There are many dips out there to choose from, including the likes of jarred salsa, creamy guacamole, and light and bright tzatziki. But if you’re craving something a little more indulgent, you might reach for a container of French onion dip. This dip was a staple in my childhood home; I remember watching my mom combine a container of full-fat sour cream and French onion soup mix to create the perfect pairing for salty, ridged potato chips. While there are plenty of recipes out there for truly homemade French onion dip — like made with homemade caramelized onions and spices — your grocery store may carry multiple French onion dip mixes in its refrigerated aisle or with the chips and salty snacks.
Since this dip is a staple during tailgate season, I wanted to set out to find which brand(s) truly did it justice, which is why I sampled as many pre-made French onion dips as I could find, before ranking them from worst to best. Because French onion dip is supposed to mimic a creamier version of French onion soup, I wanted to be able to taste the intermingling sweet and savory notes and experience a creamy, decadent mouthfeel.
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7. Great Value
Great Value French onion dip on countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
The last thing I wanted to say for this ranking was, “No, no, no, that’s all wrong,” but here I am. I can’t say I’m surprised to see the product earning the lowest spot in this ranking is a Great Value-branded one, as the brand is notorious for having, frankly, bad food items. This is yet another Great Value item that you should keep out of your cart, on account of both its texture and flavor.
Great Value’s French onion dip is soupy. Other dips on this list placed low because they were too gelatinous, but this one was runny, so much so that if you scooped it up with a potato chip, I doubt any of it would stick to the chip itself. You’d dribble it onto the plate, or worse, your lap. And if you do get some in your mouth, you probably wouldn’t be pleased with the consistency. I had to chew through this dip because there were so many pieces of onion and herbs. It was almost like a thick, savory smoothie that wasn’t quite blended all the way. While I could pick up on some savory notes in this dip, it had an oddly sour and fake-tasting aftertaste that made it unpleasant to eat. The best part of this dip was the savoriness that lingered after I rinsed the chewy, mealy bits out of my mouth. All in all, it’s a bad dip, and it’s not even worth its low price tag.
6. Lay’s
Lay’s French onion dip on countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Frito-Lay and Lay’s French onion dip may appear similar based on names alone, but their flavors could not be any more different. This one was in a larger glass jar and featured very clear chunks of onions — and I don’t use the word “chunks” lightly. This dip was like the Ben & Jerry’s approach to making French onion dip; it didn’t skimp on the chunks. Having onions isn’t a bad thing, as I went into this ranking really wanting there to be plenty of them in my dip. Another benefit of this dip was that the base had a strong onion flavor, which was more salty and savory than sweet.
However, the biggest downside for Lay’s product, and one of the reasons why it had to be placed at the end of my ranking was its consistency. When I rifled through the jar with a spoon, I couldn’t help but feel like I was stirring a store-bought queso blanco. It had that same cheesy jiggle to it, and its flavor lacked the authentic, bright, and creamy dairy undertones that I was looking for. It tasted like it came from a jar — meaning it’s not something you’d want to serve at a tailgate or event, especially if you’re trying to pass it off as being homemade. While its flavor was arguably better than that of the brands that ranked above it, I felt compelled to heat it up in the microwave to help alleviate this jiggle, which is not something anyone should have to do for a French onion dip.
5. Dean’s
Dean’s French onion dip – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
I don’t know much about French onion dip, but I do know that it shouldn’t have the texture of Jell-O. While Dean’s French onion dip had a decidedly stronger onion flavor than its competitors, I can’t say that its consistency did it any favors. When I peeled open the label, I was a little shocked to find a mixture that genuinely jiggled when I went to scoop it. This makes sense, as I noticed that one of the ingredients on the label was gelatin. Like many of the other brands, there were plenty of onion pieces scattered throughout this dip, along with what I assumed were herbs. The flavor was much saltier than some of the other brands. At first, I was turned off by its flavor; it was almost too salty and savory for my taste (and that says a lot considering I have a high tolerance for it). While I didn’t see any Worcestershire sauce listed on the label, there was still a very heavy and deep flavor to this dip that tasted Worcestershire-like. But after I sat back a little bit and let the flavors mingle on my taste buds, it started to grow on me.
However, if it was paired with a salty potato chip, I think that the flavor would be decidedly too salty. Despite being so jiggly, this dip didn’t have a creamy mouthfeel. Instead, it fell flat on my palate. If you used it as a sandwich spread (like a mayo replacement), it might be a little more palatable. But right from the start, it’s nothing to write home about.
4. Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay French onion dip – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
This Frito-Lay French onion dip was located in the chip aisle of the grocery store. It’s shelf-stable if unopened, but should be refrigerated once the seal is cracked. The feeling of ripping off the pull seal of this canister was the opposite of appetizing. I felt a bit weird about eating a dairy product from a can, especially one packaged like a can of roasted nuts.
Almost every other dip on this list boasted some discernible pieces of onion inside it — except for this Frito-Lay one. Instead of having a texture studded with toothsome onion pieces, it was smooth and creamy — like someone mixed together the cheapest sour cream brand on the market and French onion soup mix. Rather than having a rich, high-quality cream texture, this one was like a caramelized onion-flavored mayonnaise. If the mere thought of mayonnaise freaks you out, I doubt that you are going to be partial to its texture. However, its flavor is exactly what I think of when I think of French onion dip. It’s sweet, savory, salty, and everything I could have wanted and more in a dip. If I were picking up a bowl of French onion dip from a tailgate table, this is the one I would want to have.
