Home » Recipes » Appetizers » Sesame Thai Chicken Dip {Most Amazing Dip On the Whole Planet Earth}
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4.73 stars (96 ratings)Sep 2, 202080
Get ready for the most delicious dip on the planet. This sesame Thai chicken dip is packed with so many light and delicious flavors and is crazy easy to make! Soooo good!
If you are like me and you absolutely, wholeheartedly seek after everything sweet Thai chili sauce, you’re going to go bananas over this dip.
The Asian/Thai/fusiony flavors in this dip are totally my jam; I could eat stuff like this day in and day out for the rest of forever.
However, I have also served this dip to boring palates (sorry, I won’t call anyone out by name) and skeptics (again, I’ll help keep you anonymous), and everyone (except one stubborn soul who has been cut out of my life forever*) went crazy over it. Like, fighting over the leftovers kind of crazy.
*just kidding, kind of
This sesame Thai chicken dip is going to singlehandedly get me through September, I can feel it.
Easy as can be
The beauty of this simple chicken dip is that it is just that: simple.
After tossing the chicken (a rotisserie chicken works great here!) with a little flavor boost:
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- garlic
You basically layer everything on a platter.
A few notes so no one yells at me
- How I got the recipe: an amazing MKC reader, Luci, sent me this recipe, waxing poetic about its virtues. She had a hunch I’d love the flavors, and wow, was she ever right.
- Spinach issues: Luci tipped me off that the spinach should be very finely chopped (she was introduced to the dip at a book group, and she actually thought the “green stuff” was cilantro); I somehow missed that memo and definitely went for more of a coarse chop on the spinach. And added a lot of it. You can really follow your soul on this one. The recipe calls for 1-2 cups fresh spinach. You can add more or less and chop it coarse or fine, depending on the spinach vibe you want.
- Sweet Thai chili sauce: this amazing nectar is integral to the recipe. I haven’t tried a homemade sweet chili sauce recipe, but there are loads of options if you google. I tend to stick with the Mae Ploy or Thai’s Kitchen brands.
- Authentic…or not: please note that I am not trying to pass this dip off as any kind of authentic Thai food. I am not a Thai food expert. I just like to drink sweet Thai chili sauce and would put it on everything if I could. Basically, if you have an issue with this recipe claiming to be Thai food, gently remind yourself no one claimed that, and then try not to yell at me in the comments, especially in all caps. I just work here. 🙂
Just Eyeball It
A wonderful virtue of this recipe is that for almost every aspect, you can just eyeball the amounts you want to use.
A lot will depend on the size of your platter or plate, your taste buds, how cream cheese heavy-or-light you want it, and a multitude of other preferences.
I’ve given some amounts in the recipe below, but you should really think of them as just recommendations. You really can’t mess it up.
You’ll want about a 10- to 12-inch platter. I have this oval platter aff. link, and it fits the recipe pretty much perfectly.
I get excited about every single recipe I post. In the land of Mel Posts Less and Less, you better believe that when Ido manage to get a post up amid the craziness that is life right now, it’s going to be the best of the best of the best.
I don’t have time for filler recipes published only to appease the google and SEO gods. And I know you don’t either.
This sesame Thai chicken dip shatters the best of the best category and goes straight to the list of best things I’ve ever eaten. I hope you love it as much as I do!
And if you happen to invite me to a party in the next decade, chances are I’ll play dead, but if I do by some miracle emerge from my cozy, introverted, homebody shell to put on pants and come, I’ll 100% be bringing this dip.
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Four Years Ago: Tri-Color Pasta Salad {My Favorite Pasta Salad}
Five Years Ago: Amish-Style Apple and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Six Years Ago: Thai-Style Fish and Creamy Couscous Packets {Make-Ahead Meal}
Seven Years Ago: Big Fat Greek Tacos
Eight Years Ago: Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins
Sesame Thai Chicken Dip
Yield: 20 servings
Prep Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
4.73 stars (96 ratings)
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, I use low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, toasted or regular
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 to 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
- 16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (227 g) sweet Thai chili sauce
- 1 to 2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach (see note)
- ½ cup finely chopped chives or green onions
- ½ cup chopped peanuts or toasted sesame seeds
- Sesame rice crackers, for serving
Instructions
Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic. Toss with the shredded chicken. Set aside.
Spread cream cheese evenly on 10- to 12-inch serving plate or platter. Top with sweet Thai chili sauce, spinach, chicken, chives or green onions, and peanuts or sesame seeds.
Serve right away or refrigerate 2-4 hours (any longer and the peanuts can soften and the spinach can get a bit wilty). Serve with rice crackers.
