French Onion Dip
Published
Published
Ditch the soup mix packet and make this from-scratch French onion dip recipe instead. It’s creamy, savory, and made with simple pantry ingredients with all the classic onion flavor you’d expect, but without anything artificial or being overly salty. This homemade French onion dip comes together in just a few minutes and is perfect for parties, game day snacks, or anytime you need an easy appetizer for chips and veggies.
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5 STAR REVIEW
You know that classic French onion dip that combines the packet of soup mix with sour cream? This recipe is that, but made completely from scratch and better! It’s always a favorite and one of the first snacks to go at our game-day get-togethers. It’s creamy, savory, rich, and so easy to whip up that I usually make it without even measuring. Since beef is the base flavor in classic French onion soup, I think it’s a necessary ingredient in this dip too, and beef bouillon paste gives the best depth without watering it down. I always have Better Than Bouillon beef paste in my fridge because I use it in my Slow Cooker Pot Roast.
This homemade dip only takes minutes and tastes even better the longer it sits, making it perfect for last-minute entertaining or make-ahead prep. I usually serve it with classic potato chips, but it’s just as good with crunchy veggies or pretzels.
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Let it chill. Refrigerate the dip for at least 1 hour so the dried onion has time to fully rehydrate and the flavors can meld together. The dip will thicken slightly and taste noticeably better after resting.
- Don’t panic if it looks watery. A little liquid separation is normal with sour cream–based dips. Just give it a good stir, and it will come right back together.
- Too strong on onion flavor? Stir in a small spoonful of sour cream to mellow things out and add extra creaminess without changing the texture.
Easy French Onion Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon beef paste, not a cube*
- wavy potato chips, for serving
- carrot and celery sticks, for serving
Instructions
- Place sour cream in a small bowl. Add dried onion flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, chives, and beef bouillon paste. Mix together very well until completely blended. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
- It can be enjoyed right away, but ideally refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the dried onion to soften a bit.
- Serve with potato chips and/or veggie sticks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make French Onion Dip Step by Step
Gather all the ingredients together.
Combine the ingredients: Add 1 cup sour cream to a small bowl, then stir in 1 tbsp dried onion flakes, 1 tsp onion powder, ⅛ tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives, and 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon beef paste (not a cube.) Mix very well until the dip is completely smooth and evenly blended, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Chill the dip: The dip can be enjoyed right away, but for the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour so the dried onion softens and the flavors have time to meld.
Serve and enjoy: Serve with chips or vegetables. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I almost always serve this French onion dip with classic crinkle-cut potato chips, but it’s just as good with veggie sticks like carrots, celery, and bell peppers when I want something crunchy and fresh. For game days, I love putting it out alongside mini chili cheese dogs or pairing it with dill pickle cheddar chips for a fun, salty twist. It also works surprisingly well as a spread for sandwiches or burgers.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover French onion dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Give it a good stir before serving, as a little separation is normal. This dip is best enjoyed chilled and is not freezer-friendly, since freezing can change the texture. For make-ahead prep, you can mix it a few hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve. The flavor actually gets better as it sits.
More Savory Creamy Dips
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
My French Onion Dip recipe was originally published 1/8/21. It was retested and republished to be better than ever 1/24/26.
I used Violife sour cream (dairy free) and this recipe was so delicious. The only difference that I noticed using the sour cream substitute was that it was thicker which was a bonus!
This recipe is THE BEST! I make this dip every week. My family loves it! It’s so simple , tastes better than store bought or the soup mix without all the garbage!
Tastes exactly like the liston version and almost as quick! Much better than using regular bullion, too. Added bonus: I don’t have to make 2 cups when I only need one.
I’ve made this multiple times now, and we love it! Thank you for an easy, delicious recipe that is so much better than Lipton.
Simple. Quick. Delicious! No GMOs either.
My family LOVES this recipe!
Helluva Good Dip has met it’s match! This dip is actually even better than store bought. And I literally mixed it up in less than 5 minutes!
