This spicy Sichuan party dip has everything we love about our favorite Chengdu wontons in chili oil except in a totally unexpected creamy, spicy, crunchy dip that's perfect for scooping up with homemade crispy-fried wonton chips (or any crackers or crudité). I like to call this stuff Sichuan gold because you can dip it, spread it, or slather it on just about anything. Cream cheese, homemade Sichuan red chili oil (xiangla hongyou), toasted sesame seeds, scallions, and a few spices and seasonings make this a super tasty dip you can bring to any party. Plus, you can choose how spicy or mild to make it.

A super bubbly crispy homemade wonton chip with a scoop of Sichuan chili oil dip on it.

Sichuan gold dip with a swipe through it where the wonton chip was dredged through it

Inspiration for this tasty cream cheese dip recipe came from a craving I was having for Sichuan wontons recently. But I'd run out of my usual stockpile of pork wontons I keep in the freezer and this happy "accident" occurred instead. This is an easy party dip recipe that's guaranteed to be one of the first things scooped up at your next get-together.

super bubbly golden brown crispy fried wonton chips

homemade Sichuan Chili oil with toasted sesame seeds floating on top in a large stainless steel bowl

A Note About Sichuan Red Chili Oil (Homemade vs Store-bought)

This Sichuan cream cheese dip recipe is another reason to make our all-time favorite condiment (ever), homemade chili oil (xiangla hongyou) -- we eat this on everything from crackers to eggs, drizzled over homemade dumplings and even Bolognese tortellini in brodo, on salad, in tacos...basically everything. In a pinch, you can use a high-quality store-bought brand.

But to be clear, Lao Gan Ma's Crispy Chili In Oil (in the photos below) is not the same thing as fragrant Sichuan chili oil (xiangla hongyu) and it includes fermented black beans which give it so much umami, but it doesn't share any of the same flavor profiles as Sichuan red chili oil. Instead, try to find a higher quality Sichuan xiangla hongyou chili crisp oil, or make your own using Sichuan Chef Liu's recipe that he taught me to make while I was living in Chengdu (link above) -- it's incredibly easy and it might just be the best condiment in the world.

a bottle of Lao Gan Ma's Crispy Chili in oil

Lao Gan Ma's Crispy Chili in oil on a plate showing the whole fermented beans and chili crisp

To save even more time, you can also buy pre-made wonton wrappers and fry them up in minutes, but making wonton wrappers from scratch is highly recommended because they're easy and so worth the crispy, bubbly result (these photos don't lie). I have two recipes for wonton wrappers here on the blog (one using all-purpose flour and one using bread flour which I've used for this post and can be found in the recipe card below.

8 zigzagged square wonton wrappers cut out of the dough ready to be filled

What are Chaoshou Sichuan Wontons (the Inspiration for This Dip Recipe)?

filled wontons ready to be boiled or frozen

sichuan wontons resting in a bowl on top of sauce and topped with crispy fried pork and scallions all stirred together

If you've never had Hóng Yoú Chāo Shǒu (红油抄手) or chaoshou, check out my friend Vivian's recipe (they are the very best and a true Chengdunese specialty). Chaoshu are a typical Sichuan snack food or street food made up of 3 components: store-bought or homemade square wonton wrappers, a ginger-infused pork filling, and spicy Sichuan wonton sauce. If you're lucky, you'll get crispy pork to top it all off.

What Is Cream Cheese Chili Crisp Oil Party Dip?

Essentially, this Sichuan party dip recipe is the creamy, crunchy, dippable (vegetarian) version of chili oil wontons. But if you want to go all out, feel free to top it off with seasoned crispy-fried pork and fried shallots which makes it even more delicious.

wonton chip in a shallow dip ramekin with Spicy Sichuan Party Dip drizzled with Sichuan chili oil

Why We Love This Spicy Chili Oil Party Dip

It has all of our favorite wonton flavors but in a dippable, spreadable party dip
You can make it as spicy or mild as you like
It's just as good eaten as a dip as it is spread on grilled cheese or bruschetta
This vegetarian dip is full of umami flavor
Homemade wonton chips are super crispy & light (and you can make any shape)
Homemade chili oil is far superior to store-bought versions.
Sprinkle it with seasoned crispy-fried pork for even more flavor and texture
If you use store-bought wrappers and pre-made Sichuan chili crisp oil, it's ready in 15 minutes

