Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip

Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip has the flavor of Chinese takeout but made into an easy, creamy dip with chicken, soy sauce, cream cheese, and green onions.

Sweet and Sour Chinese Chicken is a favorite dish at Chinese restaurants. With Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip you get the distinct flavor of the sweet and sour sauce but made into an Appetizer Dish that’s perfect to share at parties.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip in serving bowl

This simple dip has quickly become an all-time favorite recipe to serve to a crowd. It’s the perfect dish to bring out the next time you have a party, family reunion, or game night. It’s easy to share with a big group just like any other dip or sauce. However, it’s a little more unexpected than a typical dip thanks to its incredible Sweet and Sour Chinese Chicken flavor.

Sweet and sour chicken is one of the most popular dishes at Chinese takeout restaurants, which is why it is so fun to have this dip version of it. Pieces of chicken, sweet and sour sauce, sesame seeds, and green onion all come together in a creamy sauce with a tangy cream cheese base. What could be better?

This is the perfect snack to make the next time you have leftover chicken in your fridge. Simply slice up the Rotisserie Chicken, Roast Chicken, or any other kind of simple leftover chicken, toss it with the sauce, and turn it into the perfect party dip.

Serving Ideas for Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip

Gatherings: This recipe only takes a few minutes to make, so it’s great to whip together for the next time you have a party to serve along with other favorite appetizers. It will be a hit at any dinner party, while watching your favorite ball game, or on your next holiday get together.
Dippers: When it comes to dippers, there are a few delicious options. You can put out the Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip with simple crackers for dipping. Crispy rice crackers would taste especially good. Another option is using it as a sauce for dipping wontons or Crab Rangoon.
Vegetables: Crispy stir-fried vegetables would be a great to serve with this Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip. The Asian flavors in the dip would taste amazing with stir-fried carrots, broccoli, baby corn, and red, green, or yellow bell pepper.
Potluck: This would be a very popular, and an easy choice to take to your next Potluck. The dip is unique, yet has familiar flavors any crowd will love. It is also easy to refrigerate it, then take it on the go, and set it out once you arrive because it is just as delicious served cool as it is warm.

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How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip

Chicken Mixture: Start by slicing the cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized chicken pieces. Then toss the chicken in soy sauce, and sesame oil, and set the chicken and sauce ingredients aside.
Cream Cheese Mixture: Make sure to take the cream cheese out of the fridge in advance so that it has time to soften, and can more easily combine with the rest of the ingredients. Add the cream cheese, garlic, and ¾ cup green onion to a large mixing bowl. Use a metal whisk to combine it all into one creamy mixture. Then spread it over the pie plate, using an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
Assemble: Add Sweet and Sour Chicken over the top of the cream cheese mixture, and top it off with the remaining green onions and some sesame seeds. You can cover it to let it sit for a few minutes in the fridge or serve the dip right away with rice crackers or fried wontons for dipping.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip

Should Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip be served cold or warm?

The cream cheese must be softened in order to make the mix. Otherwise it will be too firm to mix it and spread it into your serving dish. Additionally, you don’t want it to firm back up in the fridge completely because then you won’t be able to dip into it very easily. The best choice would be to serve it just cool but soft, or you can serve it warm if you prefer. Pour warm chicken on top of softened cream cheese and you’ll have a delicious warm dip to serve.

Why should chicken breast be used to make Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip?

Chicken breast is a nice, lean cut of meat that will take on the sweet and sour sauce, but will also hold up to the cream cheese mixture layered underneath. Dark meat chicken can also be used but will have a little more fat content in your dip.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip in serving bowl being dipped

Variations

Spicy Chicken Dip: If you want to add a bit of heat to this recipe, try mixing a pinch of cayenne pepper or some hot sauce with the cream cheese mixture.
Sesame Chicken Dip: You can change up this Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip, by swapping a few sauce ingredients to make sesame chicken dip inspired by another Chinese takeout favorite. For the sesame chicken dip, whisk ½ tablespoon brown sugar into the chicken coating for some extra sweetness, and toss them in sesame seeds.
Vegetables: Try slicing up some veggies to mix into the cream cheese mixture. Chopped yellow onion, water chestnuts, bell pepper, or fresh spinach would taste great.
Low-Fat Cream Cheese: To make this dish a little healthier, you can use reduced-fat cream cheese.
Seasonings: For extra flavors try mixing in ground black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or paprika.
Chunks of Pineapple: Want some extra sweet and tangy flavor in the dish? You can add pineapple chunks as toppings to the cream cheese mixture. To keep them fresh, wait to add the pineapple chunks until right before serving.

Chinese Sides

How to Store Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip

Serve: Don’t leave Sweet and Sour Chicken Dip at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Store: Cover the dish in plastic wrap or seal it in an airtight container to store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Unfortunately, the cream cheese base won’t last well in the freezer, so it’s best just to keep it in the fridge.