Notes
Spinach: I kind of load up the spinach on this dip because I really love fresh spinach, but you can add just a smattering (like a sprinkling of chopped cilantro). Speaking of cilantro, I’m guessing you could sub out the spinach and use fresh, chopped cilantro (or add both).
Sweet Thai Chili Sauce: I almost always buy the Mae Ploy or Thai’s kitchen brands of sweet Thai chili sauce. I haven’t made my own, but there are a lot of homemade recipes if you do a quick google search.
Leftovers: the leftovers of this dip are really good. Keep in mind the spinach and peanuts will soften if/when refrigerated for longer than a couple of hours.
Author: Mel
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Thai
Method: No-Bake
Calories: 159kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 475mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g
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Recipe Source: sent to me by a reader, Luci H (thank you, Luci!) – looks like it’s originally from Taste of Home (I adapted amounts and some of the ingredients)
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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posted on September 2, 2020 (last updated April 3, 2024)
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80 comments on “Sesame Thai Chicken Dip {Most Amazing Dip On the Whole Planet Earth}”
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Jean Uher — Reply
This looks delicious and easy to prepare. I’ll be trying it. I assume the prep time isn’t really 2 hrs 30 min
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Mel — Reply
That includes chilling time.
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Betsy Jenson — Reply
Wow! This was so tasty. I followed the recipe exactly and served it as a main dish using naan bread instead of crackers. We had it with watermelon and fresh veggies on the side. Such a great summer dinner.
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Sarah Bunje — Reply
Love this recipe! I made it for dinner twice this week with Costco chicken. I didn’t have cream cheese so I used plain yogurt as the base. Ate with a fork instead of the crackers.
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Nina — Reply
This dip sounds so yummy! I would have to make it when I’m done nursing (baby has allergies to soy, dairy, eggs and nuts!). I love sweet chili sauce. I use the Pentai Norasingh Sweet Chili sauce for spring rolls. YUM!!!
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Karen — Reply
I started making this when I needed a gluten free appetizer and now it has turned into my go to appetizer recipe! It is simple to make and always leaves people asking me for the recipe!! YUMMY!
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Valerie — Reply
I love this dip! I do a mix of spinach, mint and cilantro and it is SO good!
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Meghan — Reply
I made this for a party last night and we loved it! We have used Mae Ploy for years and it is definitely the best. We couldn’t find sesame crackers and used the multigrain chips from Costco.
I chopped everything and assembled it at the party, and I ended up with leftover items. For dinner tonight we had rice bowls with everything in the recipe but the cream cheese. Delicious! I will plan to do that in the future.
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Alanna Moger — Reply
I hope this comment box is big enough. I was inspired by the recipe, but didn’t want to ladle it up with crackers. I thought about adapting it for puff pastry, but the grocery was out of puff pastry on super bowl sunday…and in the end I found: wonton wrappers! Score. Sesame oil in the pan. Add garlic, fresh ginger. Cook until soft and seasoned add chopped peanuts (unsalted) toast in the sesame oil. Do the chicken like you said in the soy and oil and garlic. (i didn’t measure…next time just a little soy and toss with what was in the pan). Room temp cream cheese blended with just a bit of the sweet chili sauce. I only had frozen chopped spinach. Used half a bag. Cooked in pan, let cool on paper plate to get rid of juice. Next time I”ll use fresh. Chopped shredded carrot, microwaved (my husband hates crunchy veg… grrr)…next time I will chop small and just use raw. Chopped green onion. Stirred veg into chicken. Stirred the whole thing into the cream cheese. Filled the wonton. Fried the wonton. Dipped in sweet chili sauce. OMG. Good. I will need to reduce the juice and use fresh veg. I am hoping the heat of the fry (used the actual fryer…which usually sits in a back cupboard…sad and lonely)…probabaly could air fry??? The chicken mixture was so good with the sesame oil toasted peanuts… could stand alone in a fusion taco or be the base of an eggroll with slaw inside (and cream cheese,…because who doesn’t love cream cheese. I teased Bill that I should make a sweet chili cheese cake…how would that pair with dark chocolate in a marbled cheese cake. Am I crazy? Would love to hear what you think. Next time for the wonton I may actually leave out the spinach (probably because I also filled some with a spanakopita filling) and consider another veg possibility. Thank you for the inspiration. This all started because I didn’t have time to make the Korean BBQ tacos which I am looking forward to. 🙂 Thank you.
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Aunt Susan — Reply
Just made this today “as is” and it’s tasty. I can see how flavor can be impacted by which brands one uses of the jarred sauces and how much cream cheese, and how much of other ingredients you prefer. There are a few tweaks I’d like to try so you might see another comment from me in the not-too-distant future. Thank you!
