Homemade French Onion Dip

A great dip with a creamy texture and rich flavor, it's an easy appetizer made with caramelized onions, sour cream, and a few other simple ingredients. No more store-bought stuff as it comes together in 30 minutes! Eat it with potato chips, it's the best way.

Originally posted in June 2012, this post has been updated with images and text to serve you better. The recipe remains the same.

For years my friends and I used to go to the grocery store after school and buy sour cream, a packet of French onion soup (or some dried onion, onion powder, and garlic powder), mix it all together, and called it a dip.

That was high school, several decades ago. Now, more sophisticated dips and appetizers show up when entertaining, like my favorite sweet and spiced cocktail nuts or the creamy avocado hummus.

But my quest for a great, made-from-scratch french onion dip recipe was a long one. And it bore fruit. This amazing dip to be more exact. 

Why you should make this onion dip

• Lots of onion flavor.
• Some zing from the caramelized onions.
• A little kick from the cayenne pepper.
• Creaminess.
• An easy recipe, made in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• Onions: use yellow onions or red ones. Or even a sweeter type such as Vidalia. They all have different strengths and acid levels to start with, so they all deliver different results. They all work, but you want to find your favorite.
• Sour cream: full fat makes the richest dip, but you can use a low fat version.
• Cream cheese: regular, full fat is the best choice, the one used for cheesecakes.
• Mayonnaise: use your favorite brand.
• Chives: they add flavor and color.
• Water: regular tap water is used to cover the onions. It will slowly evaporate. 
• Wine: I use white wine but you can use red and have a reddish dip. The flavor will be much more intense. Can you not use it? Absolutely! Use only water. 
• Salt and pepper: I add them at the beginning so they impregnate the onions. Don't over salt it from the start. Remember the liquid evaporates making the flavors stronger, including the saltiness.
• Cayenne: a little kick and spiciness to cut the richness from the rest of the ingredients. The amount in the recipe is for medium heat, but you can add more if you're used to it.
• Milk or cream: just a few tablespoons to make the dip more fluid. Use any type you want.

Steps for caramelizing onions

I use the same technique taught to me years ago by a French culinary master. It works for any type of onion and was originally part of a recipe for Boeuf Bourguinon where pearl onions were involved. We caramelized them first before adding to the stew. 

What happens is that the onions cook for a while and they release their natural sugars. That concentrates the flavor and eliminates its pungency and strong flavor. 

As you can see in the image above, the onions brown as they caramelize. 

You can vary from light amber to a deep one, sort of like caramel, and that will depend on how long you cook the onions and with how much liquid. 

• Cut the onions - I like to cut them in fourths and then slice them (image 1). But you can chop them or any other way you like, thinner or thicker. They will show more or less in this french onion dip. 
• Melt butter and oil, add the onions and season them (images 2-3). You're not going to sautee them, just coat them in the fat before adding the liquid. 
• Add water and white wine and let it simmer slowly (images 4-5). 
• Let the liquid evaporate and start stirring (images 6-7). The onions will start browning because they don't have any more liquid (image 8), but the flavor will be sweeter and deeper.
• For this dip, I like the onion mixture to be very soft and brown (image 9). 

Take into account that the longer you cook them the more they will soften (and eventually disintegrate) and you will have more of an onion puree. 

Vintage Kitchen Tip

Top tips

• Spiciness: I love cayenne, but have made it with smoked paprika and Merken (amazing smoked paprika from Chile). Sriracha should also work, a few drops.
• Milk/cream: the dip should be fluid enough for the potato chips to comfortably scoop it up, so add some extra teaspoons of liquid if needed.
• Chives: they add color, crunch, and a dose of fresh onion flavor. You can also use chopped green onions, white and light green parts.
• Blender: I simply stir the ingredients together, but you can also blend them if you like a very creamy appetizer dip. The flavor will also be amazing. 
• Lower fat variation: use some Greek yogurt instead of the cream cheese. The dip will not be as rich tasting and thinner in consistency, so omit the milk.

Make-ahead:

You can make a large batch and refrigerate it, covered. It will last several days. I don't like to freeze them because they change in texture. But I know some who do.

You can prepare the dip a day before you plan to serve it. Add the garnishes at the last minute. 

How to serve this dip

Plain potato chips, that's my first choice, always! They go so well with it (this is definitely a chip dip) and are easy to purchase, you may have one at home already. 

Hey, you might have all the ingredients to make the dip right now!

You can also use breadsticks, toasted pita triangles, corn chips, or any other similar snack you like. 

• Make an onion dip platter with the dip in center stage surrounded with potato chips, bread, etc. Maybe some olives too in another bowl. Beer is always a good pairing. 

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