Gwynedd Stuart
Jordan Myrick
Controversial opinion: Dip is the best food. Allow us to make our case: First of all, you eat it with chips (aka the second best food) and it’s basically a way to eat straight sour cream (aka the third best food) without people looking askance at you.
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French onion dip is the king of creamy dips. This rich, onion-y accoutrement has made an untold number of terrible Super Bowl parties totally tolerable. But not just any onion dip will do. The best French onion dip should taste like caramelized onions, not just onions in general. That’s what sets this delicious dip apart. (If you’re into a fresher onion flavor, don’t worry, we included some picks for you, too.)
In general, here’s what we were looking for in the best French onion dip:
- Creamy consistency. Make it smooth. Make it cool. Make it so thick that a glob clings to a chip with ease. Some of these dips achieve that thick richness with gelatin, which gives the dips a little bit of bounce. Fine by us, but vegetarians should keep an eye on ingredients labels if they don’t do animal byproducts.
- Rich onion flavor. Some of these onion dips taste like straight up French onion soup, beef stock and all. Good French onion dip doesn’t have to be beefy, but we love that cooked-down onion flavor.
- Balance. Most onion dip is pretty generously salted, but the sweetness of the onions should provide some balance so it isn’t just a sodium bomb.
We recently had a big ol’ dip bonanza here at the office and found even more French onion dips to add to our list. Onion posse, rise up!
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- Daisy Sour Cream French Onion Dip
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We were on the fence about including this one because despite being called “French onion” dip, it just doesn’t have that cooked-onion flavor. But we’re going with it because it has a lot of onion flavor. The illustration on the label shows shallots, garlic, and red and yellow onions, and this dip does, in fact, taste like a bunch of different alliums at once. It’s not the best, but it’s really good and it has a lot of flavor for being very low ingredient—just cultured cream, dried onion, salt, sugar, garlic, spices, and parsley! —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Lay’s French Onion Dip
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If you’re looking for the best classic French onion dip, Lay’s from the jar is what you should be buying. It is the sort of traditional French onion dip you can imagine being part of a party spread in the 1950s, and still holds up today. It’s savory, oniony, salty, and super affordable. Make sure to note that this is the jarred version. It’s not as good as the metal can of Frito-Lay French Onion Dip, but it’s still really good. Plus, it has the delicious flavor of nostalgia, making it one of the best store bought French onion dip brands we tried. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Hope Foods Cashew & Almond French Onion Dip
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Hope Foods Cashew & Almond French Onion Dip is one of the best French onion dip brands we tried because it’s so interesting and unique. Unlike many other vegan versions of French onion dip, this doesn’t try to fake dairy. It’s not super creamy or rich. Instead, it does its own thing, and we love that. It has the rich caramelized onion flavor that you expect, and then a hint of nuttiness from the cashew and almond. It has lots of textural interest. It’s chunky in a way that’s similar to pesto and it’s very pleasing. This is one of the most interesting and best French onion dip varieties for vegans and non-vegans alike. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Dean’s French Onion Dip
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To me, Dean’s is more like fresh onion dip than French onion dip; however, it is delicious nonetheless. You don’t get that caramelized taste that’s common to French onion dip, so leave your expectations at the door. Instead, this is more like the packet of ranch dip you make at home with sour cream and milk. It’s very, very tasty and creamy and fresh. It almost gives the impression it’s made with fresh scallions rather than the white or yellow onions in French onion dip is traditionally made with. You should buy this, but prepare yourself for something different than you’re used to. That being said, it would be so delicious with veggies or a dip for pizza! —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Heluva Good French Onion Dip
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Heluva Good makes one of our favorite dips of all time (Bacon Horseradish—swoon) and we’re really into their French onion dip, too. I love how it fills your mouth with flavor. It’s truly a “French” onion dip and while it has a more cool richness than other dips, it’s also more gelatinous, which makes it pretty well suited to potato chips. It does literally contain gelatin, which is a little weird, but the more important ingredient listed on the package? MSG, baby. It’s a shortcut to flavor and it’s working for Heluva Good. —Gwynedd Stuart
- Frito Lay French Onion Dip
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Before you lay into me for choosing this dip from a metal can over most of the fancy refrigerated dips out there, just listen. This simply tastes better! It tastes more French onion-y than anything else we tried. It’s so savory and packed with umami. This would be a great dip or sandwich spread or sauce for rotisserie chicken. It’s super cheap. You can literally buy this at a gas station. What is not to love about a delicious, affordable, accessible dip? Frito Lay French Onion Dip, you will always have a place in my heart as one of the best French onion dip brands of all time. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Cindy’s Kitchen Roasted Onion Dip
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To me, this tastes exactly like the onion dip you make with a Lipton packet, minus all the annoying mixing. It’s very savory and has a lot of onion bits in the mix. And they’re caramelized. This is a true caramelized onion dip. It’s roasty and sweet, but still very, very salty. We tasted another onion dip that was downright sweet—this one balances sweet and savory really well. It’s a great find! —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Good & Gather Classic Onion Dip
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Target’s Good & Gather Classic Onion Dip blew us away. It was easily one of the best French onion dip options we tried. Honestly, it is one of the best dips we’ve had in general. This tastes homemade in the best way possible. It’s super thick and creamy, and tastes more like cream cheese than sour cream, which is heavenly. Onion flavor and onion pieces are prominent throughout. You could put this out at a party and people would think you made it and that you’re an amazing cook. Take advantage of that! Lie to your friends and family! —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- La Terra Fina Caramelized Onion with Roasted Garlic Dip & Spread
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This is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. It’s incredible. La Terra Fina’s version of this iconic dip is the best French onion dip we tried when we returned to the tasting table for a second taste test. Heavenly is the best word to describe it. The base is lusciously creamy. The onion flavor is strong. You get actual pieces of onion in this dip. The roasted garlic adds to the subtle sweetness without being distracting. This is a dip I would pay money for at a restaurant. Luckily, I don’t have to! I can eat it for less money from the comfort of my couch. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Low Ingredient
Best Classic
Best Vegan
Best Fresh
Best Thick
Best Budget
Best Small Batch
Best of the Best Runner-Up
Best of the Best
Other French onion dips we tasted:
Hidden Valley Ranch, Helluva Good, Kite Hill, Violife, Trader Joe’s, Trader Joe’s (Vegan), Bitchin’ Sauce Caramelized Onion
Justine Sterling
Danny Palumbo
Ariana Losch
