18 Exciting Chip and Dip Pairings to Delight Your Taste Buds

Chips and dip are an elite snack, whether you’re throwing a party or you just need something to munch on while you watch TV. But chances are, you’ve already experienced all of the major chip and dip combos out there. You’ve had enough tortilla chips and guac and Fritos and queso to last you a lifetime. Even the most experienced chip and dip lovers, though, have a whole world of combinations to try, if only they aren’t afraid of an unconventional pairing.

We’ve compiled this list of some of the best and most interesting chip and dip combos you’ve likely never even considered before. Once you give these a try, you may never look at the duo the same way again. Choose one for a quick and easy snack, or try out several the next time you have family or friends over to your house. Snack time is about to get a lot more interesting.

Fritos are delicious chips, but because they’re so salty, they can be hard to pair with a lot of dips out there. That’s why we love the combo of Fritos and French onion dip: The creaminess of the dip tempers that intense saltiness you’ll find in Fritos, which creates a more balanced snack. At the same time, both elements pack a ton of flavor and have pronounced savory characteristics, which makes for an extra salty, extra interesting combo that you’ll want to come back to again and again.

You can always snag store-bought French onion dip at your local grocery store, or make your own at home for a fresher flavor. If you choose to do the latter, you might want to try making your French onion dip with ricotta instead of sour cream for an interesting twist on a classic recipe.

This may not be the cheapest chip and dip pairing on this list, but potato chips are one of our favorite accompaniments for caviar. It’s a high-low combo that works especially well, thanks to the salty but otherwise rather neutral flavor of the chips that allow the complex, seafood-forward flavors of the caviar to shine. Of course, you can use actual osetra caviar here, but if you want to go for a cheaper option, look for other types of fish eggs. We love salmon roe for a more interesting textural experience.

For the best results, you’ll want a chip that’s thick enough to scoop up the caviar without breaking. Ruffles are a great option, as are most kettle chips, which provide an extra-intense crunch.

When you’re craving an earthy flavor profile, there may be no better snack combo than sweet potato chips and hummus. Sweet potato chips often have a more pronounced flavor than plain potato chips, with an earthy, savory undertone that offers just the right hint of sweetness. That sweetness contrasts nicely with the saltiness of a well-made hummus, which also features those same earthy flavors. Those common and contrasting elements make this a pairing you have to try.

You can make sweet potato chips at home, but store-bought is an easier option that still delivers the same deliciousness. Of course, you can buy store-bought hummus as well, but we prefer to make homemade hummus for the freshest results. This also allows you to customize the flavor to your heart’s content.

You may not think of sour cream as an ingredient that can be used as a base for one of the most delicious dips you’ve ever had, but believe us when we say that this combo works. First, place sour cream into a bowl. Then, take a leftover ramen flavor packet and empty it into the sour cream. If you don’t want the dip to be too salty, use only half the packet at first, then taste as you go to determine if you need to add more of the seasoning to the bowl.

Once you’ve created your easy and supremely savory dip, it’s time to grab a bag of chips. We like to keep it simple with plain tortilla chips, which allow the flavor of this creative dip to shine. Since they’re both salty, one element of the snack isn’t going to overwhelm the other.

When you think of guacamole, what’s the first snack pairing that comes to mind? If you’re like most people, then you automatically think of tortilla chips. Obviously, this is a delicious pairing, a classic that we’ll never tire of. But just because this is the most common guac pairing doesn’t mean it’s the only one you should try out. If you want to work with a whole new flavor and texture, then you may want to turn to plantain chips in place of regular tortilla chips.

Plantain chips, with their thicker cut and crispier consistency, are perfect for scooping. Their slightly sweet flavor profile happens to pair extremely well with guacamole, particularly if it’s on the saltier side. Who knows? You may just find that this combo works even better than it does with tortilla chips.

Beet chips may not be the first type of chip you reach for when you’re in the snack aisle at your local grocery store, but perhaps they should be. First of all, their bold and bright color makes them instantly appealing, especially if you’re the kind of person who cares about the aesthetic aspect of their food. Secondly, they offer an earthier, more complex flavor profile that makes for a more interesting chip experience than the one you’ll get from plain old potato chips.

