Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip
Looking for a fun appetizer recipe with an outdoor smoky twist? Fire up the grill or smoker and make a batch of this Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip!
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Way back this past winter (that feels like ages ago now), I shared this tasty Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip. It’s a great recipe, and perfect for times when you need a good appetizer without much fuss. However, during the summer, our grill and/or smoker is going pretty much non-stop…so I did the logical thing. I adapted that spinach artichoke dip recipe for the smoker. Creamy, delicious spinach artichoke dip combined with the smokiness of the grill? Count me in!
To be fair, this Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip is simply the classic version of the dip, and the entire skillet visits the smoker for a bit before it gets served. If you don’t have a smoker, don’t worry! I included instructions in the recipe below for making this one on a standard grill.
One unique thing about this recipe is you’ll need to use a pan that can go straight into the grill or smoker. A cast iron skillet works great for this purpose! The Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip gets cooked indoors (it only takes about 20 minutes) and then the entire cast iron skillet gets transferred to the grill. Another ~20 minutes or so later, you’ve got a delicious summer appetizer ready for friends and family. Note: cold beers are an excellent accompaniment when serving this dish!
Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip
Smoked Spinach Artichoke DipWhen it comes to the smoked flavor for this dip, there are a variety of different wood chip flavors out there. Apple, hickory and mesquite are the most common, but I’ve also stumbled across cherry and pecan wood. In general, I’d recommend hickory or mesquite for this recipe – the apple and cherry tend to produce a slightly sweeter smoked flavor. (Apple and cherry are great for things like Smoked Pulled Pork, though!) With that said, play around with the different types of wood to see which flavor(s) you like the most.
I use a Big Green Egg for smoking. If you have a standard lump charcoal smoker like this, then you’ll opt for wood chunks instead of wood chips. The chunks are just that – fist-sized chunks of various types of wood. However, as noted above, you can absolutely make this Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip on a standard grill. You’ll just use the smaller wood chips instead. The wood chips get soaked in water first, and then you make a pouch out of aluminum foil. Once the wet chips go onto the grill, it won’t be long before the neighbors will be peering over the back fence to see what’s cookin’!
Since we already had the grill going to make this dip, I decided to go ahead and grill up some naan to use as dippers for this recipe. Grilled naan is amazing – I could make an entire meal out of grill naan by itself! Pita chips, tortilla chips and mini carrots all make excellent dippers for this Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip, too.
I hope you are enjoying the warm days and long evenings of the summer right now! If you’re looking for a tasty appetizer idea, then make a batch of this Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip. It’s a fun one, and it’s a great excuse to fire up the grill/smoker. Cheers!
Did you make this Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
For the Spinach Artichoke Dip
- 2 cups hickory wood chips
- 2 10 oz. boxes frozen spinach
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
- ¾ cup white onion diced
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- ½ Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese I used Cabot Monterey Jack
For the Grilled Naan
- 6 pieces naan bread
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
For the Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Soak the hickory chips in a bowl of water for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare grill for indirect cooking. (If using a gas grill, turn burners on one side to high and leave burners on other side off. If using a charcoal grill, bank the charcoal up against one side of the grill.)
- Cook the spinach according to the instructions on the package. Once cooked, press the spinach into a colander to drain out as much liquid as possible. Set spinach aside. (Tip: Press spinach with paper towels to soak up the extra liquid.)
- Using an 8-10” cast iron skillet, add olive oil and place over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and garlic; cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, chopped artichokes, salt, paprika, Monterey Jack cheese and drained spinach. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until mixture begins to simmer (~5 minutes).
- Drain water from wood chips and place them directly on the coals. (If using a gas grill, make an aluminum foil pouch for the hickory chips. Seal pouch, but poke several holes in the top to allow smoke to escape. Place pouch over lit portion of grill and wait for smoke to appear.)
- Carefully move skillet to the indirect heat side of the prepared grill. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until top of dip is golden brown.
For the Grilled Naan
- Brush both sides of the naan with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with kosher salt.
- Grill naan for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from grill and cut into wedges.
- Serve smoked spinach artichoke dip directly in cast iron skillet with wedges of grilled naan for dipping. (Note: Use caution where you place the skillet as it will be very hot.)
Looking for more tasty dip recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Sorry just saw this now will be making this soon can i use vegan cream cheese / parmesan and vegan sour cream as am a vegan i need to find artichokes in Singapore i never had spinah artichoke dip before this link now working perfect for my snacks will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
i need to make your other spinach artichoke recipes for me i never had artichoke before perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Yes! If you find artichokes, then you should totally try some of those other spinach artichoke recipes – they are packed with flavor! 🙂
I think you can totally use the vegan versions of those ingredients, Ramya – as long as the vegan versions melt well, then they should do just fine in this recipe. I’m not sure about artichokes over there, though – I buy canned artichoke hearts here, and they’re pretty easy to find in the canned vegetable section of our grocery stores. Hope you get a chance to make this recipe!
Oh man, this smoked spinach artichoke dip looks and sounds phenomenal David! You know my thing for smoked things, but you did a totally new level here! But we still don’t have a grill, so I will be making this variation with smoked cheeses, smoked paprika, and chipotle. It won’t be the same, but I just can’t miss this idea this summer!
You know, I think you could do a close approximation using smoked cheeses here, Ben. You’re right that it won’t be quite the same, but it would be tasty still! Also, go get a grill…maybe on sale at the end of the summer??
This is a perfect summertime dip! I love that it has the smoky flavor from the wood chips and I love that this can be done outside!
This dip is awesome for summer gatherings, Kathy! The flavor just screams outdoors. In fact, I’m thinking about making another batch of this dip soon – it was SO good. Thanks so much, my friend!
This sounds delicious! I use a charcoal grill, and the coals usually burn much longer than I need to make, say, burgers or whatnot. It’d be perfect to use some of that grilling power to make an appetizer dish beforehand!
You can totally make this smoked spinach artichoke dip on a charcoal grill! Of course, the order is backwards since you’d want this as an appetizer, but the concept is still there. Fire up the grill, Jeff! There is a batch of spinach artichoke dip in your future!
This sounds wonderful! I guess for some double smokiness you could include some smoked mozzarella. I’ve been getting into that lately, but of course I have to order it online. Anyway, love your dip, and the hickory smoke!
Oooo…I love the idea of smoked mozzarella, Mimi! I’ve actually never made that at home, but I’ve always been intrigued by the idea. In the meantime, some store-bought smoked mozz should work quite well. Thanks for the idea!
This definitely looks so good! Pita, tortilla, corn chips or rice crakers, that thing will make it shine
Exactly! Spinach artichoke dip works with so many different ‘dippers.’ My favorite is this grilled naan, though!
what an amazing idea david. sounds fantastic! i am a fan of spinach and artichokes so this dip looks like a wonderfully tasty concoction.
cheers
sherry
Oh, this dip is fantastic, Sherry! We don’t always make the smoked version, but this was a fun flavor twist on the classic recipe. If you like spinach and artichokes, then promise me you’ll put this one on the agenda! It’s SO good!