Caramelized Onion Dip - creamy and flavorful appetizer featuring rich and flavorful caramelized onions. Serve with potato chips for the classic combo or with veggie sticks.
Caramelized onions are full of flavor and fantastic in my Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes recipe as well as the French Onion Roasted Chicken dish.
Lately, I have been obsessed with caramelized onions. I want to add them to every dish. This dip takes a simple onion dip to a whole new level. Deeply caramelized onions give it a rich, sweet, almost nutty flavor. So delicious! This Caramelized Onion Dip is quite irresistible. It is definitely not your average onion dip, made with sour cream, mayo and onion soup mix. That's just no good. If you really let the onions caramelize you will be obsessed with this recipe! You have to try it!
Ingredients
- white onions
- olive oil
- unsalted butter
- salt
- brown sugar
- low-sodium soy sauce
- black pepper
- sour cream
- mayonnaise
- garlic powder
Instructions
- Start by heating up olive oil in a non-stick pan.
- Add chopped onions and salt and cook until tender and just start to turn gold.
- Add butter and let it melt, stirring often.
- Add brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir in and let the whole mixture simmer for 2 minutes or medium-low heat. Remove onions from the heat and cool while you assemble the remaining dip ingredients.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayo, pepper and garlic powder. The onions are salted so hold off with adding any more until you taste the dip.
- Next, add the caramelized onions and stir in. Serve immediately or cover with a plastic wrap and chill until ready.
Expert tips
- white onions - While you can use any onions you like for this recipe (although I would skip the red kind), I highly recommend trying white onions. I prefer their flavor when caramelized to yellow onions. Once cooked down and golden, they are sweet, nutty and delicious. No bitterness in sight!
- butter and oil combo - To get perfectly caramelized, deep golden and rich onions, I recommend using olive oil and butter combo. You start the onions in heated up oil, and once they start to turn golden, add the butter. It will transform the onions and deepen the flavor.
- add brown sugar and soy sauce to onions to deepen the flavor. If you don't like sweetness in your onion dip, simply skip the sugar.
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Storing
Since we are using sour cream and mayo in this dip, any leftovers need to be refrigerated. Place them in a container with lid and keep in the fridge. Do not freeze.
This dip is best served the same day of preparation. You can make it and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Serving
If you Google "onion dip", you will notice that most times than not, the dip is served with potato chips. I am a huge fan of the rippled kind, best yet if it's cheddar. You can serve any kind you like, even buttery crackers.
To keep it on the healthier side, you can serve this dip with carrot sticks, celery, sliced peppers, etc.
More appetizer recipes
- Hot Corn and Bacon Dip
- Buffalo Onion Rings
- Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Dip
- Jalapeno Popper Dip
- Bacon Guacamole
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Caramelized Onion Dip
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped onions See note
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup sour cream I used natural
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Start by heating up olive oil in non-stick pan. Add chopped onions and salt and cook until tender and just start to turn gold.
- Add butter and let it melt, stirring often.
- When the onions and deep golden, almost brown, add brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir in and let the whole mixture simmer for 2 minutes or medium-low heat.
- Remove onions from the heat and cool while you assemble the remaining dip ingredients.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayo, pepper and garlic powder. The onions are salted so hold off with adding any more until you taste the dip.
- Next, add the caramelized onions and stir in. Taste the dip and add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately or cover with a plastic wrap and chill until ready.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on October 31st, 2018 and updated on September 10th, 2019.
Carolynn says
This recipe is so much better than dip with soup mix..I added 2 tsp of minced garlic with the onions, and accidentally (was reading multiple recipes) put in 4 oz softened cream cheese. Definitely worth saving! SO GOOD!!
Melissa grey says
Too much sugar - next time omit sugar
LindaK says
When I carmelize onions for French Onion Soup, I use EVOO and butter. The secret is to sauté v-e-r-y “low and slow” until the onions release their sugar. This magic takes some experience and is completely dependent on the onions themselves. I’ve had this process take anywhere from 20 minutes to one hour. It makes all the difference in taste.
Erin says
YUM!!! I love this delicious version!!!
Taylor W. says
Yum, this is the perfect appetizer recipe! Looks so delicious!
Dee says
This sounds so tasty! I'll try this myself next game day
Melanie Bauer says
Looks insanely delicious! Combination of those flavors are simply irresistible, so tasty and delightful!
Aimee Shugarman says
This is the best onion dip recipe!
Mahy Elamin says
This Caramelized Onion Dip Recipe looks amazing! I cannot wait to give it a try. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. YUM!
Jamielyn says
This looks SO flavorful and delicious! Perfect appetizer recipe!
Kara says
This looks so good! It would be tasty with veggies, but I bet I wouldn't be able to resist it with Ruffles. Yum!
Cheryl says
You had me at caramelized onions!! I could eat this with everything!
Kimberly says
Fabulous flavors in this dip, looooove it!
Evelyn Adams says
Thanks for Anna's recipe, looks very tasty, can't wait to cook this onion sauce! Do you think it would be a good idea to add nuts for flavor? Or will nuts only spoil the taste?