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by Jessica April 14, 2021
Okay, get ready to eat this caramelized onion dip with a spoon.
I’m not REALLY joking. Okay, maybe a bit. But it is that good – you will be tempted to lick said spoon.
Now you may be asking WHY oh WHY am I sharing a caramelized onion dip recipe when I already have two similar recipes on the site. I know, I get it. I considered not sharing it.
But.
This one is the best. I am not exaggerating, not being dramatic.
IT IS THE BEST.
A few months ago, we got pizza from one of our local favorites, Ironborn. In a moment of starving weakness, I ordered the homemade chips to go with it (we looooove homemade chips) and when we got home, I broke into them right away.
The dip stunned me. I assumed it was ranch or blue cheese. It wasn’t. It was an onion dip – but clearly a caramelized onion dip. I could actually TASTE the caramel from the caramelized onions. No joke. And then I almost ate all the chips and Eddie was jealous. OOPS.
We couldn’t stop thinking about the dip. It was on another level. I looked on their website and sure enough, it was a caramelized onion dip. How this had evaded me before ordering, I don’t know. The hunger just took over.
So I made it!
First up, the glaring different between this and my very first onion dip? Um, I caramelize FOUR whole onions here for this dip. Yes, four. You know how much they cook down, and all the extra caramelization, the better. I knew four would be better, given my recent obsession with french onion everything. And it was!
Second, the first dip was much more yogurt based as flavor. This one is more onion based. If that makes sense.
The rest of this dip is simple. Just sour cream or greek yogurt. I honestly can rarely tell a difference when I swap them, however I do buy 2% or 5% plain greek yogurt, not nonfat. That helps. I use whichever one I have on hand. Plus, I still add a bit of mayo for some richness. It definitely makes a difference and I highly suggest keeping it in there if you can.
Then just salt, pepper and garlic.
Yes. That is it.
MAYBE some herbs on top or mixed in if you’re feeling it.
P.S. you can even caramelize the onions ahead of time. I’ve done this multiple times now. Caramelize them ahead, store them in the fridge, reheat in the microwave (just to soften the solids) and make the dip. It’s fantastic.
I love how creamy this dip is. My original french onion dip uses cream cheese and it’s definitely a thicker consistency. It also uses a bunch of onions, but more goes into it and the dip isn’t as silky or thin. It’s almost tricky to dip a thin chip into my original french onion dip.
Speaking of chips! I tried (and failed) about ten times to make you the perfect air fryer chips to go with this dip. They were a total fail every time – not thin enough, or too brown on half of the chips and just not worth it at all. I have made homemade chips before which we love, but if you’re going to do the work for this dip and make the onions, I suggest just buying some of your favorite chips!
Now PLEASE make this for the weekend.
It’s a dream!
Caramelized Onion Dip
Caramelized Onion Dip
Prep Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
This is the best caramelized onion dip EVER! Creamy and wildly flavorful, perfect with chips, pretzels, veggies, or crackers. We love it!
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4.99 from 357 votes
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 sweet onions, chopped
- kosher salt and pepper (at least 1/2 teaspoon of each, probably more)
- 1 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- fresh herbs, like parsley, for topping
Instructions
Heat the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the onions with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, just until the onions begin to soften. Turn the heat down to low (or medium-low, if low isn’t cooking them), and cook, stirring often, until the onions are dark brown and caramely, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how much you want to babysit them. This will take a while, but the onions are in smaller pieces, so are also more apt to burn. Keep an eye on them and stir often, reducing the heat when needed. Add a splash of water to the pan if it gets dry at any time.
Let the onions cool slightly before adding them to the dip. Alternately, you can also caramelize the onions a day or two ahead of time! I will caramelize them and store them in a container in the fridge. I do reheat them on low heat (either in a pan or microwave) just to warm the solids up a bit.
Whisk together the sour cream, mayo, garlic powder and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Once the onions are caramelized, stir them in. Continue to stir until everything is combined - it will come together. Taste the dip and if you need more salt, add it in.
This stays great in the fridge if you make it ahead of time - it will thicken up a bit. It is also great served immediately. Serve with chips, crackers, pretzels, veggies - anything!
This stays great in the fridge for a few days! It will thicken up a bit, but will slightly loosen up once it gets back to room temperature.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Author: How Sweet Eats
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to our facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!
This.is.so.delish.
posted in: Appetizers, Dips, Recipes, Snacks 59 comments
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4.99 from 357 votes (339 ratings without comment)
Leave a Reply
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Ramya — Reply
See AlsoChocolate Chip Muffin RecipeThe Perfect Pizza Crust Recipe: How To Make ItRatios for Feeding Sourdough Starter - The Birch CottageApple Pancakes With Oats - Healthy & Easy Breakfast Recipe - Beauty Biteswill be making this soon can i use vegan butter mayo and coconut cream as am a vegan perfect for my snacks will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
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Ferynn — Reply
Any thoughts on substituting Greek yogurt for either the mayo or sour cream??
