Homemade French Onion Dip
French onion dip is often overshadowed by buffalo chicken dip or spinach artichoke dip at parties and potlucks, but it deserves some serious recognition. It tastes amazing on pretty much any dipping vehicle (we like kettle chips, sourdough crackers, or fresh veggies), and is absolutely packed with flavor! My recipe has a gourmet, classic taste without any fancy ingredients or soup mixes. To make it, we’ll cook down fresh, finely diced onions until they are jammy, golden, and a little sweet, then fold them into a sour cream mixture. The end result is simultaneously rich, creamy, and refreshing. I seriously can’t wait for you to try it!
What to Know About This Recipe
It takes a bit of time to make because the onions must be properly caramelized. To save time, I’ll sometimes make giant batches of caramelized onions and freeze them to have on hand. It’s not at all hard to do, but it does take some patience. The flavor is so incredible, it’s almost impossible to stop eating it. Subtly sweet from the caramelized onions with the perfect amount of zest from the sour cream. NOT inspired by any store-bought premade dips (like Helluvagood). I haven’t had those in years, so I can’t say for sure how similar the flavor is. But I wasn’t trying to emulate those! Comes together so easily! While it does take time, the actual effort is light and simple, and the dip and is sure to be a hit. We could NOT stop eating it!
Ingredients
My recipe keeps the ingredients as simple as possible to let the onion flavor shine. Here’s what you need!
Onions. I prefer yellow or sweet onions, but white can work in a pinch. I don’t recommend using red onions for this recipe. Make sure to dice your onions pretty small so they caramelize quickly and easily blend into the dip. Sugar. Just a small amount encourages the onions to caramelize faster and brings out their natural sweetness. Water or broth. We will use this to deglaze the pan, as the onions have a tendency to stick while they caramelize. A dry white wine would also work! Mayo. Use whatever kind you prefer. Olive oil mayo will work here; I typically use this in my broccoli salad for a lighter option. Sour cream. This adds a pleasant depth of flavor and is the perfect creamy base for many dips (including my dill dip). I recommend using a full-fat sour cream. Chives. These are optional, but they look so pretty on top and add a fresh onion flavor as well. You can use fresh or dried chives.
What you won’t see is add-ins like garlic, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. While I tried them all, they just did not work here; keeping it simple and letting the onion flavor shine was best! SAM’S TIP: Just like when making my cheesecake, I suspect greek yogurt could work here instead of sour cream. I haven’t tried it myself to be sure though, so if you do try it, I’d love to know how it turns out for you! Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make French Onion Dip
SAM’S TIP: The flavor of this dip gets even better as it has time to sit, so it’s great for making in advance! If you plan to serve it for a party or game day, definitely add it to your list of things to make night before for the best flavor! If you’re looking for more great party dips, I have lots of sweet and savory options over on my dips page! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
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