Stir a packet of dry onion soup mix into sour cream and you have a thick, tangy French onion dip in a few minutes. Serve it with ridged chips, carrot sticks or celery. The dried onion pieces soften if you give the dip a little time in the fridge.
For the classic two-ingredient dip, stir one envelope of Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix into one 16-ounce container of sour cream. Mix it straight from the packet, with no cooking or added water. Serve right away or chill if you like, as in Lipton’s Classic Onion Dip recipe.
Editorial transparency: This is a research-based preparation and serving guide. Vegetable Dips has not independently tested the batch, so optional chilling times, portion estimates and substitutions below are practical planning suggestions rather than measured kitchen results.
French Onion Dip with Onion Soup Mix: Ingredients
- 1 envelope dry onion soup mix: Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix is the manufacturer-tested reference for the classic version. If you use a different brand, the strength, size, sodium level and ingredients may differ, so follow that package.
- 16 ounces (454 g) sour cream: Use plain, chilled sour cream. Full-fat generally provides a richer base; reduced-fat versions may have a different consistency.
The classic dip needs just the mix and sour cream. If you’d like a garnish, add a few chopped chives, parsley or a little lemon zest. Taste the dip before adding salt because the mix may already have enough.
How to Make Onion Soup Mix Dip
- Empty the mix. Add one envelope of dry onion soup mix to a medium bowl. Do not dissolve the mix in water or cook it.
- Add sour cream. Spoon in one 16-ounce container of sour cream.
- Stir. Mix until the dehydrated onion and seasoning are evenly distributed and no pockets of dry powder remain.
- Chill if desired. Lipton says chilling is optional. For a more hydrated onion texture, you can cover and refrigerate for roughly 30 minutes or longer as an editorial preference.
- Serve cold. Stir again and set out with chilled raw vegetables, crackers or ridged potato chips. Refill small serving bowls from the refrigerator rather than leaving one large bowl out all evening.
Printable Two-Ingredient Onion Dip Recipe
French Onion Dip with Onion Soup Mix
Ingredients
Method
- Empty one envelope of dry onion soup mix into a mixing bowl. Add the 16-ounce container of plain sour cream.
- Mix with a spoon until the dry seasoning and onion pieces are evenly distributed. Do not add water or prepare soup.
- The manufacturer’s recipe allows immediate serving. For a smoother texture and more hydrated onion pieces, cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes or longer as an optional editorial serving suggestion.
- Stir once more and serve in a small bowl with carrot sticks, celery, cucumber, bell pepper strips, and/or ridged potato chips.
Notes
Does the onion soup mix need to be cooked?
No. Stir the dry mix straight into the sour cream. The dried onion softens as it sits, and adding water would make the dip thinner.
Make-ahead tips and texture
Lipton’s recipe is ready as soon as you’ve mixed it. If you prefer softer onion pieces, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for about 30–60 minutes before serving. That’s an optional rest.
- Too thick? Stir thoroughly before making changes; if substituting Greek yogurt for part of the sour cream, the consistency can change, so adjust with care.
- Too thin? Avoid watery add-ins such as undrained chopped vegetables. A thinner reduced-fat sour cream can make the mixture looser. See our How to Fix a Watery Dip guide.
- Too salty? Do not add more seasoning mix. The packet already contains salt; use additional plain sour cream only if you want to adjust the flavor, knowing that it also changes the ingredient ratio and portion size.
- Extra onion flavor? Add finely sliced chives or a small amount of green onion as an optional garnish, not another soup mix packet.
Best vegetables and chips for this dip
Try sweet carrot sticks, cucumber spears or bell pepper strips with the tangy sour cream. Celery and broccoli give you a sturdier scoop. Ridged chips, sturdy crackers and pieces of toast work well, too.
Pat the vegetables dry after rinsing so they don’t water down the dip. If you’re building a larger platter, see Best Dips for a Vegetable Tray and Best Vegetables for Dipping.
Soup-mix French onion dip vs. homemade caramelized onion dip
Use the packet when you want to mix a dip in a few minutes. If you have time to cook fresh onions until they’re soft and sweet, try our Homemade French Onion Dip with caramelized onions.
If you have sour cream and fresh herbs, try our Sour Cream Veggie Dip. For a platter with several bowls, see 12 Easy Party Vegetable Dips.
Can I add mayonnaise or Greek yogurt?
Yes. For a richer version, Best Foods’ Creamy Onion Dip adds ½ cup real mayonnaise to the same amounts of Lipton onion soup mix and sour cream. That makes it a three-ingredient dip.
Best Foods also suggests plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for an alternative. If you try that, choose plain unsweetened yogurt, and expect a tangier flavor and possibly a different thickness. This substitution is not independently tested for this article. For a full recipe using Greek yogurt as its only creamy base and real caramelized onions rather than a soup mix, see Greek Yogurt French Onion Dip.
Allergens and food safety
Packaged dry onion soup mixes are not interchangeable for allergy or gluten-free needs. Ingredient and allergen statements can change across brands, countries and package sizes. Read the current packaging for wheat, soy and other ingredients of concern; plain sour cream contains milk. Do not describe the dip as gluten-free or suitable for someone with an allergy unless you have checked every ingredient used.
This sour-cream dip is perishable. Keep it at 40°F (4°C) or below when stored, and refrigerate promptly. According to CDC food-safety guidance, perishable foods should not be left at room temperature beyond two hours, or beyond one hour at temperatures above 90°F (32°C). Use clean utensils and small portions for parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is French onion dip the same as Lipton onion dip?
Yes. The Lipton version is a French onion dip made with a packet of onion soup mix and sour cream. Other versions use a different mix or fresh cooked onions.
Do you use the whole envelope of onion soup mix?
For Lipton’s classic dip, use one whole envelope for a 16-ounce container of sour cream. If you use a different brand or packet size, check its dip directions.
Can I make French onion dip with only two ingredients?
Yes. Dry onion soup mix and plain sour cream are the two ingredients in the manufacturer’s classic cold onion dip. Herbs and other seasonings are optional garnishes.
How long do I have to chill it?
You can serve it as soon as it is thoroughly mixed. Lipton’s classic directions say to chill if desired; an optional 30–60 minutes in the refrigerator can allow the dehydrated onion pieces to soften.
Can I serve this dip with raw vegetables instead of chips?
Yes. Try carrots, celery, cucumber, bell peppers or broccoli. They’re sturdy enough to scoop the dip, and you can serve them alongside chips or crackers.
How much French onion dip should I make for a party?
One 16-ounce container of sour cream and one dry seasoning envelope make about two cups of dip. That’s roughly 16 two-tablespoon portions, depending on how much people scoop. For a bigger gathering, use our dip quantity guide.
Recipe sources
Core ratios and no-cook preparation: Lipton Classic Onion Dip. Optional mayonnaise variation: Best Foods Creamy Onion Dip. Safe handling: CDC Preventing Food Poisoning. This page is an original editorial guide to those established recipes, not a claim of independent testing.