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Jessica — Reply
yes def! i use both interchangeably. it’s in the post!
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Donna Melger —
Have you made it with no Mayo and just used Greek Yogurt and sour cream? Sadly, I have an egg allergy.
Or use a vegan Mayo?
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Z — Reply
Any recipe that says it takes less than an hour to properly caramelize onions is being a little too optimistic.
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Jessica — Reply
these are small diced onions. they can definitely caramelize in 45 minutes. i basically caramelize onions for a living, haha. larger slices will need more time, yes.
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petesahuttt — Reply
I agree, but I generally don’t caramelize them in diced form, it does go a bit faster that way, but not by much. It’s a nice way to just hang out in the kitchen with a glass of wine and the smell is glorious!
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Gayle Snyder — Reply
This looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it. Jessica, you mentioned in another post a grapefruit drink that you got from target? I can’t find the post and really want to try it. Can you remind me what it was? Thanks so much.
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Layla — Reply
Do you stir the onions, still hot, straight from the pan, right into the sour cream etc mix or cool the onions first?
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Jessica — Reply
i have done both!! both ways work – if the onions are still warm, the sour cream/yogurt mixture may look a bit curdled for a minute but it ends up coming together as you stir. i will include a note about this in the recipe!
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Sara — Reply
You gotta try this with shallots. Add a pinch of sugar to the shallots as they carmelize. Insane!!!
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petesahuttt — Reply
Ooooo, that does sound good. Did you caramelize them similarly to the onions?
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Sara —
Yes, just sliced, not diced.
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Shaina — Reply
Do you have any suggestions for making this more healthful? Seems too rich for me with the butter, cream, and chips. Thanks!
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Jessica — Reply
i don’t. this is not a dip that is meant to be healthful.
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Sarah — Reply
The dip looks great, and that pizza place looks incredible! I wish I lived nearby.
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Tamar — Reply
Besides maybe caramelizing the onions in olive oil, is there a way to make this without dairy?
Maybe all mayo?-
Sara — Reply
i have made this dip with all mayo in the past. It is amazing.
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Lisa — Reply
Made this for Mother’s Day — made the onions on Saturday so I would NOT be cooking on Sunday — and to say it was a hit would be an understatement. It’s addicting, heavenly, and I think if it doesn’t make an appearance at every gathering this summer I will be in trouble. It’s seriously AMAZING!!! Thank you Jessica!
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Veronica — Reply
Where did you get the blue bowl in the photo? I love the shape of it.
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Jessica — Reply
its a few years old – from the chrissy teighen line at target.
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Joyce — Reply
Does caramel icing work in a non-stick pan? Or is it better to use stainless steel?
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Erin — Reply
How many servings do you think this is?
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Julie S — Reply
Awesome, and so easy. Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe.
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Casey Warren — Reply
this is soooo easy and delicious!! all you have to do is caramelize the onions and throw everything together!!
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Christy Hurst — Reply
Would love to know how many servings this makes? Looking to make it for our Christmas potluck dinner. Ty for sharing
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Renee — Reply
Hey there! I’m wondering if you know the approximate amount of onions once they are caramelized? I made a batch and froze them but not sure how many I have, and wanted to make this recipe using them. Would be helpful to know the amount or weight of the onions after caramelizing, if possible. Thanks!
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Tori — Reply
Made this for football today and oh my gosh just pass me a spoon. SO flavorful and delicious! And easy to make!
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Rachel — Reply
Came here for the recipe… had to comment since I was also looking for a recipe modeled after Ironborn! (I don’t know you or where you are from, but I lived in Shaler for 6 years!)
Ironborn pizza (and their chips/dip) are the best!
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Kitty — Reply
I just made this and omfg, this was delish!!
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April — Reply
Hi. How many servings is this?
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Lorraine — Reply
This is the most amazingly delicious dip I’ve made or had. Making it for a road trip for hotel night snack!
Thank you!! -
Ellie — Reply
I make a caramelized onion dip, but like my French onion soup recipe, I add some sherry and toward the end of the onion caramelization process, cook that off. The I add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, to taste…for me that’s a pretty decent amount. Then I proceed with my sour cream..no mayo. It’s always a hit and it’s got no prepackaged stuff in..win win
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Stacey — Reply
Delicious thank you 🙏. Perfect for a party as you can caramelized onions in advance. I used yogurt in mine.
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Hillary D. — Reply
This dip is freaking crack!! I used massive hatch sweet onions cooked down in lots of butter. Put in the fridge overnight and then warmed up, added to the sour cream & mayo and then topped it all off with crunchy fried shallots from the asian market. Dipped regular lays potato chips in. Fantastic! Will be making this weekly!
