Sour Cream and Onion Dip

Sour cream and onion dip is a favorite cool and creamy dip to serve alongside thick-cut potato chips and veggies as a fun and flavorful snack. My sour cream and onion dip recipe is made completely from scratch with a combo of caramelized onions, dried minced onions, fresh chives, plus lots of savory seasoning for loads of flavor in each delicious bite!

Chips and Dip, A Favorite Guilty Pleasure

While I consider myself a gal who typically eats a pretty healthy, whole foods based diet filled with lots of greens, veggies, fruits and lean proteins, I must admit that I definitely have my little “guilty pleasures” that I love to enjoy from time to time...

While I love a yummy chocolate bar, or a bowl of ice cream, or a slice of cake when it comes to sweet treats, when it comes to a savory goody I'm all about classic sour cream and onion dip along with some thick, ridge-cut chips to plunge into it.

My, oh, my, do I love this combo, especially on a Saturday evening “movie night”!

In the past when that little hankering would come along, I'd simply buy a package of the pre-made French onion soup/dip mix, get a container of sour cream, then whisk the two together and commence my snacking...

But since I'm all about finding creative and delicious ways to take some of my favorite “naughty” indulgences and make them slightly healthier using good quality, whole food based ingredients, I thought I'd have some fun fiddling around with sour cream and onion dip to create this delicious homemade version!

Filled with a trio of onions for intensely oniony flavor plus a generous sprinkle of seasoning, my sour cream and onion dip recipe is now my favorite onion dip to enjoy with crispy potato chips, or even fresh-cut veggies.

So now when I get my craving for this favorite snack of mine, I won't see it quite so much as a guilty pleasure anymore, but rather just a simple pleasure.

Brimming with fresh ingredients that pack a flavor punch beyond what the pre-made stuff ever could, this tasty homemade sour cream and onion dip is my potato chip's new best friend!

How To Make Sour Cream and Onion Dip From Scratch

When I set out to recreate a beloved recipe using fresh, good quality ingredients, I ideally like to build upon what I already enjoy about it and attempt to make it even better…

Homemade sour cream and onion dip is a fun pick to play around with, because recreating that deeply savory and oniony flavor, using healthy seasonings and flavorings, is a wonderfully tasty challenge which requires some creativity, and I absolutely adore that.

I figured in order to make my sour cream and onion dip recipe out-of-this-world-delicious, I would use a combination of onions for differing textures and flavor profiles.

So for my homemade dip, I use finely minced caramelized onions (finished with a clove of garlic and a drizzle of soy sauce at the end), along with a generous shake of dried minced onions (lots of earthy flavor with these), plus green chives for that bright pop of color and fresh flavor.

When it comes to the dry seasonings, I like to add some granulated onion, some black pepper, white pepper, and sea salt, and then fold everything together until well blended and creamy.

Here's a glance at my sour cream and onion dip recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I caramelize my minced onion in a little olive oil with salt and pepper until deeply browned and almost jammy. Then, I add in a pressed clove of garlic at the end, along with a sprinkle of dried minced onion and dash of soy sauce to enrich the savory flavor. The caramelized onion mixture is then cooled.
2. The sour cream is added to a bowl, and then the cooled caramelized onion mixture is added in, along with the chives and my dry seasonings, and everything is then whisked/folded together until well-blended and creamy.
3. I enjoy the dip right away with some chips and veggies, or ideally allow the dip to chill, covered, in the fridge for at least an hour or two to intensify the flavor, then enjoy.

Recipe

Sour Cream and Onion Dip

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This sour cream and onion dip is extra savory and flavorful prepared with a trio of onions plus a generous sprinkle of seasonings!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition Info: 142 calories (per ¼ cup dip)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 27 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, finely minced
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 16 ounce container organic, full-fat sour cream
• ¾ ounce package chives, finely minced (about a scant ½ cup)
• ¾ teaspoon granulated onion
• Pinch white pepper

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredients list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add about 1 ½ tablespoons of olive in; once hot, add in the minced onion along with a pinch or two of salt and pepper, and saute the onions for 10-12 minutes until deeply browned and caramelized.
3. Stir the garlic into the caramelized onions, and once aromatic, remove the mixture from the heat. Spoon the caramelized onions into a bowl, add in the soy sauce and the dried minced onions, and fold together to combine. Allow the onion mixture to completely cool.
4. Once the onion mixture is completely cool, spoon your sour cream into a large bowl. Add in the cooled caramelized onion mixture, the minced chives, more sea salt (I added about ¾ teaspoon more, but add according to your taste), a pinch more black pepper (about ⅛ teaspoon), the granulated onion, and the pinch of white pepper.
5. Gently Fold the mixture together until completely blended and combined, then spoon into a clean serving bowl or container. Allow the sour cream and onion dip to chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours to deepen the flavors (or even overnight if serving the next day), or enjoy immediately with chips and/or cut veggies.

Tips & Tidbits for my Sour Cream and Onion Dip:

• Organic sour cream for quality and flavor: If possible, opt for organic, full-fat sour cream for this dip, as you can taste the difference in the flavor and quality of the dairy. Full-fat sour cream makes for a richer, creamier dip, but if you wish to make this a lower fat sour cream and onion dip, then feel free to use a reduced fat sour cream.
• White or yellow onion for caramelizing: When it comes to mincing and caramelizing the onion, you can use either traditional white or yellow onion for this. Because I typically have white onions on hand, I use those. But either yellow or white onions will work perfectly here.
• Chives, or even green onions, for freshness: I like using delicate chives for the fresh aspect of this dip, but if you have green onions on hand, you can easily substitute those. Just slice/mince them up finely, and use the same amount as you would with the chives.
• Allow the sour cream and onion dip to “chill”: While you can certainly immediately dive right into your dip as soon as you make it, I like to allow the flavors to mingle and intensify a little bit by allowing the dip to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before enjoying. If you'd like to prepare this dip as something to serve for a gathering the next day, you can even make it the day before.
• Delicious dip-able options: Thick, ridge-cut potato chips are fantastic with this sour cream and onion dip, but if you'd like to go a healthier route, opt for cut radishes, cucumbers, carrots, celery, and cauliflower and broccoli florets.

Craving more delicious dip recipes? Check out this Hummus, this Labneh, this Warm Eggplant Dip with Spiced Yogurt, or this Artichoke Dip!