The Ninja Crispi Is Changing How I Make Party Dips

I’m no stranger to the crisping prowess of the air fryer. (Here are some of my favorite models.) The powerful convection heating mechanism reheats leftovers, blisters veggies, and roasts meats quickly and with a sizzling finish reminiscent of an actual deep fryer—sans the vat of oil. But after using the Ninja Crispi—an air fryer that comes apart for easy storage—my interest in crispy crusts has changed to something totally unexpected: dips.

Making dip in an air fryer is not normal. Dips have always been a stove top thing—you cook the ingredients in a pot or pan, then you pour it all into a casserole dish. Maybe at the end you move it to the oven for a broiled cheesy crust. But things have changed for me: Now I can make a heaping container of spicy buffalo chicken dip, broil it, serve it, and store the leftovers, all in the same vessel.

Why dip works in the Ninja Crispi

All this can be done because the Ninja Crispi is designed to come apart. The PowerPod (Ninja’s name for the handheld convection engine) lifts on and off the cooking chamber. That container is made of clear tempered glass. It’s pretty enough to be used as a serving dish, and small enough to fit in the fridge with your other containers. The Crispi cooking system comes with two containers (one large and one small), so you can still cook in one while you have something stored in the other. Plus, both containers come with lids. Here’s my full Ninja Crispi review. 

Making dip in an air fryer might seem unhinged, but there are benefits to this style of cooking. It has the minimal clean-up of one-pot cooking, but it’s cooking from the top-down instead of the bottom-up. You cook ingredients directly in the air fryer container, stopping to lift off the Ninja Crispi PowerPod to stir when needed. When the necessary ingredients are cooked, simply mix in spices and the creamiest ingredients—sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise. Then top with cheese and put the PowerPod back on to melt it until browned and bubbly. Your air fryer has just become a quick, efficient broiler. No need to empty the dip into a new dish—simply serve it as-is.

Here are my favorite dips to make in the Crispi right now. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

This dip is quick to make and almost too easy to eat. The right buffalo sauce is key, so make sure you love the one you’re using.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces butterflied chicken breast

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Pinch MSG

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 ounces cream cheese

• 2 to 4 tablespoons buffalo hot sauce (I use Hot Ones buffalo hot sauce)

• ⅓ cup shredded cheddar, plus more for topping

• 1 to 3 sliced scallion, white ends and greens separated

1. Lay the thinly sliced chicken breast onto the grate of the Ninja Crispi, sprinkle with salt and MSG. Cook the chicken on bake mode for 10 minutes, or until cooked through but not too browned.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

2. Slide the grate out from under the chicken, and remove it. Shred the chicken with two forks directly in the Ninja Crispi container. 

3. Add the yogurt, cream cheese, two tablespoons of buffalo sauce, cheddar, and the white and light green parts of the scallion. Cook it for another five minutes on bake mode.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

4. The cheeses and yogurt should be super soft. Mix everything together thoroughly and taste to see if you want more hot sauce. Spread the dip out flat and top the dip with a little more shredded cheese. Cook it for another three to five minutes on bake mode. Sprinkle the green scallion slices over the top and serve. 

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

French Onion Dip Recipe

I never imagined being able to caramelize onions in an air fryer before, but it works in the Crispi. Don’t skip the MSG and Worcestershire sauce—they bring in the hearty umami boost that we all look for in French onion dip.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions (about 14 ounces), sliced

• 2 teaspoons neutral oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 4 ounces full-fat sour cream

• 3 ounces plain Greek yogurt

• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• Pinch MSG

1. Spread out the onion slices into the small Ninja Crispi container. (Do not use the grate.) Drizzle the oil over the top along with the salt. Toss the onions a little to get them in contact with the oil, but you don’t have to be too precise about it. Break the butter up into chunks over the onions. 

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

2. Cook the onions for about 30 minutes on bake mode, stirring every three to five minutes. (Caramelizing onions takes time no matter how you do it.) Stir often. This step is important so the onions cook evenly. Some of the ends will still burn and that’s totally OK. It’s actually a good thing.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

3. Once the onions are softened and evenly browned, remove the PowerPod and let the caramelized onions cool for about 15 minutes. Stir in the sour cream, yogurt, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and MSG. Serve at room temperature or cover it with the Ninja Crispi lid and put it in the fridge until chilled.

This dip is great for a party. If you’re a guest, stop at Step 5, pack up the container with the NinjaCrispi lid, and throw the PowerPod in the car. Plug in the Pod and broil the cheese just before serving.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey (or other ground meat)

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 packet taco seasoning (or any another spice mix of choice)

• Sliced olives (I used jalepeño stuffed green olives)

• ½ can refried beans

• ½ cup sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)

• 2 to 3 tablespoons salsa

• Sliced green onions

• ½ cup shredded cheddar

1. I sprinkle the baking soda over the surface of the ground turkey and, with a gloved hand, mix it into the meat. This will help brown the meat and keep it tender. 

2. Put the meat into the container of the Ninja Crispi without the grate. Note: In the picture I’m using the small container, but the dip almost didn’t fit by the end. I’m considering the large container for next time. 

On bake mode, cook the meat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring and flipping the meat every five minutes or so. It’ll look somewhat gross at first with the top browning and raw meat lurking underneath, just keep cooking it. The air fryer cooks from the top down, so flipping as you break up the meat morsels is the best way to cook it evenly. 

3. When the meat looks mostly browned and nearly finished cooking through, stir in the salt and seasoning packet. Finish cooking the meat completely. 

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

4. Stir some olives into the meat. Then top the meat with more olives. Spread the refried beans over the top of the meat. Layer the sour cream on top of that, followed by a thin layer of salsa, green onions, and top it all with shredded cheddar. If using the small container, gently press the dip down so it’s below the rim of the dish. You don’t want the cheese to touch the PowerPod. 

5. Cook the dip for another minute or two on the bake setting to melt the cheese, and serve with chips, crisp breads, or between two hamburger buns for a fancy sloppy joe. Why not?