Ingredients

This Sichuan party dip has 3 main components: a cream cheese base, homemade Sichuan red chili oil, and homemade crispy wonton chips. I used 4 tablespoons of chili oil in this recipe (mostly the crispy solids), but I recommend adding 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting it, and adding more to taste. This way, you won't end up with a dip that's too spicy (depending on how hot your chili oil is, to begin with).

You can also add a teaspoon (4.5g) or so of Sichuan green flower pepper oil (teng jiao oil) which will add a slightly citrusy undertone and mala mouth-numbing quality to the dip. Taste it first without and then decide if you'd like to add the teng jiao oil.

Dip Ingredients

wonton wrappers (homemade or store-bought)
cream cheese
light soy sauce
homemade Sichuan red chili crisp oil (xiangla hongyou) (sub store-bought)
Shaoxing wine
scallions (sub chives)
toasted sesame seeds
Sichuan green flower pepper oil (teng jiao oil) (optional)
fresh ginger for infusing the soy sauce (optional)

Optional Pork Topping Ingredients

fatty ground pork
garlic
soy sauce

Optional Garnishes

fresh cilantro leaves
crushed roasted or fried peanuts
scallions (green parts only)
crispy fried scallions
finely sliced fresh red chili

wonton chip in a shallow dip ramekin with Spicy Sichuan Party Dip with Sichuan chili oil just added and about to be stirred in

How to Make Spicy Cream Cheese Dip

When I made this dip for the first time, Luca told me I needed to add this to the "aperitivo list" because he loved it so much. I hope you'll enjoy all of the flavors as much as we do.

Infuse the soy sauce with ginger if desired. Cut the ginger into matchsticks and add it to the soy sauce if desired and set aside to steep for 20 minutes and up to 1 hour then remove the ginger and repurpose for another use, or discard.
Make the dip. Add the remaining dip ingredients to a mixing bowl (except the wonton) and mix well to combine. Adjust the seasonings if desired and add a pinch of salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Fry the wontons. If using store-bought wonton wrappers, cut them in half to make bite-sized chips. If using homemade wontons, cut the wrappers into any desired size or shape. Fry the wontons in batches in preheated 350°F/180°C neutral vegetable oil (being sure not to overcrowd the pot). Fry until golden, bubbly, and crispy (about 2 to 3 minutes) turning them over as needed to ensure even frying. Remove them to a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle immediately with salt, and repeat until all the wonton skins have been fried.
Serve the dip. Drizzle the dip with a little more chili crisp oil, and garnish with cilantro, crushed peanuts, crispy fried pork, and sliced fresh red chili if desired, Enjoy!

Chili Oil Party Dip step-by-step recipe photos

cream cheese with toasted sesame seeds added to it in a mixing bowl

Adding Shaoxing wine to the cream cheese and sesame seeds

diced scallions (green parts only) added to the cream cheese mixture

Sichuan Spicy Chili oil party dip in a shallow ramekin with a puffy, crispy, golden brown homemade wonton chip in it

Check Out How to Make Homemade Sichuan Red Chili Oil (xiangla hongyou) (check out the full recipe post over here)

Check Out How to Make Homemade Wonton Chips (check out the full recipe post over here)

Looking for a Few More Delicious Dim Sum or Auththentic Sichuan Dishes?