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Mary — Reply
Absolutely delicious! I made it with the sour cream, no yogurt and followed the recipe as written. Only exception was that I used caramelized onions that I made and had in the freezer. Thawed in the microwave, put in a pan to add just a bit more color and then into the bowl with everything else. Everyone LOVED it!
I’m thinking of mixing some of it into slightly caramelized mushrooms and spooning over a steak. Doesn’t THAT sound good!?-
Deborah — Reply
Oh yum! I put it on a hamburger “as is”. It was so good. I never thought about mushrooms!
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Mary Wood —
Just a little note about caramelizing onions: I like to use them in a variety of dishes so I tend to have them on hand. I slice up onions, 4-6 or so depending on size, a small pinch or two of sugar and a stick of butter and put in the slow cooker. It takes all day and probably a little longer if you use the sweet onions that are full of water. I cook them for several hours and then put them into small containers and pop in the freezer. I save the small jars from pimentos and others that size. When I’m ready to use them, thaw in the microwave and put in a pan to get a bit more color if needed. I also slow cook garlic and butter and olive oil and also freeze. I’ve been asked to bring this caramelized onion dip to a dinner on Friday (same group that swooned over them in Sept.) and will be adding some slow cooked garlic. Sorry to ramble on, but this is a very easy way to make caramelized onions that don’t take a lot of 1:1 attention. Bonus, the house smells divine. MW
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Deborah — Reply
Oh wow! This is ridiculously delicious! I did the onions a few days ahead and they are nice and sweet. I also added just a little bit of beef Better Than Bullion. So good
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Nadene — Reply
OMG! This is so delicious! Like you, I could barely stop eating it, but had to leave some for my husband. Thank you so much for time spent creating it and sharing.
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Marissa — Reply
This is seriously the best dip. I have made it for several occasions and I have never gotten so many compliments. It’s a bit time consuming, but it’s seriously worth it.
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Emily Walkerwicz — Reply
I am making this today as an appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Can you answer me with how much dip this yields. It will one of a few appetizers so I’m thinking of halving the recipe. Your thoughts?
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Jessica — Reply
it makes about 1.5 cups!
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Jules — Reply
Soooooo delish. I’m surprised people weren’t licking the empty bowl. I made the onions a day ahead and microwaved for a minute prior to mixing with the rest of ingredients. HOWEVER, I used a Dutch oven for the onions and it took over an hour and a half to caramelize. But worth it: So much bang for your buck. I was iffy on the mayo as well but made as instructed and it added another layer. Thanks so much for a true crowd-pleaser!
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Derrick Rucobo — Reply
There’s no yield.. how many servings does this make?
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Geoff — Reply
This ALWAYS hits the spot, and guests absolutely can’t stop eating it. Highly recommended. I add a bit of sugar to the onions as they’re cooking, and it really does take a long time. Be patient, it’s worth it.
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Amy — Reply
Made this for a holiday party and everyone loved it! Delicious and easy. It took a little longer for my onions to caramelize than the instructions but otherwise I made it as written.
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Rudy — Reply
Sweet onions in my stores come in a wide variety of sizes. Can you approximate how many cups 4 sweet onions is?
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Sheri — Reply
This is a terrific recipe. However, I accidentally got too much black pepper. Now that is all I can taste. Is there anything I can do to balance it back out?
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Julie Lynn Nichols — Reply
This was so good! I made it for a football party at my house this past weekend & I literally cannot wait to make it again!! I used 3 onions instead of 4, and I would do that again.
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Debra Quenqua — Reply
This is now my only onion dip that I’ll eat. It took closer to 90 minutes to caramelize the onions but didn’t need that much babysitting. Next time I’ll double the recipe and make the onions in the slow cooker. So delicious!
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Cynthia Pastula — Reply
I decided to make this for our Superbowl Party. The 4 large onions, coarsely chopped, too hours to caramelize in a soup pot. I turned the heat down to “warm” and with that low temp, and my patience, my onions cooked down to 2 cups. I refrigerated them and put the dip together the day of the bug game. What a Hit!
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Helen S — Reply
hmmmm curious why use unsalted butter and then add salt?? I’ve always wondered why not just use salted butter and not add salt???
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Jessica — Reply
because it allows you to control the amount of salt added!
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Megan Schaefers — Reply
I’m from Pittsburgh and found your recipe and realized you live here too! Iron born gave it away!
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Emily M — Reply
Easy and delicious! I don’t usually love sour cream anything, but this was really good and a hit at the party.
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Hockey Mom — Reply
THIS recipe!! SO much better than those that call for cream cheese. The greek yogurt .. I used nonfat because that is what I had.. AMAZING!!! I did add a couple shakes of worcestershire. LICK THE BOWL good.. Worth every minute.
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Juli — Reply
Anyone make this with salted butter? how did it turn out?