But what should you pair with those beet chips? If you’re willing to quickly make a simple and easy dip, a nice dollop of whipped feta along with a sprinkling of lemon zest can make for an absolutely beautiful snack. The feta provides just the right amount of creaminess without tasting too fatty, and the lemon zest brightens the whole dish, providing a perfect touch of citrusy acidity.

You may not think of pork rinds, also called chicharrones, as chips, but they are. After all, they have that signature crunch to them, and they’re great for scooping up various dips, if you’re willing to try a less-than-conventional pairing. Just be warned that this is not the lightest of snacks, considering the fattiness of all of the different elements involved.

Start with a bowl of pork rinds. You can choose regular or a hot and spicy version to kick up the flavor even more. Then, make queso fundido for an elevated chips and dip experience. The combination of cheese dip and hot chorizo pairs exceptionally well with the crispy pork rinds, resulting in a downright decadent snack that true meat lovers are not likely to forget anytime soon.

Tortilla chips, with their rather neutral but salty flavor, can be paired with a variety of dips for a delicious snack. So why not combine them with baba ganoush, that Middle Eastern, eggplant-heavy dip that packs both lightness and richness in a single dish? Eggplant itself is a rather light vegetable, and the addition of lemon juice can make it taste even brighter. At the same time, baba ganoush calls for plenty of olive oil, which creates enough richness to make the dip creamier and more decadent.

Scoop up that baba ganoush onto a tortilla chip, and you have an elite — if somewhat unconventional — snack. It’s the Middle Eastern answer to tortilla chips and guacamole.

For those who love a salty–sweet snack, there is perhaps no better chips and dip combo than potato chips and honey cream cheese. For the best results here, you’ll want to use plain potato chips (as opposed to a flavored variety) that have enough structure to scoop up thick cream cheese. Our preference is kettle chips, but you can choose the thick-cut potato chips of your choice.

The cream cheese delivers, of course, creaminess to the snack, which makes for an interesting textural contrast with the crunchiness of the chips. Once you add in a drizzle of honey, though, the flavor profile of this combo is taken to a whole new level. The sweet complexity of real honey paired with the saltiness of potato chips creates that salty–sweet flavor profile that will never not be a hit.

If you love seafood, then clam dip is one of the absolute best dips you could eat with chips. It has a slight fishiness to it that tastes more fresh than intense, and its thick and creamy consistency provides the perfect seafood delivery vehicle for those who love a decadent dip. But you have to be careful when you’re pairing clam dip with chips, since thinner, more easily breakable chips won’t be able to hold up to the dense creaminess that this kind of dip presents.

That’s where kettle chips come into play. They have a solid structure that makes them perfect for scooping, while offering a layer of saltiness to the snack. When these two elements come together, they provide the perfect appetizer for any seafood-themed snack spread you could ever want.

With its wide array of ingredients, seven-layer dip is one of our all-time favorite dips out there. Because it has so many separate, layered elements, you get a different combination of flavors in just about every bite, which makes it a more interesting dip than most. People may assume that tortilla chips are the best option for seven-layer dip, but that’s not necessarily the case … especially when you have a bag of Doritos on hand.

Doritos offer a similar texture to a standard tortilla chip, but they’re packed with a lot more flavor, which only adds to the complexity of this combo. You can choose any Doritos flavor you prefer, but our top choice is Doritos Nacho Cheese. You may never go back to plain tortilla chips again.

Buffalo chicken dip is one of the richer, heartier dips on this list, so it needs a chip that can hold up to its intensity in both flavor and texture. That’s where bagel chips come in. First of all, bagel chips offer a relatively neutral flavor, which is ideal for highlighting the tangy flavors of the Buffalo chicken dip itself. At the same time, they’re strong enough to stand up to a decent amount of dip, so you don’t have to worry about them breaking in the dip dish and making a mess.

Never made your own Buffalo chicken dip before? No worries — it’s especially easy to do when you make it in a slow cooker. Just make sure you have bagel chips on hand when you try out this recipe to ensure a peak snacking experience.

