Food Recipes Appetizers Dips & Spreads Caramelized Onion Dip 5.0 (1,426) 12 Reviews For our version of this classic dip, sliced onions are first caramelized in pure butter, then stirred into a tangy mixture of sour cream, cream cheese, and seasonings. By Melissa Rubel Jacobson Melissa Rubel Jacobson Melissa Rubel Jacobson crafted numerous sweet and savory recipes for Food & Wine, including a tropical snack mix that was named one of the publication’s 40 best recipes of 2018. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 7, 2023 Save Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr Yield: 3 cups Jump to recipe It may be called French onion dip, but this creamy party classic is purely an American convention. Also called California dip, it was created by a Los Angeles homemaker in 1954, during the post-World War II era when packaged convenience foods began being used as recipe ingredients. In this case, Lipton instant onion soup mix was combined with sour cream to approximate French onion soup in dip form. By 1958, Lipton had perfected the proportions and started printing the recipe on its soup mix packages. Frequently asked questions What do you eat onion dip with? Thick, salty potato chips with creamy caramelized onion dip is a time-tested snack marriage, but you needn't stop there. This dip is precisely what a veggie platter begs for; pretzels and crostini are also great serving options. What is the difference between French onion dip and onion dip? French onion dip would contain beef stock or beef broth like the beef bouillon in onion soup mix. This onion dip won't have that meatiness. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen This recipe takes the flavors of the American standby to a whole new level. Using caramelized onions — three of them, to be exact — imparts a unique sweetness that soup mix just can't provide; the onions cook slowly in butter until they're meltingly tender and golden. In addition to sour cream, the generous amount of cream cheese here gives the dip a bit more body for a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Finely chopped parsley, fresh ground pepper, and a touch of Worcestershire — along with onion powder to amplify the onion flavor — round it all out. Make ahead The onion dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to three days. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons water 1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Potato chips, for serving Directions In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 25 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cook, stirring, until the water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Let the onions cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Transfer the onions to a cutting board and coarsely chop. In a large bowl, mix the sour cream with the cream cheese, parsley, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Stir in the onions and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with potato chips. Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless, Originally appeared: December 2008 Rate It Print