Pan Fried Onion Dip

Written by on in Appetizer, Snack

This is hands-down one of my most requested appetizers/dips from friends and family. I cannot take any credit – this one hails from Queen Ina herself. Absolutely all of her recipes are perfect, whether you are making them for the first time or the hundredth time. I have said for years that if you follow her recipes, you cannot fail – they always turn out.

That being said, I feel like it takes my onions to carmelize A LOT longer than it indicates in the recipe. Not convinced I am doing anything wrong, but I keep meaning to scale back on the oil/butter and see if I can get the onion to caramelize faster. The recipe written as-is also has a lot of extra oil once the onions are cooked, which I don’t think is necessary, so I tend to drain my onions a bit before transferring them to the bowl with the creamy ingredients. The time it takes to make this dip is worth it though – it’s outstanding! I usually double it since most of the time it’s for a crowd. The store bought versions pale in comparison, unless you can find the Trader Joe’s take, which is pretty darn close in a pinch!

Serve this dip room temperature with your favorite potato chips. Ruffles ridged chips for me, please! Can make ahead and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Ingredients

  • 2 large yellow onions, sliced

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

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Directions

  • Cut the onions in half, then slice them into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. This should yield approximately 3 cups of onions.
  • Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan on 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. This step typically takes me closer to 40 – 50 minutes total – just sayin’.
    Allow the onions to cool. Remove some of the extra oil from the onion mixture if you prefer.
  • Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings.
    Serve at room temperature.