Ina Garten French Onion Dip Recipe – Caramelized Onion Perfection

When the Barefoot Contessa creates a recipe, you know it’s going to elevate everyday ingredients into something extraordinary. Ina Garten’s French Onion Dip transforms the humble party staple into a luxurious experience worthy of elegant entertaining. By taking the time to caramelize onions until they’re deep golden and sweet properly, this dip develops a complex and rich flavor that makes ordinary French onion dip taste like a pale imitation. Rich, creamy, and utterly addictive, this is the dip that will have your guests asking for the recipe.

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What Makes This Pan-Fried Onion Dip So Extraordinary?

The magic lies entirely in the caramelization process. While most French onion dips rely on dehydrated onion soup mix for flavor, Ina Garten’s version builds complexity from scratch. Slowly cooking fresh onions until they transform from sharp and pungent to deeply sweet and golden creates layers of flavor that can’t be replicated with shortcuts. The natural sugars in the onions caramelize, developing rich, almost wine-like notes that pair beautifully with the creamy dairy base.

Why This Recipe Stands Above the Rest

Most French onion dips take shortcuts that sacrifice flavor for convenience. Ina Garten’s approach requires more time, but the payoff is extraordinary. The depth of flavor from properly caramelized onions, combined with the perfect balance of cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, creates a dip that tastes like it came from a high-end restaurant rather than a packet mix.

Caramelized Onion Dip Ingredients

For the Caramelized Onions:

• Yellow onions – Provide the sweet, complex base that defines this elevated dip
• Unsalted butter – Adds richness and helps achieve proper browning without burning
• Vegetable oil – Prevents butter from burning during the long cooking process
• Kosher salt – Enhances natural onion flavors and helps draw out moisture
• Freshly ground black pepper – Adds subtle warmth and aromatic complexity
• Cayenne pepper – Contributes gentle heat that balances the sweetness

For the Creamy Base:

• Cream cheese – Creates rich, tangy foundation that binds all flavors together
• Sour cream – Provides signature tang and smooth, creamy texture
• Mayonnaise – Adds richness and helps achieve perfect spreading consistency

Ingredient Notes

Use a neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed, in this recipe.

Since so much of the flavor in this dip comes from the caramelized onions, you can swap out reduced-fat versions of the sour cream and mayonnaise without significantly compromising the taste. 

How to Make Ina Garten’s French Onion Dip

To caramelize the onions:

1. Peel and slice the onions into thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Set aside. 
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. For optimal results, avoid using a pan with a non-stick coating. 
3. Add the oil and butter to the pan. 
4. Swirl the pan gently, and once the butter melts, add the onions, cayenne, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. 
5. Cook the onions for 5 to 10 minutes until they become translucent. Stir occasionally. 
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir. Continue to cook the onions, stirring occasionally. 
7. After the onions turn dark brown, spread them out on a baking sheet to cool. 

To finish preparing the ultimate version of onion dip:

1. Place the cream cheese on the counter to soften.
2. Put the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise into the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a mixing bowl and a handheld mixer instead. 
3. Whip the mixture at medium speed with a paddle attachment until smooth.
4. Mix the cooled caramelized onions into the remaining dip using a rubber spatula.

5. Transfer the Ina Garten Onion Dip to an airtight container and chill for at least thirty minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. 
6. Transfer the dip to a serving container and let it come up to room temperature before serving. Use a smaller serving container since you shouldn’t save any leftover dip. If you run out of dip, do not refill the same serving container without washing it out first. 

What to Serve With Ina Garten’s Onion Dip 

Potato chips, preferably the thick-cut variety, are the classic dippers, but there are many other options. 

• Raw or blanched veggies. Carrot sticks, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, broccoli, and cauliflower are delicious and nutritious choices. Blanch the cauliflower and broccoli florets in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then cool them in an ice-water bath. Drain well before serving. 
• Something starchy. Pretzels, tortilla chips, bagel chips, and breadsticks are all good choices.  
• Use the dip as a sauce on a sandwich or as a topping for baked potatoes. It goes particularly well on a turkey sandwich. 

Storage & Reheating Instructions for Ina Garten’s Pan-Fried Onion Dip

• Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Best consumed within 12 hours for optimal flavor and food safety.
• Serving Safety: Once served, discard all leftovers. Never refill the serving container without washing it thoroughly first.
• Temperature Guidelines: Remove from refrigerator 15-20 minutes before serving to achieve ideal consistency and full flavor development.

Looking for delicious dips to serve? Try these!

• Avocado Dip
• Creamy Jalapeno Dip
• Dill Pickle Dip
• Hamburger Cheese Dip
• Lasagna Dip
• Mississippi Sin Dip
• Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Sausage Rotel Cream Cheese Dip
• Seven Layer Dip
• Veggie Dill Dip

More Game Day Recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Sliders
• Chicken Wonton Tacos
• Crescent Roll Taco Ring

Check out more of my easy dip recipes and the best recipes for game day on CopyKat!

What is your favorite dip for parties? What do you think about this recipe? Let me know in the comments below. And remember to share your dip recipes by tagging me on Instagram!

Ina Garten French Onion Dip – Caramelized Recipe

Make Ina Garten's famous French onion dip with caramelized onions, cream cheese, and sour cream. This elevated dip is perfect for entertaining.

4.50 from 6 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Ina Garten, Onion Dip

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 243kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups sliced yellow onions half-rounds, 1/8 inch thick
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• thick-cut potato chips to serve

Instructions

• Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.
• Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasoning and serve with potato chips.

Notes

• Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened or it won’t incorporate all the way.
• Store the onion dip in a air-tight container in the refrigerator.  But you will want the dip to be room temperature when you serve it.
• This dip goes with anything but it’s great with chips, vegetables or even spread on your favorite hamburger recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.2mg