But its texture is, frankly, gross. I’m glad to report that it’s better chilled, but since the thought of eating it at room temperature makes me squirm, I had to rank it below the top three.
3. Cabot
Cabot French onion dip on countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Cabot has a special place in my heart. This New England brand makes my go-to yogurt, so I figured that the quality of its French onion dip would be equally impressive. And impressive it was. When I cracked open the container, I immediately noticed that this was a very well-made dip in terms of texture. It was thick, like a decadent sour cream, with small flecks of what I assumed were onions. The aroma didn’t give me any clues as to what it was going to taste like.
There’s no Worcestershire sauce in this French onion dip. Instead, it gets its flavor from a French onion seasoning: salt, dehydrated onion, sugar, parsley, and “natural flavor.” As such, those oniony notes aren’t really prominent. The mouthfeel registers like a quality sour cream — almost like something I would want to put on my taco bowl or quesadillas — with small, toothsome bites of onion spread throughout. It’s hard to tell if the onion is really caramelized or cooked at all. I suspect that because there’s no sharp bite present, this seasoning isn’t made with raw onion, but I don’t think it’s made with caramelized onion, either.
Despite having a decent number of onion pieces, this dip doesn’t entirely register as being French onion-adjacent. However, if you absolutely love a full-fat sour cream in all its rich glory, you’ll probably be partial to the texture of Cabot’s product. I think that it borders on being too thick, especially for a weak potato chip.
2. Garelick Farms
Garelick Farms French onion dip on countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Garelick Farms is a brand that I have purchased numerous times, at least in terms of milk. I wasn’t aware that it also sold a French onion dip, which I found tucked away next to Cabot’s sour cream-based French onion dip. The two are very similar in terms of texture, but ultimately, Garelick Farms won out because of its slightly looser texture and stronger onion flavor.
One of the places where Cabot fell short was the background onion flavor. Garelick Farms, on the other hand, offered a slightly stronger savory flavor, in addition to plentiful (but not overwhelming) pieces of onion. The mouthfeel of this dip was very clean and pleasant, and if I ate it at a tailgate, I don’t think I would feel heavy afterward (or turn down some Buffalo chicken dip). The looser texture means it could be scooped up by even the flimsiest of chips. I was more convinced that it was a French onion dip than I was with Cabot, and its texture was far more pleasant than the goopy options that ranked below it.
However, Garelick Farms really only dipped its toes into the nuances of a French onion dip. One of the best things about this unique dip is that it’s multi-layered and bold. There should be sweetness, savoriness, and saltiness in every bite. This one really only hit the marks for savoriness and saltiness, and I was left craving a little more complexity. Luckily, my top pick brought a bolder flavor that really scratched this itch.
1. Heluva Good!
Heluva Good! French onion dip – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Even if I knew nothing about French onion dips, based on the number of Heluva Good! dips available at my local Walmart, I could tell that this brand had something figured out. By this point in the ranking, I was tired and just wanted to land on a quality, well-textured dip that had both a great texture and a punchy onion flavor. And, I finally found it in Heluva Good!
I won’t sit here and say that its texture is better than Cabot’s. It’s thinner and milkier than Cabot’s glorified onion-flavored sour cream. However, it managed to one-up Cabot in terms of onioniness. Each bite was filled with an ample number of onion pieces, which weren’t chopped too coarsely, nor were they so fine that they were indistinguishable. These Goldilocks onions blended well with the creamy base, which boasted just the right amount of onion flavor without being too overwhelming. There were some deeply savory notes, but also enough saltiness and sweetness to make it quite pleasing to eat.
While I did miss both the creamy Cabot and Garelick Farms dips after trying this one, it fits more in line with what I expect from a high-quality onion dip. You wouldn’t eat it and mistake it for plain sour cream. The texture is much lighter and easier to scoop (and eat) with chips. However, it would also be just as delicious with crudités, crackers, or even a high-quality sourdough slice.
Methodology
French onion dip with spoon and hand – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
I tasted each of these dips on the same day that I opened them to ensure peak freshness. Instead of pairing them with chips or cut vegetables, which have the potential to alter the flavor or change my perception of the dip, I tried each one with a spoon. However, I did consider how their textures would perform if scooped up on a chip or eaten with crudités.
As I snacked, I considered both the texture and the flavor of each dip. Since “onion” was in the name, I wanted that flavor to be the star of the dip. It should be evident not only in the flavor of the base but also in the small pieces of chopped onion spread throughout the dip. The flavor of French onion soup mix is decidedly complex, meaning that sweetness, savoriness, and saltiness should all be present.
Texture was also a big part of this ranking. French onion dip shouldn’t be light, which is why I ranked dips that were satisfying to eat and creamy higher than those that were soupy, too gelatinous, or mayo-like. The top three dips in this ranking are the ones that I would recommend dip lovers, as a whole, purchase — though only my top pick had a flavor that would make French onion dip lovers swoon.
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