French Onion Dip is an all-time American favorite, famed for its delicious onion flavor. This creamy delight combines caramelized onions, sour cream, mayonnaise, and cream cheese with cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. It's the ideal accompaniment for chips, French fries, crackers, or fresh vegetables.
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Originating from Los Angeles as 'California Dip', this dip has evolved from its initial French Onion Soup mix and sour cream recipe to a more gourmet version featuring homemade caramelized onions. These onions are slow-cooked until they reach a sweet and savory excellence, making the dip a popular choice for social events or a tasty snack.
One of the best things about this dip is its make-ahead convenience, allowing the flavors to deepen and enhance over time. This feature makes it a practical choice for event planning. It's also highly adaptable; try different onion varieties or tweak the spices to your liking.
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Ingredients and Substitutions Overview
Whipping up this mouth-watering French Onion Dip is simple, with ingredients easily sourced from any nearby supermarket. Here's what you'll need to get started:
- Onion: Provides the classic flavor, especially when caramelized for a sweet and caramelized taste.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness to the dip.
- Sour Cream: Imparts a creamy and slightly tangy element to the dip.
- Cream Cheese: Mild and creamy, it enhances the dip's texture and adds a touch of tanginess.
- Mayonnaise: Provides a fluffy and smooth texture to the dip.
- Seasonings: Include Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Salt to enhance the depth of flavors in the onion dip. A pinch of cayenne pepper doesn't make the dip overly spicy, but you can also opt for paprika if preferred.
How to Make French Onion Dip at Home?
Prepare to create a delicious French Onion Dip that's bound to impress everyone. With easy-to-follow photos and video instructions, crafting this savory treat is straightforward. Let's get started!
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French Onion Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups Onion, chopped, white, yellow, or red
- 4 tbsp Butter
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Black Pepper Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
To make French Onion Dip
- Heat a pan over medium heat and melt room temperature butter. Add chopped onions and sauté until they soften.
- Season the onions with cayenne pepper, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Sauté the seasoned onions for 3-5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and caramelize the onions for about 20-25 minutes until they turn golden brown. Remove from heat and let them cool to room temperature.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the caramelized onions to the creamy mixture and mix thoroughly.
To Serve
- Serve this delicious homemade French Onion dip with classic potato chips or your favorite choice crackers, bread cubes or tortilla chips.
Recipe Video
Chef's Notes and Tips
Tips for Caramelized Onions:
- Choose Your Onion: Any type of onion, be it white, brown, red, or shallots, works for caramelizing.
- Season to Taste: Customize seasonings like cayenne, garlic, black pepper, and salt, or use onion powder and paprika to enhance flavor to your liking.
- Be Patient: Caramelizing onions takes time, around 20-25 minutes on low heat for the specified quantity. Don't rush; patience leads to that sweet, caramelized perfection.
- Cool Down: Let the caramelized onions cool to room temperature before adding them to the creamy dip.
Preparing the Creamy Base:
- Soften Cream Cheese: Ensure your cream cheese is softened, either by leaving it out or by a quick microwave zap, before blending with other creamy ingredients.
- Even Mixing: Combine the caramelized onions and creamy mixture thoroughly for even flavor distribution.
- Chill for Flavor: After mixing everything evenly, refrigerate the dip for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
Classic Option:
- French Onion Soup Mix: While you can use the classic French onion soup mix for the dip, creating caramelized onions from scratch elevates the taste beyond the soup mix variation.
Nutrition Info
Disclaimer
We're not nutrition experts, and the nutritional information provided is an estimate. Please use it as a guide. For precise details, it's best to consult a professional. To learn more, please view our Detailed Disclaimers.
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Serving Suggestions
French Onion Dip pairs well with a variety of dippers that provide a balance of flavors and textures. Here are some popular options to serve with it:
- Potato Chips: Classic potato chips are a favorite choice due to their salty and crispy nature.
- French Fries: Crispy, golden French fries make the perfect companions creating a savory and satisfying snack.
- Pretzels: Pretzel twists or pretzel sticks add a salty and slightly chewy element.
- Vegetable Crudites: Fresh veggies like carrot sticks, celery, cucumber slices, and bell pepper strips provide a refreshing and crunchy contrast.
- Tortilla Chips: Corn tortilla chips or even flavored tortilla chips can complement the creamy dip.
- Crackers: Choose your favorite crackers, such as plain, whole wheat, or multigrain, for a crunchy option.
- Bread Cubes: Cut up cubes of crusty bread, like baguette or Italian bread, for a hearty dipper.
- Pita Chips: Toasted pita triangles or pita chips provide a hearty and robust option for dipping.
Storage Suggestions
This French Onion Dip maintains its fresh flavors when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. For the best taste experience, I recommend enjoying it within this time frame.
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