This Homemade Roasted Onion Dip is a simple make-ahead appetizer that tastes just like sour cream and onion chips! Serve chilled for a creamy and delicious crowd-pleasing dip that’s perfect for gameday, or any gathering!
What are the ingredients in this Homemade Roasted Onion Dip?
If it’s gonna taste like sour cream and onion chips, you can bet sour cream and onions are two of the main components! Here’s a list of everything you need to make this recipe, plus a little info on each:
- yellow onions – Look for two large yellow (sometimes also called brown) onions for this recipe. You could also use three small onions if needed.
- olive oil – You could also swap this for avocado oil.
- fine sea salt – A bit of salt helps flavor the onions as they roast. I also like to add a touch of salt to the dip at the end to bring all the flavors together.
- granulated sugar – Even the smallest amount of sugar will help the onions caramelize as they roast, and helps offset the salty onion flavors. Don’t skip!
- garlic powder – As a garlic lover, I just had to add a little bit of garlic powder. You can skip this, or take it up a notch with some roasted garlic blended into the dip instead!
- mayonnaise – Mayonnaise is made out of eggs and oil, and both of these help to make the dip extra creamy when combined with the sour cream.
- sour cream – Both for flavor and the creamy consistency you want in a dip, sour cream is used.
- chives – Chives will provide another light onion flavor dimension to the dip, as well as add a touch of garnish on top.
- fresh lemon juice – This dip is delicious without any lemon juice, but if you like a tangy dip or just had lemon already on hand, add a touch of fresh LJ for tang and flavor.
Equipment you’ll need to make this homemade dip:
There are a couple specific kitchen items I recommend using when you make this recipe:
- For a cutting board, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!) for everything, except cutting raw meat.
- For my chef’s knife, I recommend a Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!) – super high quality while being affordable. I used this knife for everything including cutting the onions.
- For my mini blender, I used The Beast Mini Blender (affiliate link!), which you can see pictured in this post. I would also recommend a Nutribullet High Speed Blender (affiliate link!).
How to make Homemade Roasted Onion Dip:
This homemade dip recipe is best for making ahead of time and then bringing out of the fridge immediately before serving. The two main parts of making this recipe are roasting the onions and then blending up the dip.
Start by preheating the oven to 390F and preparing a rimmed half sheet pan (affiliate link!) with parchment paper liner. Use a knife and cutting board to remove the skin and stems from the onions and cut them into wedges.
Place the onions on the baking sheet, then use your hands to toss them with the olive oil, salt and sugar. Break up the wedges into individual pieces as you go, tossing until all pieces are coated.
Roast the onions for 25-30 minutes total, stirring every 10 minutes, until the edges are charred and the onions are soft. See my photo above of the cooked onions for an example of how much charring to look for.
Once the onions are cool to the touch, pulse about 2/3 of them in a mini food processor or blender, along with the garlic powder and mayonnaise. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender once or twice.
After the onions are pulsed and no large pieces remain, add the sour cream and blend again until you have an almost smooth dip. You may need to smooth down the sides once more.
If you do not have a food processor, you can finely mince the onions on a cutting board until they nearly form a paste of small uniform pieces, then proceed with mixing the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. The finer you mince, the more roasted onion flavor there will be in the dip.
Finally, roughly chop the remaining roasted onions on a cutting board. This will provide a bit of texture to the dip. Stir them in, along with the chives, a little more salt and optional lemon juice.
Give it a taste and see how it is. If you think the flavors could stand out more, or if you think it’s too sweet (this depends on your onions), add a little more salt. Chill the dip for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight before serving.
After chilling, give it a good stir and top with more chopped chives to serve. My favorite way to eat this dip is with plain ruffled potato chips. It seriously tastes like the most legit sour cream and onion chips I’ve ever had!
Best tips for making Homemade Roasted Onion Dip:
Here are my best tips to help you make this recipe successfully in your own kitchen:
- Remember that all ovens are not the same. If you’ve never roasted onions in your oven before, keep an eye on them. You want them to char on the edges, but not be completely burnt. See my photo of cooked onions!
- Taste before serving! Sometimes, a dash of salt can make all the difference.
- Depending on your food processor or blender, you may need to pause and push the sides down to fully blend all the onions.
What to serve with Homemade Roasted Onion Dip:
Here are some things I recommend dipping in this Homemade Roasted Onion Dip:
- plain ruffled potato chips (favorite!)
- sea salt crackers
- carrot and celery sticks
- cooked chicken breast strips (French onion chicken vibes!)
Ways to meal prep this recipe:
This Homemade Roasted Onion Dip tastes delicious after it’s been chilled for at least 4 hours, but overnight chilling will give you the best results. This means it’s easiest to make the dip well ahead of the time you plan to serve it.
You can make this dip up to 4 days ahead. Be sure to give it a good stir and top with fresh chives before serving.
Store leftover onion dip in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4 days of making.
If you want to freeze this dip, I recommend using 1-Cup Souper Cubes Trays (affiliate link!). Keep in mind that dairy products usually change texture after thawing, so the dip may not be as creamy.
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Homemade Roasted Onion Dip
This Homemade Roasted Onion Dip is a simple make-ahead appetizer that tastes just like sour cream and onion chips! Serve chilled for a creamy and delicious crowd-pleasing dip that’s perfect for gameday, or any gathering!
- Total Time45 minutes plus 4 hours chill time
- Yield~6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 medium brown/yellow onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, plus more for topping
- fresh lemon juice, to taste (optional for extra tang)
Instructions
- Roast the onions: Preheat the oven to 390F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the onions (2) into wedges and transfer to the baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil (1 tablespoon), salt (1/8 teaspoon) and sugar (1/8 teaspoon), breaking the wedges up into individual petals as you stir. Roast the onions for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the edges are charred and the onions are soft. Set aside to cool.
- Blend the dip: Once the onions are cool to the touch, pulse 2/3 of them in a mini food processor or blender with the garlic powder (1/8 teaspoon) and mayonnaise (1 tablespoon) until finely chopped. Add the sour cream (2/3 cup) and blend until you have an almost smooth dip.
- Alternatively, if you do not have a food processor, you can finely mince the onions on a cutting board until they nearly form a paste of small uniform pieces, then proceed with mixing the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. The finer you mince, the more roasted onion flavor there will be in the dip.
- Finish & chill: Roughly chop the remaining roasted onions on a cutting board. Stir them into the dip along with the chives (1 1/2 tablespoons, finely chopped), a little more salt (~1/8 teaspoon) and optional lemon juice (~1/2 tablespoon) to taste. Chill the dip for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight before serving.
- Serve & store: Serve chilled with a sprinkle of chives over the top for garnish. Pair with sea salt crackers or plain ruffled potato chips. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Prep: This dip can be made up to 4 days in advance. To double, use 2 sheet pans for roasting the onions.
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~1/4 cup
- Calories: 107
- Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Protein: 1g
Did You Make This?
I love seeing what you made! Leave a review below, and be sure to tag me at @ProjectMealPlan when you share a photo!
Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.