So much better than the pre made stuff or the package soup recipe. I don’t keep fresh chives on hand so I use a teaspoon of dried chives, it works perfectly.
I really love this recipe. So much better than the soup packet. Very easy to make. I do add about a 1/4 teaspoon extra of the better than bouillon to enhance the flavor.
Here in Hawaii we can’t find the already made French onion dip. This is so much better!! And super easy, so thank you so much!!!
Easy and really good!
Great recipe! Loved it. I wont buy the packaged mix for the additives. I added a bit of fine parsley too. Delicious. Thank you.
The best!
I”ve been looking for a French onion dip or the recipe to make it that would be like the dip I left behind when I left NYS years ago. This is the closest I’ve found! Hubby approves!
Yes! Thank you. I hoped my pantry could make this – just didn’t know how. You nailed it!
actually perfection. the beef bouillon paste adds just the right amount of umami flavor.
Can u use the chicken btb I don’t eat or use the beef one but this recipe sounds so good
You can, but it will have a completely different flavor and won’t taste like French Onion Dip/Soup.
Thank You! This gave me the main base to work off of. I’m eternally grateful – I had just finished up my powder packet mixed with sour cream dip but still had chips, so of course i needed to search for a recipe. I ended up doing 1 1/2 times the BTB beef, added just a short shake of salt, a small dash of Worcestershire sauce, plus a smidge more of onion and garlic powders, and came up with a next to perfect replica of what i had just been eating from the powdered packet stuff! It was full on glorious lol. Thank you so much. I’m a big believer in encouraging people to work from a recipe to create their own fine tuning, and your recipe allowed me to do that. Thank you! I had no idea where to start before taking in your recipe *and I bow*.
I love all the Better Than Boulion pastes! I discovered them a few years ago when there were only a few flavors, now there are so many and all I have tried are amazing. I used to make my own broths and freeze them. Spending all day boiling down bones, seasoning, tasting over and over. It was such a process but the flavor was so much better than boulion cubes or store brought broth. The flavor of Better Than Boulion paste is even better than my all day made broths. Never used it in dips till this recipe. Thanks for showing me another great use for their products! They should send you a case of their product as I am sure they got a lot of new customers from your endorsing it for your recipes!
This recipe is SUPER easy, and is BETTER than the envelope mix. No more mixes for me. You may think it sounds weird to have a beef base, but that just rounds off the flavors!! YUM!
Great dip! First time I had no better than bouillon, so I used granulated beef bouillon. Next time I used the paste and there is no comparison, use the paste. It’s awesome! Thanks, we have this on hand most of the time now.
This recipe is delicious! I was craving French onion dip and haven’t had it in a long time. (When I was a kid my Dad always had the Lipton dip mix and sour cream stocked in our house at all times!) I found this recipe and happened to have the ingredients on hand. I used dried chives, 1/2 mayo and 1/2 sour cream. I loved it!
Gave a double take at the add better than bouillion beef paste, but since I had two jars already went with it. I’ll NEVER make this dip without it again! Great on bake potatoes as well.
An excellent receipt for French Onion Dip!
Definitely a household favorite.
Thank you for sharing.
The bullion is a great idea! I make up dip all the time and have never thought of that. It’s a staple I always have in my pantry too. I added some ranch seasoning to this recipe and it’s very good. Thanks!
This is very easy and most delicious!
Oh my goodness, this is so good! And I even had to sub bouillon paste (I only had Better than Bouillon vegetable paste). Still really good, thanks for an easy and tasty recipe!
Yum! I got some chips at the store, but they had no onion dip. I didn’t think to look for onion soup mix, so I looked to the internet. This recipe was quick, easy, and I got my onion-y goodness fix. I subbed dried shallots for onions and dried chives for fresh, because that is what I had on hand. Taste is spot on.
i have enjoyed the Better than Buillon chicken and vegetable paste. I haven’t tried the beef yet, but will as soon as I make this. Incredible.
Loved it!
Loved this so much!! I used parsley since no chives and I added a dash of ranch dressing mix. AMAZING