French Onion Dip

By Dan Pelosi

Updated Jan. 17, 2025

French Onion Dip
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
3 hours
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, plus at least 2 hours’ chilling
Rating
4(267)
Comments
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The simple combination of a packet of French onion soup mix and a tub of sour cream is instantly delicious. Paired with crinkle cut potato chips, it’s the dip that everyone can’t stop eating. All the flavor found in that packet of soup mix can be duplicated — and perhaps improved upon — in this homemade version. Dried onion flakes are replaced with sweet and silky caramelized onions, which are time consuming but worth every minute. They are joined by onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce and stirred into sour cream, which creates a smooth and deeply flavorful dip that promises not to break your chips. If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, replace the Worcestershire sauce with a few splashes of soy sauce to taste. If you are looking for extra tang, replace some of the sour cream with Greek yogurt. If you crave a bit more fatty flavor, replace some of the sour cream with mayonnaise. And if you somehow don’t crave potato chips, serve this dip with crudités. 

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 2tablespoons butter
  • 1tablespoon olive oil
  • 4cups diced white or yellow onions (from 2 to 3 medium onions)
  • Salt and pepper 
  • 2teaspoons red or white wine vinegar 
  • 1(16-ounce) container full-fat sour cream 
  • 1½ teaspoons onion powder
  • ½teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼  teaspoon ground cayenne 
  • 1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Finely chopped chives, for serving
  • Crinkle cut potato chips, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

222 calories; 18 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 353 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large pan over medium-high. Add butter and olive oil to the pan, melting to combine. Add the onions and a big pinch each of salt and pepper to the pan and stir to coat. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are just softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce the heat to medium-low and remove the lid. Cook, stirring the onions frequently, for about 45 minutes. When you see browned bits form on the bottom of the skillet, add 2 tablespoons of water and scrape the bottom of the pan and keep cooking. Repeat with more water as needed. When the onions are deeply browned, add the vinegar and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside in a large bowl to cool.

  3. Step 3

    Once the onions are cooled, add sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper to the bowl. Stir together, ensuring the onions are evenly distributed throughout. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. (Overnight is ideal for maximum flavor.)

  4. Step 4

    Before serving, stir the dip and taste and adjust the seasonings, then place it in a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top of the dip with plenty of finely chopped chives and serve cold alongside crinkle cut potato chips.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
267 user ratings
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Comments

James

I’m going to stir up a hornet’s nest here. Someone mentioned Knorr soup mix. We are a Lipton family. This dip is good, approaching great, but it still falls flat. Without MSG dip just isn’t dip no matter how much tangy vinegar you add to it. Don’t take my word for it. Make the dip. Taste it. Then, if you have a bouillon cube or some powdered soup base around, stir a bit in. About 1/8 tsp should do it. Taste again.

Katherine

For the vinegar, tablespoons or teaspoons?

Fred

Two teaspoons or tablespoons of vinegar? Instructions say tablespoons, ingredients list says teaspoons. Still seeking an answer instead of risking having to dump one batch.

Chris

Veganized using plant-based sour cream. Got rave reviews at our Super Bowl party! Thinned a bit with water before serving.

Kaylis

I've made this dip several times and yellow onions are just a bit to sweet and make the dip very off putting especially if you make it the day before an event. White onions diced, not sliced is the way to go. After making this the first time, while good, I also noticed that it seemed to be missing something. I had a recipe for French onion dip years ago that added dehydrated onions. That did the trick, no need for soup mix with added sodium.

Nell

Tbh, I haven't made this recipe but for years have been making a similar Ina Garten onion dip recipe. Everyone loves it - for one friend it's his yearly birthday gift. But I was pressed for time recently, got the Trader Joe's dip - and everyone politely said it doesn't hold a candle to homemade and proceeded not to eat it while the homemade is always demolished. So, it's a fact. Homemade onion dip is the gold standard!!

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