Caramelized Onion Dip

A party without dip is hardly a party at all, and onion dip tends to reign supreme at celebrations year-round. It’s creamy, savory, and perfectly scoop-able, so it’s no wonder it’s always the first to disappear. With this recipe, we take the classic onion dip one step further by incorporating deeply caramelized onions into the mix. Much of the flavor in our caramelized onion dip comes from—you guessed it—the caramelized onions, so make sure not to take any shortcuts here. It takes a little longer than you might think for onions to truly caramelize (we’re talking at least one hour), but we promise it’s worth it.

Different varieties of onions lend different flavor profiles when caramelized. All onions release some of their natural sugars when cooked and become much sweeter when caramelized. Sweet onions—like Vidalias or Maui—really do have a sweeter flavor and lack the sharpness that you find in yellow or red onions, so their sweetness becomes quite concentrated when cooked down. Yellow and red onions both have more of a bite when caramelized, yellow being the more mild of the two. Whatever variety you choose, it will be nice and flavorful.

Ruffles are our potato chip of choice since they're sturdy enough to hold up to the dip, but any of your favorite lightly seasoned chips will work great here. Throw some crudités like celery, carrots, and radishes into the mix for something light and fresh. And if you’re hosting a larger crowd, double this recipe. If you have any leftovers, they will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 days—you can thank us later.

Made this party dip? Let us know how it went in the comments below!