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Naomi Bullock — Reply
Alright can I just say that I love all things you make. Can’t wait to try this. I just made your super easy cream cheese Alfredo sauce tonight and it was a hit.
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Amy — Reply
I made this for a Christmas party, and got two requests for the recipe afterwards. We’ve even made it for dinner a few times. I didn’t have a spinach layer, but did a cilantro and red bell pepper layer instead. I only used about half the sesame oil the recipe called for, since it’s quite a strong flavor (I did the full amount the first time, and it overwhelmed the dish a bit). Garnished with lime slices. Definitely use “hint of lime” tortilla chips – makes a big difference!
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Kristen Stamborski — Reply
If you want to up the fabulous level of this dip even more add thin shreds of fresh basil!! Yum!
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Brina — Reply
Anyone that has tried this can’t stop eating it! I get regular requests to bring it to family or friend functions! Divine! Also, they taste AMAZING with hint of lime tortilla chips.
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AMY Okey — Reply
Another question…. I have never purchased fresh ginger.(I know…sorry!) What to look for when purchasing, how to store…Thanks!
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Mel — Reply
Fresh ginger is in the produce section – it looks like a knobby brown branch (not super pretty, haha). I buy it, cut it into 1-inch pieces, pop it into the freezer and then grate it straight from the freezer (unpeeled) when needed!
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Amy — Reply
LOVE.LOVE.LOVE THIS DIP! I have made it twice and have found that I almost always have to refrigerate ahead of time for guests, which makes the cream cheese layer too stiff for dipping. Would low fat cream cheese help with that? Or mixing in some sour cream?
It is my turn for dinner club in two weeks and I would like to serve this to my friends. This is almost a meal in itself, so I was thinking about plating it as individual servings.—maybe serving some type of toasted bread instead of rice crackers. Suggestions? Would some sort of cold or warm soup be good to serve along? I would love any suggestions you have for me. Thanks!-
Mel — Reply
Hi Amy, using lowfat cream cheese could help – as well as mixing in sour cream or heavy cream. I think this could be a great light meal! I think serving toasted bread is a great idea. Maybe some fresh fruit as well?
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Brina — Reply
I have found that whipping the cream cheese before spreading it out helps a lot!
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ph — Reply
I made this for the weekend and hoping it will be a hit.
I followed the basics of the recipe, but veered off path after that. I added a little grated ginger to the soy sauce mix, a drop of honey, a bit of garlic chili sauce and splash of lime.
I didn’t have a bag of spinach, however I had a bag of broccoli slaw mix…. broccoli, cabbage and carrots slivered. So I substituted that for the spinach. I was thinking it may even be better with the mix of veggies and easier than cutting all the spinach? I also added just a handful of finely chopped red peppers to give it some color.I also didnt have rice crackers, but toasted some wonton wrappers with some sesame oil –
I guess we will see how it does at girls weekend! If it fails, it wont be because the recipe is bad …it will all be on me! 🙂
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Megan — Reply
I know this was almost a year ago….but you could also whip your cream cheese with a little milk. This will make it soft enough, even after refrigeration.
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Sarah — Reply
So delicious!!
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Megan — Reply
Would turkey taste ok in this? We have lots of leftovers.
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jbw — Reply
We loved this! I was out of fresh spinach, but had half a bag of shredded cabbage and some diced bell peppers. So I used the cabbage and peppers for the green layer – it was wonderful. Lots of good textures over all – the flavors were bright and tasty. We used scoop style corn chips and a variety of gluten-free crackers for dipping.
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Mel — Reply
Love this! Thanks for sharing your changes!
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Karla Maynor — Reply
I used these ingredients and turned it into a wrap instead. Changed out cilantro for the chopped spinach part, but then had normal spinach/lettuce leaves in the wrap.
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Mel — Reply
Whoa…YUM!
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Carla — Reply
Best dip in all the universes combined. Hyperbole? Try it and decide. AMAZING. You have been my trusted go to years.
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Mel — Reply
That makes me so happy, Carla. Thank you!
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Stacia — Reply
This recipe is a winner. I took it to a party last night and they loved it! Two inputs. I did let the shredded rotisserie chicken meat mellow in the sesame oil, sesame sauce and garlic for about 2 hours, almost like marinading it. Worked out well. Second, the rice crackers proved to fragile to handle the dip so people just scooped it on to their plates. Delish. My niece turned me on to your web page. It is now my go to for recipes. Thanks!!!
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Mel — Reply
Thanks for the review of this recipe, Stacia!
