Simple Caramelized Onion Dip Recipe

I love, love, love caramelized onions, so when I heard that there was such a thing as caramelized onion dip, I knew I had to try it! The slight sweetness blends perfectly with the creaminess of the sour cream/cream cheese.  Best of all?  It's super easy, and can be made ahead!

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Questions

What is caramelized onion dip?

Caramelized onion dip is made from two delectable parts: a sour cream mixture and caramelized onions.  They are slowly cooked in butter until they turn a deep golden brown and taste slightly sweet.  Can it get any better?

What to Serve with Caramelized Onion Dip

• Crackers
• Pita chips, potato chips, or tortilla chips
• Veggie sticks
• You can also try caramelized onion dip on nachos, tacos, pizza, burgers, or even mashed potatoes.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this dip ahead of time.  It doesn't freeze well because of the sour cream, but it will definitely keep in the fridge for 3-5 days as long as it is covered tightly.

How to Make

Grab all the yummy ingredients for this dip.  Onions, butter, sugar, white cooking wine, sour cream, cream cheese, chives, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.  Don't worry  if it sounds like a lot of ingredients; it will come together into something amazing!

Peel and thinly slice the onions.  (Learn how to slice them in this awesome article from the Kitchn!)  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onions.

Cook them for 45-60 minutes, until they're a rich caramel color.  Whenever a golden brown fond appears on the bottom of the pan, add ¼ cup of the cooking wine to prevent them from burning.

Whisk together the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth, then add the seasonings.

When the onions are cooked, let them cool briefly, then add them to the sour cream mixture.  Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Pro Tips

• Give the onions plenty of time to cook; usually, they need at least 45 minutes (up to 1 hour).  It takes time!
• Stir frequently as they cook.
• When the golden brown fond appears on the bottom of the pan, you'll need to stir in ¼ cup of cooking wine or water to prevent the onions from drying out or burning.  You'll need to do this step several times throughout the cooking process.
• Make sure the cream cheese and sour cream are at room temperature, or the dip will be lumpy.  Warm them up quickly by microwaving them in 15-second intervals.
• Let them cool on a plate in the fridge for 5 minutes before adding them to the mixture.

Other Fantastic Appetizer Recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Hedgehog Cheese Ball
• Loaded Potato Skins
• Cowboy Caviar
• Pimento Cheese

The pleasure of a 5-star review would be greatly appreciated.

Recipe

Simple Caramelized Onion Dip Recipe

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5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Emma
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 3 cups 1x

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Description

Simple caramelized onion dip is an easy make ahead appetizer recipe that’s sure to get rave reviews at your next football party.  This cold dip is rich, creamy, and slightly sweet—perfect for eating with potato chips, crackers, or veggies.  Come back for seconds before it’s all gone!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound + 13 ounces yellow onions (about 4 large onions; 824g)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter (28g)
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed (12g)
• 1-2 cups white cooking wine or water (236-472 ml)
• 1 ½ cups sour cream, at room temperature (340g)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (226g)
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, sliced
• 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• Hot sauce, to taste (optional)

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Instructions

1. Cut off the ends of the onions, then peel and thinly slice them.
2. Heat the butter over medium heat in a large skillet until bubbly.  Add the onions and stir to coat in butter.  Cook over medium heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are a deep caramel color.
3. After about 20 minutes of cooking, the onions will become dry and start to stick to the pan.  When the bottom of the pan has some deep golden brown residue on it (called the fond), stir in ¼ cup of the cooking wine.  The fond will reappear several times throughout the cooking process, which means you'll need to add liquid to keep them from burning and help them stay moist.
4. While they are cooking, stir together the cream cheese and sour cream until blended.  Whisk it for a minute to get rid of lumps, then whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.  Set aside.
5. When the onions are done cooking, let them chill in the fridge for 5 minutes, then stir them into the sour cream mixture.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve the dip chilled with crackers, pita chips, or veggie sticks.

Notes

• It's important that the sour cream and cream cheese are both at room temperature, or the dip will be lumpy.  If you don't have time to let them sit out on the counter, microwave them in 15-second intervals until warm, then whisk them together.
• This dip tastes best when served cold.  Chill in the fridge for 2-4 hours before serving (preferably overnight if possible).

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: recipe, cream cheese