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French Onion Dip Recipe

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Homemade French Onion Dip is truly one of the best foods you’ll ever make! You can’t replicate the flavor of this caramelized onion dip with store bought dip, so it’s 100% worth the time to make it from scratch.

This post is sponsored by Klarbrunn.

French Onion Dip From Scratch

This homemade caramelized onion dip is one of the recipes I’m most proud of. I really can’t get enough of it, and I’m always so excited to serve it to friends and family.

If you’re looking for the best chip dip or veggie dip, this is the recipe you have to try! Those thin little slices of caramelized vidalia onions are absolutely heaven.

I’d say this recipe is pretty easy, all the steps are straightforward. But it’s not exactly quick.

Those onions take a little while and the magic really only happens when you have a little patience and cook them low and slow. It’s definitely a fancy French onion dip (at least compared to the store bought varieties).

It’s also about a million times more delicious than mixing onion soup with a creamy base, so it’s 100% worth the time.

Lots of recipes use a cream cheese base, but I wanted something that was truly dippable. You know, something that wouldn’t break your crinkle cut potato chips when you took a bite. So, I opted for a mayonnaise and sour cream mixture, and it’s just absolute perfection.

One of the best parts of this recipe is that you can make it a day ahead! That makes it so perfect when you know you won’t have time to cook in the morning.

If you want to really amp things up, you could even try sprinkling the top with some crispy bacon pieces.

I’ve partnered up with Klarbrunn to bring you this amazing game day chip dip. It’s really just the best appetizer for a crowd, and I absolutely love serving it with some ice cold cans of their Natural Sparkling Water! You can find out where to buy Klarbrunn here.

French onion dip next to a can of Klarbrunn sparkling water.

Ingredients

Butter: The flavor of salted butter adds so much to the caramelized onions. If you don’t have the time to really let the onions cook low and slow, then you might want to do a combination of butter and oil to raise the smoke point (so the butter doesn’t burn).

Vidalia Onions: These sweet white onions have the absolute best flavor when they’ve been caramelized. Their sweetness really leans into the delicious caramelized flavor. If you only have yellow onions, you’ll probably want to add 1 – 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar.

Salt: Salt helps to bring the moisture out of the onions, which helps the caramelization process. It also acts as a flavor enhancer to amplify all the delicious flavors.

Sour Cream: This is the majority of the base of the chip dip. It’s creamy, but still light.

Mayonnaise: Adding some mayonnaise helps make the dip deliciously creamy. It’s important to not add more mayonnaise than the recipe calls for, otherwise the flavor will be overpowering. I would also recommend using real mayonnaise instead of something like Miracle Whip.

Onion Powder: Onion powder has a different flavor than the caramelized onions do, so it’s a nice addition to really amp up the onion flavor.

Garlic Powder: You don’t have to include garlic powder if you really only want to taste onions, but I find that just a pinch of garlic powder adds a nice layer of flavor.

The labeled ingredients for French onion dip.

How To Make Caramelized Onion Dip

Start by caramelizing the onions until they’re a deep golden brown, then remove the pan from the heat and let the onions cool for about 15 minutes before making the rest of the dip. (See the recipe card below for the full printable recipe.)

Sauteing thin onion slices in a skillet.
Caramelizing onions in a black skillet.
Caramelizing onion slices.

Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, onion powder, and garlic powder to a bowl, and stir to combine. Mix in the caramelized onions to finish off the dip. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.

Mixing together the ingredients for French onion dip.

How To Caramelize Onions

Start by melting butter in a large nonstick skillet. Then add very thinly sliced vidalia onions and fine sea salt to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir the onions every now and then, and if the onions start to look a little dried out, add a Tablespoon or two of water and mix it into the onions. Saute them until they’re at least a deep golden brown.

How Long Does It Take For Onions To Caramelize?

Assuming you’re cooking the onions on a low enough temperature to not burn them, it should take about 45 minutes to an hour.

A glass bowl filled with French onion dip next to potato chips and celery sticks.

What Can You Eat With French Onion Dip?

My favorite way to eat this dip is as a chip dip with crinkle cut potato chips. You could also use it as a vegetable dip, dolloped on a baked potato, served with bagel chips or pita chips, or smeared on a sandwich.

Keep In Touch

I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime

Click here to pin this recipe for later!

A Pinterest pin image of French onion dip with title text at the top.

Dip Recipes

If you’re looking for more delicious dips, try one of these reader favorite recipes!

Yield: 8 servings

BEST Caramelized Onion Dip Recipe

The best French onion dip recipe.

Homemade French Onion Dip is truly one of the best foods you'll ever make! You can't replicate the flavor of this caramelized onion dip with store bought dip, so it's 100% worth the time to make it from scratch.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup salted butter
  • 3 large sweet white onions (halved and thinly sliced)*
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
  • Pepper (optional, to taste)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet or pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
  2. Add the onions and fine sea salt, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook for about 30 minutes to 1 hour (or until they have caramelized). Stir them every now and then, and add a Tablespoon or two of water if they ever look like they are drying out. This process takes a little patience. You can cook it on a higher temperature if you’re really pressed for time, but the flavor won’t be as good. If you have the time I highly recommend cooking it low and slow.
  3. Once the onions are caramelized, remove the pan from the heat, and let them rest for about 15 minutes, or until they’ve cooled slightly.
  4. To a medium mixing bowl, add the sour cream, mayonnaise, onion powder, garlic powder, and caramelized onions. Mix everything together.

Notes

*You can use yellow onions instead, but you’ll need to add 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar to the onions while they’re sauteing.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1/8

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 21.8gCarbohydrates: 6.8gFiber: 0.8gSugar: 3.5gProtein: 1.5g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Tag @KeyToMyLime on Instagram so we can see your delicious meal!

If you’re looking for the best dip recipe of all time, you have to try this caramelized onion dip! Everyone absolutely loves this French onion dip!

The best French onion dip recipe.

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