French Onion Dip made from scratch in 5 minutes. Without the added preservatives from those store-bought onion soup packets, but still with that same rich flavor and creamy texture we all love! A must at any party and great as a super quick and easy snack!
Also crazy fast and easy? This veggie dip and olive spread.
Is a party really a party without French Onion Dip? Always a favorite and one of the first snacks to go at game-day get togethers. Creamy smooth, savory, rich, and so easy to whip up.
What is French Onion Dip?
French Onion Dip isn’t French at all, but rather an American concoction which is typically made with sour cream, dried onion, and herbs. A super quick way to make it is by mixing together some sour cream and a packet of onion soup mix (a la Lipton French Onion Dip) –> This is what kids of the 70’s grew up on (but we called it California Dip.) I’ve also made it with caramelized onions, which is truly amazing – especially for anyone who loves French Onion Soup or Onion Jam – but to me, that is a completely different dip and not at all like the dip of my childhood.
So, what if you don’t want all the preservatives that come in the pre-packaged stuff, or lack time and motivation that’s required to caramelize onions for 45 minutes? I’ve got you. This homemade French Onion Dip recipe is the perfect compromise, which tastes like the store bought mix, but made from scratch. Ready in only 5 minutes with only 6 ingredients.
French Onion Dip Recipe
Ingredients you need for this recipe:
*Be sure to see the printable recipe card below for measurements & directions!
- Sour cream
- Dried onion flakes
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Fresh chives
- Better Than Bouillon beef paste (see my note below)
No salt? Nope. No added salt because the beef bouillon paste is salty enough.
Notes about Beef Bouillon
Beef is the base for French Onion Soup, and really a necessary ingredient in this dip IMHO. Over the years, I’ve tinkered with how to incorporate that beef flavor in the best way and I’m done trying. It’s beef bouillon paste. Some onion dips add soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce to get that flavor, but it’s not the same. Beef broth is ok, but it’s not rich enough – plus, you’d have to add a lot of it and then you risk the dip being too watery.
I always have Better Than Bouillon beef paste in my fridge because I use it in my Slow Cooker Pot Roast, incredible Beef Stew, Chuck wagon stew, and this dip. A little jar goes a long way! A beef bouillon cube (crushed into a fine powder) can be used instead, BUT it gives off a much stronger, saltier taste and not my preference. NOTE: 1 beef bouillon cube crushed into a powder equals 1 1/4 teaspoons. If you go this route, I would add in 3/4 teaspoon, taste and only add in the rest if needed. And mix it really well, so the dip isn’t grainy. Make one batch with the paste and once with the cube and compare!
How to make French Onion Dip
Got 5 minutes? That’s all you need to make this dip. Simply place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Make sure everything is well incorporated – you don’t want streaks of white from the sour cream, spots of brown from the beef paste, or clumps of seasoning.
Give it a taste and adjust the flavor, if necessary. Definitely taste with a chip. Most chips are pretty salty, so you’ll probably want the dip less salty than you think.
What to Serve with French Onion Dip
I simply cannot (or don’t want to!) imagine this dip without wavy/crinkle cut potato chips for dipping – it’s the classic pairing for a reason. Fresh cut veggie sticks, like carrots and celery, are also great.
How to Store this Dip
How long does French Onion Dip last? It’s delicious the same day it’s made and even better the next. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 5 days without any flavor loss, but will loosen a bit as the days go on, so give it a quick stir before serving again.
Can you freeze French Onion Dip? No, sorry. Once thawed, the sour cream separates and becomes grainy and unappetizing.
Watch it Being Made
Other Delicious Cold 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 Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Easy French Onion Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon 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.
- *See my note re: beef bouillon paste in the full article.
Video
Nutrition
Other Notes
actually perfection. the beef bouillon paste adds just the right amount of umami flavor.
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