Har Gow dumplings drizzled with homemade sichuan crispy chili oil.

the best homemade chinese soup dumplings xiaolongbao (小笼包) just steamed and still sitting in the bamboo steamer

Classic Sichuan Long Wonton Soup in a bowl with homemade chicken broth glistening with bits of oil and fresh cilantro leaves and crispy fried homemade wonton strips

Chinese baozi pork and chicken bun after breaking it open (green and grey tie dyed bun dough wrapped around a pork and chicken filling)

a small bowl of egg drop soup with crispy fried homemade wonton strips.

a tray with four pork buns each with two pieces of braised pork belly, quick salt and sugar pickled cumbers, sesame-soy-mayo, hoisin sauce, and scallions topped with a little shredded lettuce

closeup of a pasta bowl filled with a wok filled with beautifully brown glass fettuccine noodles, tender slivers of pork and garden fresh green beans

a layer of stacked golden brown and glossy pork and chive potstickers plated on top of sauteed cabbage with crispy spring rolls in the background

shrimp mei fun noodles on an oval serving platter with chopsticks next to it

chinese potstickers layered in a row in a white ceramic dish with crispy chili oil drizzled on top

3 super golden brown crispy spring rolls on a pink and peach tray decorated with Chinese fans

just steamed money bag dumplings sitting atop nappa

An oval serving platter with Yangzhou House special fried rice filled with shrimp, chicken, ham, egg, and vegetables.

If you're looking for a few more easy Chinese recipes or you love Sichuan food as much as we do, here are a few of our favorites you can make at home.

Let's get started!

We'd love to hear how this recipe turned out for you🤗! If you make it, please rate it and leave a comment after the recipe. And if you love it so much you feel like shouting it from the rooftops on social, we definitely won't mind!

📖 Recipe

Spicy Cream Cheese Chili Oil Dip (w/Homemade Crispy Wonton Chips)

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Author: Kelly
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 10 ounces of Party Dip 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This spicy Sichuan party dip has everything we love about our favorite wontons in chili oil except in a totally unexpected creamy, spicy, crunchy dip that's perfect for scooping up with homemade crispy-fried wonton chips (or any chips!) or crudité. I like to call this dip Sichuan gold because you can dip it, spread it, or slather it on just about anything. Cream cheese, homemade Sichuan red chili oil (xiangla hongyou), toasted sesame seeds, scallions, and a few spices and seasonings make this a super tasty dip you can bring to any party. Plus, you can choose how spicy or mild to make it.

Instructions

Infuse the soy sauce with ginger if desired. Cut the ginger into matchsticks and add it to the soy sauce if desired and set aside to steep for 20 minutes and up to 1 hour then remove the ginger and repurpose for another use, or discard.
Make the dip. Add the remaining dip ingredients to a mixing bowl (except the wonton wrappers and ginger) and mix well to combine. Adjust the seasonings if desired and add a pinch of salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Fry the wontons. If using store-bought wonton wrappers, cut them in half to make bite-sized chips. If using homemade wontons, cut the wrappers into any desired size or shape. Fry the wontons in batches in preheated 350°F/180°C neutral vegetable oil being sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry until golden, bubbly, and crispy (about 2 to 3 minutes) turning them over as needed to ensure even frying. Remove them to a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle immediately with salt, and repeat until all the wonton skins have been fried.
Serve the dip. Drizzle the dip with a little more Sichuan chili crisp oil, and garnish with cilantro, crushed peanuts, crispy fried pork, and sliced fresh red chili if desired, and Enjoy!

Notes

I used 4 tablespoons of chili oil in this recipe, but I recommend adding 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting it, and adding more as you wish to taste and to reach the desired consistency. This way, you won't end up with a dip that's too spicy (depending on how hot your chili oil is to begin with).
You can also add a teaspoon (4.5g) or so of Sichuan green flower pepper oil (teng jiao oil) which will add a slightly citrusy undertone and more mala mouth-numbing quality to the dip. Taste it first without and then decide if you'd like to add the teng jiao oil.

HOW TO COOK AND SEASON THE CRISPY-FRIED PORK TOPPING OPTION:

If you want to add crispy fried pork: Add the pork and smashed garlic to a skillet set over medium-high heat and cook until the pork renders the fat and is cooked through. Allow it to cook for a few more minutes so it starts to brown and crisp up, at this point, add the soy sauce and stir well to combine. Cook it about 1 to 2 minutes longer to crisp up even more and remove to a plate to cool.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Refrigerating Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Nibbles + Bits
Method: Mix & Stir
Cuisine: Sichuan-Insipired

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

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Chili Oil Cream Cheese Dip (w/Homemade Wonton Chips)