Dips

Perfect for weeknight snacks or party spreads, Dips gathers creamy, chunky, cold and hot recipes—from silky hummus and tangy tzatziki to melty queso and bright chimichurri—that transform chips, vegetables and bread into irresistible bites. Expect quick pantry-friendly blends, showstopping warm bakes and global flavors you’ll return to again and again.

Cajun Honey Burger Sauce

By Alf's Kitchen

A sweet, spicy, and smoky burger sauce made with caramelized onions and jalapeños, Duke's mayo, hot honey and a Cajun honey rub. Bright, tangy, and perfect for smash burgers or as a dip—let it rest in the fridge so the flavors meld.

55 min

Herby Feta and Yogurt Dip With Sumac

By Yossy Arefi

This tangy and creamy dip is the perfect appetizer for a warm summer evening outside, and it makes a nice condiment for grilled meats and veggies, too. Fresh green herbs brighten up the salty feta, and sumac gives it another layer of flavor and a gorgeous pop of color. Choose a feta in brine over vacuum-packed, if you’ve got the option. Feta varies a lot in salt content, so you won’t see a measured amount of salt here; just taste the dip and add a bit if you think it needs it.

5 min

Roasted Garlic Butter

This is a recipe for a butter that's given a massive flavour leg up with roasted garlic, parmesan and anchovies. I am hopelessly addicted to it, and I use it on everything: slather on bread, on cooked proteins (chicken, fish, steak), and steamed vegetables. It's especially brilliant with roast beef, like the Beef Rump Cap Roast (Picanha) I also shared today.Use softened, or shape it into a log, refrigerate then cut slices and place on a hot dish to let it slowly melt.Makes 150g / 2/3 cup, enough for 6 to 8 people as a sauce for steak etc.

37 min

Crab and Artichoke Dip

By Melissa Knific

Briny crab and artichokes, paired with creamy cheeses, sour cream and mayonnaise, set the groundwork for this American coastal favorite with regional variations. On the East Coast, this dip is sometimes referred to as Maryland crab dip, as it uses blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay and Old Bay seasoning; in the Pacific Northwest, Dungeness crab and artichokes are essential to the mix. This version pulls inspiration from both, and you can use whatever variety is available to you at your local market. You don't need to use lump crab. Instead, look for less expensive options, which have small pieces of crab that distribute more evenly in the creamy base. The cheese pull — that long, gooey string that extends as a result of cheese being pulled apart — is the telltale sign that a dip has reached peak richness. Here, fontina achieves maximum cheesiness and doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Serve with crostini, pita or a sleeve of saltines.

50 min

Basil Pesto

By Andy Baraghani

Make classic basil pesto with toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil—slather on grilled toast or toss with pasta for a quick, flavorful weeknight dinner.

Grilled Peruvian Chicken With Green Sauce

By Kendra Vaculin

Dressed with a smoky marinade and slathered in a creamy-herby green sauce, boneless skinless chicken breasts shine in this weeknight grilled dinner.

Mushroom Queso Fundido

By Christina Morales

Sizzling and gooey, queso fundido topped with chorizo is a staple on Mexican restaurant menus across the country. But the dish likely stems from home cooks along North Mexico and South Texas. Depending on where you go, different cheeses like Monterey Jack, Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheeses are used. Bricia Lopez, an author of “Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling (Abrams, 2023)” and “Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico” (Abrams Books, 2019), and an owner at Guelaguetza, in Los Angeles, was inspired by the salsa de queso and quesillo she grew up eating at her family’s restaurant to create her version of queso fundido, which uses the Oaxaca cheese to create a great cheese pull. She also tops it with mushrooms and epazote (see Tip), a fresh herb she grew up eating with cheese.

1 hr

Tzatziki

By Kay Chun

Tzatziki is a popular Greek sauce traditionally served with souvlaki and pita bread, but it’s super versatile in its potential: It’s a great snacking dip with crudités and chips, as well as a bright and tangy sauce to drizzle on grain bowls or serve alongside roasted chicken or salmon. Most commonly finished with dill, tzatziki is sometimes made — and equally delicious — with other fresh herbs, like mint or oregano. It can be made a few hours ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

10 min

Crème Anglaise

By Thomas Keller

Learn how to make classic crème anglaise, a silky French vanilla custard sauce perfect for drizzling over cakes, pies, fruit, or bread pudding.

Tangy Tzatziki

By Eric Kim

Inspired by the tzatziki served at Sto Kastro, a Greek restaurant in Germersheim, Germany, this thicker, fluffier iteration of the sauce lets the pairing of cucumber and yogurt shine. The main technique here is to really squeeze the liquid out of both the cucumbers and the yogurt, which results in tzatziki that’s both creamy and almost fluffy. A second trick, from the cookbook author Suzy Karadsheh, is to use distilled white vinegar instead of lemon juice. The vinegar’s straightforward acidity delivers the best of the cucumber and yogurt. This cool, creamy mix tastes fantastic when spread on warm pita bread and crackers or used as a dip for chips and fresh crunchy vegetables.

