first rinsing them, they will give the dip an off flavor.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The dip can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated in a covered container. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a bit more half & half to thin the dip, if necessary.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (Does not include chips - 6 servings)
- Calories: 285
- Fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Sodium: 496 mg
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this for a family gathering and it was a hit! Easy to make and tasted delicious!
I made this recipe to take to a super bowl party. It was easier than another recipe I’ve used in the past, and it was a HUGE hit. It was the first snack to go at the party and multiple people asked for the recipe – I was so happy to share it!
One of the worst recipes that I have ever tried! I used Gruyère, a very expensive cheese and grated Parmesan. I even added a small amount of cream cheese to make it creamier.. Nothing helped!
Do not bother with this recipe. I threw the whole thing away!
Sorry Jen. I love most of your recipes, but I found this dip very bland.
I tried this recipe tonight and it was very bland. I reheated it with a little mayonnaise and sour cream and a touch more salt. Better but still bland…just isn’t for me.
I’m dying to make this recipe. It sounds amazing. I have just one question: can I use artichokes marinated in oil? I usually have that on hand. I would assume that they would need some of the liquid squeezed out. Would it mess up the finished flavour of the dish? Every one of your recipes that I have tried always turn out great. I can count on it!
Hi Rita, If you drain and rinse the artichokes, it should work (and so glad you like the recipes)! 😊
Put in a mini creuset and sprinkled Gruyère on top and baked for 5 minutes in the oven! Looks and taste beautiful!
*on a different note…I love Your website but have problems loading pages and crashing because of the amount of ads:/ Makes it difficult to pull up recipes😕😕😕😕
Glad you enjoyed this! I’m sorry the ads are making it difficult for you to view the recipes. An option is to view the recipe as if you were going to print it. That will remove all the ads. So, you’d go through the process of preparing to print a recipe and just view it that way. Hope that helps!
I am going to make this and bring to a New Year’s Eve party. I want it to be served warm. Can I reheat in a microwave when I arrive — or put it under the boiler? Your advice please.
I have never made this recipe, but I have made many from your website — all delicious!
Thank you!
Hi Janet, so glad you like the recipes! Yes, you can reheat this on the stovetop or in the microwave. Hope everyone enjoys!
This was my first attempt at spinach artichoke dip and all I can say is it was very bland. I used salted butter, don’t know if that would make it bland but I had to add salt and it still wasn’t flavorful. Going to try to add some mayo and sour cream to the leftovers, and maybe more cheese.
I made this for a bridal shower and it was delicious! I tripled the recipe and with all the other food, I have some leftover. Any chance it can be frozen? Or any suggestions on how to use the remaining amount in another dish?
Hi Sherry, I think it would be delicious tossed with hot pasta. (You may need to thin it out- you could use milk, cream, or some of the pasta water. And because of all the dairy in this, I’m not sure it’s a great dish to freeze, but if it’s going to go to waste otherwise, I think it’s worth a try.