The nostalgic French Onion Dip but it’s made from scratch and ready in 5 minutes! No soup mix packets, no cooking (including that typical sautéing of onions for 40 minutes). Here just a quick mix of simple ingredients and you finish with a lively punch of flavor.
One of my slogans should be I waste my ingredients so you don’t have to. I do toss quite a bit unfortunately but it’s much better this way than for many of you to be wasting ingredients as well. Many recipes I create don’t make the cut until they are worthy of sharing.
French onion dip was almost a complete no go for me entirely because I really disliked the sweetness of caramelized onions in the homemade dip. It was just so strange to me and red wine vinegar could only help balance it so much.
Plus not to mention it was a waste of time to chop onions for 10 minutes then tend to them while they caramelize for 40 minutes on the stove. So instead of giving up on it I decided to just make one that was similar to the classic flavor of the popular 80’s and 90’s Lipton Onion Soup Dip, but of course even better.
This version is unbelievably easy. It’s almost the same as using a packet but just a bit more measuring (and well worth it). And the secret ingredient, that’s actually not so secret because they sit right atop, are those gorgeously fried oh so crispy onions (store-bought of course for simplicity).
If time allows it’s best to let the flavors of the dip marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, but if you need a last minute snack for a party it’s still absolutely crave worthy without the waiting period.
This dip is a game day must, make it yourself and see! And for a crowd I highly recommend doubling if not tripling the recipe, it will go fast.
French Onion Dip Recipes Ingredients
- Sour cream: I recommend a natural sour cream without all the extra thickeners and additives, such as Tillamook or Daisy.
- Beef base: I use Better Than Bouillon Organic Beef Base. It is a paste and it’s quite salty so a little goes a long way.
- Dried onion flakes: These are finely chopped dehydrated onions, found online or by the other spices at the grocery store. You can also use them to make a homemade everything bagel seasoning.
- Onion powder: This adds a lot of the traditional flavor to the dip.
- Garlic powder: Another spice that adds more background flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: This adds some depth the to dip. If you don’t have it you can omit this.
- Soy sauce: Regular or low-sodium will work here since it’s only 1 tsp.
- Black pepper: Only add pepper to the dip, it shouldn’t need salt as there are already salty seasonings used here.
- Fried onions: Recipe calls for store-bought for convenience. I recommend the smaller kind such as Fresh Gourmet Salad Topper Variety or Trader Joes, and still crush them up a bit.
- Parsley: This is optional, just added for a nice pop of color. You can use fresh or dried.
How to Make French Onion Dip from Scratch
Using a spatula spread beef base along edge of a medium mixing bowl (this is just to help it mix into the dip so it doesn’t stay clumped).
Add sour cream, dried onion flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and black pepper. Stir mixture with spatula while stirring beef base in.
If you want a thicker dip with more developed flavors let it rest 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge, this is optional. Just before serving sprinkle top with fried onion bits and fresh parsley.
What to Serve with French Onion Dip
- Chips: Lay’s potato chips, I recommend something like the low salt crinkle cut Lay’s potato chips here.
- Crackers: Low salt wheat thins are a good option, or mini water crackers.
- Crisp vegetables: Carrots, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, jicama and snap peas are great choices.
- Bread: Toast up some baguette slices or homemade bagel chips for a hearty option.
Possible Variations
- Healthier: For a healthier dip dry using plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Less sodium: To reduce salt omit the beef base and soy sauce.
- Richer: For more richness replace half of the sour cream with mayonnaise or whipped cream cheese.
- Spicy: If you want a little kick to it add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.
- Herbs: For an additional ranch-like flavor add in some dried dill and also stir some parsley into the dip.
Storage and Shelf Life
- Store the dip in an airtight container in the fridge.
- It will keep in the fridge for about 5 days.
- Freezing is not recommend as the dip will separate upon thawing.
More Popular Dip Recipes to Try
French Onion Dip
The nostalgic French Onion Dip and it’s made from scratch and ready in 5 minutes! No soup mix packets, no cooking (including that typical sautéing of onions for 40 minutes). Here just a quick mix of simple ingredients and you finish with a lively punch of flavor.
Servings: 6
-
Using a spatula spread beef base along edge of a medium mixing bowl (this is just to help it mix into the dip so it doesn’t stay clumped).
-
Add sour cream, dried onion flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and black pepper. Stir mixture with spatula while stirring beef base in.
-
If you want a thicker dip with more developed flavors let it rest 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge, this is optional. Just before serving sprinkle top with fried onion bits and fresh parsley.
-
Serve with low sodium potato chips or crackers, or fresh vegetables such as carrots, celery and bell peppers. Store dip in the fridge.
*I recommend Trader Joe’s Fried Onions or Fresh Gourmet Salad Topper Variety. Crush them up a bit before measuring.
Nutrition Facts
French Onion Dip
Amount Per Serving
Calories 93
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 23mg8%
Sodium 176mg8%
Potassium 77mg2%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 0.1g0%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 240IU5%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 43mg4%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