When you think of pasta, your mind probably doesn’t first go to chips. After all, pasta is a main course, not a snack, right? Well, think again, because you can transform plain farfalle pasta into one of the most delicious — and creative — kinds of chips out there. Crisp the cooked and drained farfalle in the oven or your air fryer until it reaches the perfect crunchy consistency. Add as much or as little salt as you want to ensure a more flavorful “chip.”

Wondering what to pair your farfalle chips with? Creamy spinach dip may just be your best bet. We love this combo because, in some ways, it tastes like a traditional pasta dish, but with a very different texture. Store-bought or homemade spinach dip will do the trick, as long as it’s creamy enough to add an element of richness to the snack.

Beer cheese is an elite dip, but it’s one that you don’t often see served with chips. Instead, beer cheese most often appears alongside a soft pretzel. But who said it couldn’t be paired with chips instead of that traditional pretzel? Certainly not us. Because you want that interesting, nuanced flavor of the beer cheese to shine, pita chips make for the perfect accompaniment. They don’t have a lot of flavor on their own, so they can highlight those savory flavors of the beer cheese while creating the ideal vehicle for the ultra-creamy dip.

Of course, if you want to add even more flavor to the snack, try some sort of flavored pita chips. We think garlic pita chips work well here since they add an additional pop of flavor without overwhelming the flavor of the beer cheese itself.

You can’t find taro chips everywhere, but if you happen to find some at your local grocery or speciality store, you should snag them. These chips are delicious all on their own, but they’re also ideal for pairing with caramelized onion dip. Taro chips tend to be earthy and nutty, and some even have a hint of sweetness to them. And since caramelized onion dip is both earthy (from the onion) and slightly sweet (from the caramelization process), this is a combo that just makes sense.

Ideally, you’ll try to find taro chips that are cut a bit thicker than normal. That’s because caramelized onion dip can be quite thick, which can make it hard to scoop onto a thinner chip. Even if you have to use a small spoon to add the dip to the chip, though, this is a combo worth checking out.

If you’re like most people, then you probably don’t think of tuna salad as a dip — and in most cases, it’s not. But by thinning it out with more mayo, you can easily take it from its original, dense texture to a creamier consistency that’s undeniably dip-like. At the same time, you still have all of that fishy flavor from the tuna, along with other crunchy elements, like celery and onions, that add an extra layer of deliciousness.

Once you’ve made your thinned-out tuna salad dip, you have to find a bag of chips to pair it with. We particularly like using potato chips, since their salty flavor already pairs so well with tuna salad. After all, who doesn’t like a tuna salad sandwich with potato chips on the side? This snack presents the same idea while forgoing the bread and deliciously doubling down on the chips. How could it not be delicious?

If you ask us, toum might just be one of the best dips that’s ever appeared on this planet. This Lebanese garlic dip is rich, creamy, and deeply garlicky in a way that constantly makes you want to go back in for another bite. Truthfully, toum can be paired with just about anything and make it more delicious in the process, but we especially like combining it with carrot chips. 

Carrot chips are known for their sweetness, which makes them a perfect accompaniment for deeply savory toum. However, both of these elements also have a lovely earthiness to them, which brings together the flavors in a lovely, coherent way. Carrot chips may be hard to get your hands on, but you can likely find them at a health food or specialty store as well as online. Make toum at home or find it at a local Arab market (or even at Trader Joe’s, where a similar product is labeled as “garlic spread dip”).

Fritos, with their intense saltiness and lovely crunchiness, are flavorful enough to enjoy all on their own in a bowl. But if you’re craving creaminess, savoriness, or additional flavor in general, ranch dressing can make for a quick and easy dip that you can take straight out of the fridge. Ranch dressing can either serve as a dip or a drizzle, depending on how messy you’re willing to get while you’re eating your snack.

However, the herby dressing can be thin, making dipping less effective than it should be. In that case, you could mix a ranch seasoning packet with sour cream or Greek yogurt to make a thicker, more scoopable dip to pair with your Fritos. That tangy, rich dip makes for a chips and dip combo you’ll want to revisit over and over again.