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tanyia — Reply
hello….quick question…..I was wondering if you could recommend anything other than crackers to serve with this dip? Something with less carbs than crackers? Celery? Other veggies? Thank you. The dip sounds delicious!
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Mel — Reply
Celery would be delicious! So would sliced bell peppers and carrots.
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Ashlee — Reply
This was soooooo good! Made it for dinner tonight, and served it with some roasted broccoli and fresh fruit. Loved it!
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Mel — Reply
Yay, Ashlee! Thanks for letting me know. Sounds like my kind of dinner!
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Andrea — Reply
Very delicious, indeed. I think the cream cheese could easily be halved, too, for those of us (ahem, me) who after eating half of the dish was wishing cream cheese wasn’t so high in fat I will bring this as an appetizer or side dish to upcoming potlucks!.
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Mel — Reply
Thanks for the review, Andrea!
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Carrie — Reply
I’ve done this type of dip with half cream cheese and half silken tofu and it’s still really good! And I hate tofu usually. 🙂 It’s certainly less decadent than all the cream cheese but you can’t tell it’s tofu in there I promise.
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Mel — Reply
Interesting!
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Dylan — Reply
This may sound like blasphemy. But I’d be tempted to mix everything together for the sake of easier dipping. It would certainly need to be consumed quicker, considering mixing would most likely cause the spinach to get soggy. Or perhaps mix everything, then sprinkle the spinach on top. I suppose the layers does create a better flavor profile though!! Sounds great!
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Mel — Reply
Not blasphemy at all. Mixing it all up would be less pretty but probably equally as yummy. 🙂
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Stacey — Reply
Just a testament to how much we trust your recipes. When I showed my kids the picture in my email they said, “did Mel make that!” When I said yes, two of them licked my phone screen and one pretended to bite it. The last is a baby. His opinion doesn’t count. Trying this ASAP! We love you to pieces Mel! Ignore those trolls.
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Mel — Reply
Haha, thanks for the laugh, Stacey!
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Caitlin — Reply
I made this at 10pm last night, after a long day at work (started chicken in the slow cooker before I left for work), for a picnic at a provincial park today. It was so easy to throw together and, thanks to you, I look like a picnic rock star.
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Mel — Reply
I’m so happy to hear this, Caitlin! You’re amazing for throwing it together after such a long day.
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Amy W. — Reply
This looks like a super great flavor profile! Any suggestions on making it non-dairy? Omit the cream cheese or try to come up with a sub? Thanks, girl!
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Allegra — Reply
Tofutti makes an excellent non-dairy cream cheese, if you want to go for an easy sub
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Mel — Reply
The tofutti cream cheese sounds like a great option!
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Amy W. — Reply
Thank you, ladies!
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Casey — Reply
So.. of course I made this immediately! And YUM! I took it to work and all the girls went crazy over it! I cut in half and it fit perfectly on a dinner plate. Which is good since now I have a whole plate for me at home!!!
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Mel — Reply
Yay! I’m so happy this was a hit at work – thanks for taking the time to let me know, Casey!
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Sandy — Reply
OMG!!!! Amazing, very addicting and absolutely the best dip ever!!! Kind of like a salad, kind of like a dip, kind of perfect. My family actually did go bananas over this. I did add the cilantro and I think it made it perfect. Thank you so much Mel, again you hit it out of the park.
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Mel — Reply
Sandy! I love that you made this so fast – and even more, I love that you a) added cilantro and b) that your family went crazy over it.
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Katie — Reply
I’m thinking you should call it Thai 7 layer dip, just to really get under people’s skin. When I saw the picture, I couldn’t figure out how it was a dip but then your layer by layer visual totally made me think of 7 layer dip (which is probably not all that authentic but is delicious, so I’m guessing this is the same!)
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Mel — Reply
When I was posting the recipe, I actually had the thought to try and turn it into some kind of 5-layer dip as a play on the 7-layer dip theme. But it was midnight and my brain cells were not firing on all cylinders. 🙂
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Kerri — Reply
First of all, I have never had a recipe of yours fail me:). Thank you!! I cannot wait to try this but I think I am going to add some mint, basil and cilantro. Bring the herbaceous that the best Northern Thai food has.
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Mel — Reply
I love it! Extra herbs are always a good idea.
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Sarah Bray — Reply
This looks amazing and I want to make it immediately. Lol! I just have one Question – what do you like to use to sop up the dip? Crackers, pita bread, chips? Or all of the above?
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Mel — Reply
I think pitas or naan bread would be fantastic…but we have always used rice crackers (also fantastic).
