Thick And Creamy Sweet Vidalia Onion Dip

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We’ve made a thick and creamy vidalia sweet onion dip that pairs perfectly with kettle chips for the ultimate game day, summer cookout, or even date night dip. It takes just 25 minutes of hands-on time and is served cold – so we can make it ahead of time no matter the occasion.

I’ve never been a fan of store-bought onion dip. But when we visited a local brewery last fall and I spotted “house onion dip and chips” on their snack menu, I couldn’t resist the urge to try it – mostly because I was already in chips and dip mode (thanks football season!) and this place had a James Beard award-winning kitchen.

Needless to say, I’m now a huge fan of onion dip, just not the store-bought kind! Their dip was thick and creamy, drizzled with chili oil, and topped with crispy shallots. It was the most amazing dip I’d ever tasted, and I knew I had to recreate some version of it at home. 

After months of trial and error, we landed on the perfect recipe for a thick and creamy sweet Vidalia onion dip that’s up to my high standards. It’s the most delicious summer snack served with kettle chips. I’m looking forward to making it for every cookout and beach day I can!

Key Ingredients

• Vidalia onion – Sometimes labeled “sweet onion” at the grocery store, Vidalia onions give this onion dip its signature flavor. They are much less pungent than other types of onions, which perfectly complements the cheesy, creamy base of this dip. While we haven’t yet tried using other sweet onions (like Maui or Walla Walla onions), they should still work well for this recipe.
• Scallions – Fresh, thinly sliced scallion greens add an extra punch of onion to this dip, and a pop of color that looks beautiful for serving. Don’t skip out on these! And don’t use the white part of the scallions. We tried this during one of our iterations and found that the bottom of the scallions were too pungent of an onion flavor with a little bitterness. They completely dominated the sweet onion flavor that this dish needs. Instead, save the white parts to add to a veggie omelet!
• Cream cheese – A cream cheese base is how we achieve a thick and creamy texture. To make it easier to mix the dip, leave the cream cheese out at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes ahead of time so it softens.
• Plain Greek yogurt – A little yogurt goes a long way in balancing out the texture and flavor of this dip! We recommend using a thick, creamy Greek yogurt like Fage 2% or 0%.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Creamy Vidalia Onion Dip With Cream Cheese

Step 1: Slice the Vidalia onion into roughly half- to one-inch thick sections. Fully separate the slices and spread them out in a single layer on a large sheet pan.

Step 2: Roast the onion at 425F for 20 minutes, stirring them around halfway through to ensure even browning.

Step 3: To a food processor, add the cream cheese, shredded Monterey jack cheese, Greek yogurt, minced garlic, salt, and roasted onions.

Step 4: Pulse the food processor repeatedly until the mixture is smooth and well-combined. You’ll likely need to scrape the sides of the bowl as you go to help things move around, as it’s a thick dip. This step takes some patience, as you want to process it enough that the fibers in the onion break down and you don’t end up with a lumpy or stringy dip.

Step 5: Transfer the dip to a mixing bowl and stir in the fresh scallion greens, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Step 6: Serve the onion dip cold with kettle chips, optionally garnished with additional scallion greens. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

• The ultimate cookout snack – A good dip with chips and one of our favorite summer craft cocktails, or mocktails (like our refreshing mojito mocktail), is a sure-fire way to make sure all your cookout guests are happy!
• A winning game day dip – We love our game day dips, and this is our newest addition. I’m already looking forward to enjoying this recipe on game days with some pizza dough soft pretzel bites and crispy popcorn chicken. 
• The perfect start to a dinner date – We love to make this recipe to start off date nights at home and follow it up with one of our favorite homemade pizzas like our white burrata pizza or our caprese pizza.