Caramelized Onion Dip
The creamiest, dreamiest caramelized onion dip! With sweet, jammy caramelized onions, cream cheese and sour cream. Guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds sweet onions, halved and sliced
- ¼ teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Equipment
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over low to medium low heat. Add onions and brown sugar, and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, about 45-55 minutes.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet; remove from heat.
- Stir in vinegar and Worcestershire.
- Let cool completely, setting aside 2 tablespoons caramelized onions for garnishing, if desired.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise.
- Stir in caramelized onions; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve, garnished with reserved caramelized onions and chives, if desired, or cover and chill for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Cut in uniform size. Slice the onions into thin, even pieces for even cooking and a consistent bite.
- Use a light-colored pan. This is best to visualize the onions changing colors from light to deep golden brown. When using a black bottom pan, sometimes you are left guessing the color change, and possibly burning the onions.
- Avoid burning. If the onions brown too quickly or start to burn, lower the heat immediately and add a splash of water to deglaze the pan. And always stir every few minutes to prevent burning, ensure even cooking, and to lift up the fond (caramelized brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan).
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Use “brick” cream cheese. Brick cream cheese is ideal here, not whipped. It will add all the lovely rich and creamy textures here.
- Make it lighter. For a lighter dip, replace some or all of the sour cream with plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt, adding a little bit of tanginess with more protein (and fewer calories).
- Make ahead of time. It is actually recommended to make this dip ahead of time (about 24-48 hours), really letting the flavors meld and deepen as it sits in the fridge.