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Misty — Reply
Hahaha!!! I loved that you said you’d play dead instead of put pants on to go to a party! Me to a T! Ha! I’ll go to my families house often just cuz they don’t care about “pants” either haha! This dip looks so yummy! I was at the store yesterday debating if I should buy some Thai chili sauce, like legit stared at the bottle for at least 30 seconds. I didn’t get it, ugh. Now I’m really regretting that decision! Next time I decide to put my pants on and go to the store I’ll have to get some so I can try this! Can’t wait!
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Mel — Reply
Misty!!! ALWAYS BUY THE THAI CHILI SAUCE. Always. 🙂 Haha.
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Wendy — Reply
This sounds like it could be turned into a dinner like cooking the chicken (instead of using already cooked) and adding the Sweet Thai Chili Sauce to make a sauce. Then I could serve it over rice. Either way, it sounds completely delish! Our family loves all of your Asian-inspired dishes. When we enjoy (devour) your Orange Chicken, Firecracker Chicken, Beef Satay or Beef and Broccoli or any number of recipes that are in our regular rotation, the thought of not being “authentic” does not cross our minds. We love all.things.mel.
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Mel — Reply
I think you might be on to something with turning this into a main dish! I’ll work on that! (report back if you do, too!)
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Ann — Reply
I loved your comments (haven’t made the recipe yet but will soon). I, too, am weary of people who fume over dishes not being authentic or the American tendency to “Americanize” recipes at home and in restaurants. I’ve lived on different continents and traveled to others and I can promise you that it is universal that cuisines are adapted to the local tastes and ingredients. American, Italian, Mexican, or Japanese dishes served in the Philippines taste surprisingly Filipino. Hamburgers in Peru and BBQ ribs in South Africa don’t taste like the ones we have here. Take a deep breath, people. It’s okay to simulate the tastes of other cuisines while making them acceptable to your own palate. Every country and culture does it.
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Mel — Reply
Thanks for your input, Ann! I think I’ll just copy and paste your comment as my official response forever more.
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Sue — Reply
Looks delicious Mel. And when you say something is good, I just know that it’ll be just that. Can’t wait to try it soon.
Also, it’s made me so happy to know that you too are an introverted homebody like me! I am happy just staying at home and pottering around in my kitchen. This pandemic has actually validated my introverted-homebodiness so much that I haven’t minded at all. In fact, I am panicking thinking about the socialising I will have to do when things get back to normal.
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Mel — Reply
I’m having the same concerns, Sue! I love being at home…maybe a little too much, haha.
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Angela — Reply
Your words always make me laugh and truly speak to my soul. The disclaimers for the angry internet people… why do they even bother? And playing dead if you are invited to a party, same, same, same. Excited to try this one! You are the best and I love your virtual guts!
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Mel — Reply
Haha, thanks for “getting” my quirky personality, Angela! 🙂
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Cindy — Reply
Call me crazy… but at first I thought that bottom layer was humus. I’m positive the cream cheese and thai chili sauce combo is tasty, but I can’t help but wonder what it would be like with humus.
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Mel — Reply
Definitely worth a try! Yum!
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Kristen — Reply
I bet cilantro would be awesome in this dip. Can’t wait to try it!
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Mel — Reply
Yes! Cilantro would be fantastic!
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Patty — Reply
This looks amazing, and I have got to try this over the weekend!
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Mel — Reply
I hope you love it, Patty!
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Renee Morgan — Reply
This sounds delicious!!! I also love Thai food. Anything with a peanut sauce…..yum!!! I still remember about 25 years ago hearing about a savory sauce with peanut butter. That is before Thai food was more wildly known. For instance there were no Thai restaurants in our area and now there are 3. But when I tried said peanut sauce. Oh.my.gosh!! Of course I love peanut butter, especially your PB cookies. But having it savory was a whole different experience. Anyway, I can’t wait to try this and using a rotisserie chicken is a great idea. What do you normally serve with the dip? I couldn’t tell what kind of little cute cracker/chip you had with it. 🙂
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Mel — Reply
I totally agree, Renee!! When I first tried savory peanut sauce, I was so skeptical, but I was quickly converted. So yummy! I use sesame rice crackers for this dip!
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Felicia — Reply
My favorite part, besides the recipe that I’m certain is going to change my life for the better, is: “I don’t have time for filler recipes published only to appease the google and SEO gods. And I know you don’t either. “
You are speaking my language. I would much rather have less “input” and have it be quality, than the constant barrage of garbage that comes through my feed and needs to be sifted through. Thank you for having your priorities in order, and taking the time to share your best.-
Mel — Reply
Thanks, Felicia! It’s pretty darn important to me to block out all the noise of the internet and just focus on publishing recipes that make me insanely happy. 🙂
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