This hot Bacon Caramelized Onion Dip is gooey, cheesy, and the BEST bite! From salty bacon to caramelized onions, fresh thyme, and Swiss cheese, it tastes great on a toasted baguette slice.
You’ll love how easy it is to make for Monday night football, holiday get togethers, or just because you need a really good appetizer to take to your friends house.
If you have any leftover bacon, try my Bacon Wrapped Dates or this creamy Bacon Apple Coleslaw.
Onion Dip is a classic appetizer! But, I just cannot get onboard with the French onion soup mix + sour cream combo that everyone knows and “loves.” To me it’s a little blah… and dehydrated onions, seriously?!
Instead, let’s add fresh caramelized onions, bacon, Swiss cheese, and some thyme from the garden. Pop it in the oven, make it warm and gooey for an amped up version that’s full of flavor. I know you’re going to love it!
For more hot and cheesy dips, try my reader favorites: Jalapeno Sausage Dip, Pizza Dip with pizza dough ball dippers, or Buffalo Crab Dip. I also have a cold Green Onion Dip that’s fresh and light if you’re into that.
Ingredients for Bacon Caramelized Onion Dip
Here’s everything you will need to make this dip and a few important notes too, so keep reading.
- Bacon: I recommend a hardwood smoked bacon. You can cook it however you want, but it should be nice and crisp with the fat rendered (or it can make your dip oily). It should be cut into bite-sized pieces as well.
- Sweet Onion: Or a white onion, Vidalia onion is great too. They will need to be cut in half, then cut the halves in half, and cut in slices for the perfect sized onion bites.
- Mayonnaise: This is the base to our dip and needs to be high quality or your dip could split and separate. Dukes is a must.
- Sour Cream: Make sure it’s full fat or your dip can curdle a little. This adds a slight tang and gooeyness to the dip. I’ve also made this dip with plain Greek yogurt and saw no difference in taste or texture.
- Swiss Cheese: Buy a block of Swiss and hand-grate it. The bagged varieties contain cellulose which is a caking agent. It tends to make the dip dry and keeps it from being gooey.
- Fresh Thyme: If you do not have fresh thyme you can use dried thyme in it’s place.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a mellow garlic note to the dip. Feel free to substitute it for fresh, minced garlic if you want the sharp flavor.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Feel free to season according to the recipe, or to your taste preferences.
How to Make Bacon Caramelized Onion Dip
1. Caramelize the onions. Add the onions and a pinch of salt to your pan. Allow them to cook over medium heat until tender and deep golden brown.
2. Mix together the dip. Stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, half of the Swiss cheese, fresh thyme, garlic powder, crumbled bacon, and caramelized onions. Spread it into your baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until it’s golden brown on the top and bubbly. Serve immediately with your dippers (suggestions in the next section).
Dippers To Serve With It
Because of the traditional creamy onion and bacon combo, this dip goes with a lot of different dippers.
I almost always serve it with toasted baguette slices. But, I’ve also served it with veggies, potato chips or tortilla chips, crackers, and soft pretzel bites. You can choose what works best for you and your taste preferences.
Storing Leftover Dip
Any leftover Bacon Caramelized Onion Dip should be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. It’s best to eat it within 5 days. Rewarm it in the microwave or in the oven until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
More Dip Recipes To Try:
We love hot and cold dips here, and I have tons to choose from! Here’s a few favorites, or you can browse all of my appetizers and dips.
Bacon Caramelized Onion Dip
INGREDIENTS
- 6 slices bacon - cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1 large sweet onion - cut in 4's and then in slices
- 1 cup Swiss cheese - shredded off the block
- 1 cup mayonnaise - high quality
- ½ cup sour cream - or Greek yogurt
- ½ tablespoon thyme - fresh, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and black pepper - to taste preferences
- 1 baguette - cut into slices diagonally
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat large skillet over medium heat, add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir occasionally until the onions are soft and a deep golden brown.NOTE: If they begin sticking to the pan or your pan starts smoking, add a splash of water to gently deglaze the pan and steam the onions. Then slightly lower the heat.
- In a bowl combine the crumbled bacon, caramelized onions, ¾ cup of Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, fresh thyme, onion powder, salt and black pepper (to taste).
- Spread the dip into your baking dish and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Swiss cheese.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the Swiss cheese is melted and the dip is warm. NOTE: Baking this dip for too long can cause the mayonnaise to break. A broken dip will be oily and separated.
- Turn on broiler to 450 °F. Place baguette slices onto a rack lined baking sheet. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes or until desired toasty-ness.
- Once the baguette slices are toasted, serve them with the dip immediately.
RECIPE NOTES
SERVING THIS DIP COLD
- Follow the directions as normal, but leave out the Swiss cheese. Instead sprinkle it over the top and refrigerate your dip a few hours before serving.
CAN I FIX A BROKEN DIP
- No, an oily and broken dip cannot be fixed. This happens when mayonnaise gets too hot (the fat and oil separates). The only option you have is to pour off as much grease as possible and give it a good stir. It’ll taste the same just have a slightly thicker texture.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