15 min

Bolognese Sauce

By The New York Times

After the death in 2013 of Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who changed the way Americans cook Italian food, The Times asked readers which of her recipes had become staples in their kitchens. Many people answered with one word: “Bolognese.” Ms. Hazan had a few recipes for the classic sauce, and they are all outstanding. This one appeared in her book “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking,” and one reader called it “the gold standard.” Try it and see for yourself.

4 hr

Taramasalata

By Gabrielle Hamilton

While this is a sturdy and reliable recipe for making the greek cod roe spread called taramasalata from scratch, funnily enough it doesn't call for cod roe. I've come to prefer the commonly available and affordable salmon roe instead. If you are putting together a greek meze plate — with feta and kalamata olives, some marinated octopus and skordalia — save the brine from the feta and use it to season the taramasalata instead of lemon juice and see what you think. It lends a great acidity. Be sure to take the extra step of grating the cooked potato instead of more conveniently throwing it into the food processor and whizzing — to avoid a gluey texture. It'll keep in the fridge for a week and can be used a few ways all summer — add a grated white onion and toss with shaved celery and diced tomatoes as a salad dressing. Or thin with a little of the potato cooking water and some good olive oil and consider it as a sauce for whole grilled fish.

15 min

Taramosalata

By Kate Winslow

Jarred tarama, or carp roe, is the briny backbone of this classic Greek meze that takes just minutes to prepare.

15 min

Guacamole

By Nagi

Recipe video above. A really great Guacamole, the way it's made in Mexico and in the best Mexican restaurants around the world! The secret step that makes this so special is making a paste with onion, chilli, coriander/cilantro and salt before adding the avocado. Mashing is key to release flavour. And nobody wants raw onion chunks in their guac!

10 min

Creamy Collard Greens Dip With Shito

By Bryan Washington

Cooking Dawn Burrell’s creamed greens is an exercise in extracting as much flavor as possible, as economically as possible: With the trinity of garlic, onion and bell pepper, the dip’s flavor profile is distinct, but the collard greens and shito, a chile sauce from Ghana, are still allowed to shine. This dip can be served as an appetizer, side dish or as the star of a series of smaller plates. And its texture is both inviting and distinct, creamy and wholly spiced. Ms. Burrell serves the dip with crunchy fritters made with rice and fonio, a tiny grain popular throughout West Africa. Pairing the dip with a baguette, a bowl of tortilla chips or slices of toasted bread would also make a solid meal.

35 min

Bacon-Cheddar Dip

By Melissa Clark

Bacon and Cheddar, that time-honored pairing, meet up once more in this easy, spicy skillet dip. Grated Cheddar, the sharper the better, and crisp bacon slivers are folded into a mix of cream cheese and sour cream that’s been zipped up with hot sauce. You can prepare the dip a few hours in advance, then broil it just before serving so that the Cheddar emerges melted, singed and bubbly on top. Marinated cherry tomatoes (or you can substitute prepared salsa), scallions and more bacon make for a colorful, juicy garnish. Serve it with anything you love to dip: Chips, veggies or crackers are all welcome.

20 min

Tzatziki

By Kate Winslow

This recipe for tzatziki sauce uses Greek yogurt as a base and combines it with cucumber, dill, lemon juice, and more to make a multi-purpose sauce you can use in a variety of ways.

15 min

Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

By Kendra Vaculin

Creamy and bright with just a subtle bit of heat, this five-ingredient, make-ahead dip is ready for company—just add crudités.

Akron White French Dressing

By Jed Portman

Akron white French dressing is ultra-creamy, sweet-tangy, and perfect for any green salad—plus great as a coleslaw base, dip, or steak sauce.

6 hr 5 min

Sweet Potato Hummus

By Liesel Davis

Adding water to this potato hummus recipe is key to a smooth and spoonable consistency.

Classic Marinara Sauce

By Julia Moskin

Homemade marinara is almost as fast and tastes immeasurably better than even the best supermarket sauce — and it's made with basic pantry ingredients. All the tricks to a bright red, lively-tasting sauce, made just as it is in the south of Italy (no butter, no onions) are in this recipe. Use a skillet instead of the usual saucepan: the water evaporates quickly, so the tomatoes are just cooked through as the sauce becomes thick. (Our colleagues over at Wirecutter have spent a lot of time testing skillets to find the best on the market. If you're looking to purchase one, check out their skillet guide.)

25 min

Charred Sweet Potatoes With Toum

By Andy Baraghani

This recipe is nice twice. The roasting and honey-glazing method is a great way to make sweet potatoes, and you also get an eggless garlic sauce that you’ll use again and again.

Easiest Cranberry Sauce

By Priya Krishna

This simple cranberry sauce recipe can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries and gets an optional kick of flavor from orange liqueur.