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–+ servings
hand dipping a chip into kimchi dip

Easy Kimchi Dip

Relle Lum
This kimchi dip is creamy, tangy, and a little spicy in the best way. Chopped kimchi folds into a cream cheese and sour cream base with shoyu and garlic for deep umami. Ready in 10 minutes and perfect with chips.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Korean
Servings 8 servings
Calories 132 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon shoyu
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup kimchi roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Beat the base. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
  • Lighten it up. Add the sour cream. Mix until completely smooth.
  • Season. Add shoyu and garlic. Mix just to combine. Taste; it should be savory but not salty.
  • Add kimchi. Fold in the chopped, drained kimchi with a spatula. Don’t overmix; you want little pops of kimchi.
  • Adjust. Want more tang? Stir in 1–2 teaspoons kimchi juice. Want more heat? Add a pinch of gochugaru.
  • Chill & serve. Chill 20–30 minutes for best texture. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with sturdy chips, rice crackers, cucumbers, carrots, or nori crisps.

Notes

Notes & Substitutions
  • Lighten it up: Use ⅓-less-fat cream cheese + Greek yogurt.
  • More umami: Add 1–2 teaspoon finely chopped bacons bits (cooked) or a splash of fish sauce.
  • Extra crunch: Fold in finely diced cucumber or water chestnuts (cold version).
  • Kid-friendly: Reduce added gochujang or use a milder kimchi.
Tips for Success
  • Squeeze your kimchi. Excess brine = runny dip.
  • Room-temp dairy. Softened cream cheese blends lump-free.
  • Chop it fine. Smaller kimchi pieces = better scoopability.
  • Balance to taste. Add a pinch of sugar/honey if your kimchi is extra sour.
  • Control the heat. More gochujang = creamier heat; gochugaru adds a drier spice.
  • Make ahead. Cold dip improves after 4–24 hours in the fridge.
  • Garnish smart. Furikake + sesame + extra green onions make it look as good as it tastes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 275mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 484IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword appetizer, dips, pupus
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© Relle Lum for Keeping It Relle. Please do not copy and paste or screenshot recipes online or on social media. I'd love it if you share a link with a photo instead. Mahalo!