This Greek Yogurt Onion Dip is low-effort, high-reward appetizer or snack. It's easy to make (just 15 minutes!) and always stands out in a crowd. This luscious dip is creamy, tangy, salty, and onion-y. Crispy shallots, chili garlic oil, and fresh chives make a delicious and pretty topping. It's the ultimate celebration of alliums.
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Healthy French Onion Dip
We have yet to meet someone who doesn't love a good dip—especially when at a gathering or small party, where finger foods reign supreme. And, French Onion Dip is always a crowd-pleaser. Traditionally, onion dip is made with an indulgent creamy base like mayonnaise and/or sour cream. And while there is nothing wrong with the classic, this version uses Greek yogurt for a lighter, healthier spin.
Think of this recipe as the the sassy cousin of a classic French Onion Dip. It uses yogurt as a lighter alternative. Also, instead of sweet caramelized onions being mixed in, this dip has crispy shallots on top. The shallots provide a savory, crispy contrast to the creamy yogurt base. And the hot oil (from the crispy shallots) steeps fresh garlic and chili steep for even more flavor.
All the tasty toppings are spooned over the dip—ready to be scooped up with bread, fresh veggies, or whatever else you choose to serve this dip with. Better yet, this recipe takes much less time to make than caramelizing onions!
Ingredients (and substitutions)
This onion dip might sound like it has a lot going on, but the ingredients are simple. Here's what you need:
- Plain Greek yogurt: Choose full-fat yogurt for the best flavor and texture. But, we've tested it with low-fat Greek yogurt too and it also works.
- Fresh chives: Chives add a fresh, but not overpowering, onion flavor to the yogurt. In a pinch, you could substitute minced scallions (green onions). We preferred the chive version because green onions have a slightly sharper flavor, but we wouldn't say no to either!
- Garlic powder: Garlic powder is milder and slightly sweeter than raw garlic, so it's a subtle way to give the yogurt more savory flavor.
- Shallot: All you need is one, thinly cut shallot for a big impact! Keep reading below for tips on making crispy shallots.
- Olive oil: The olive oil provides flavor in itself, and it does triple duty by also crisping up the shallots and steeping chili and garlic.
- Fresh garlic: Finely grated garlic adds big flavor here. It's added at the end to reduce the risk of burning.
- Red pepper flakes: For a bit of heat! The amount in the recipe makes for a moderate (leaning on mild) spice level, but adjust as you need.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
We love chili garlic oil! Our homemade chili garlic oil inspired the topping for this dip. The original recipe infuses a neutral oil with fresh garlic and red pepper flakes. Chili garlic oil is delicious drizzled over Creamy Vegan Ramen, Smoky Mushroom Tacos, and Brothy Oven Baked White Beans. For this onion dip, we use olive oil (instead of neutral oil), because the olive oil flavor really compliments the yogurt!
How to make it (with step-by-step photos)
Tips for frying shallots
Here are some tips for how to make crispy shallots to top this yogurt onion dip.
- Use room temperature oil: Add the oil and shallots to the pan at the same time so the shallots gently warm alongside the oil. If you add shallots to already hot oil, they'll tend to burn fairly quickly.
- Cut even slices: Evenly cut shallots will cook more evenly (go figure!). You can use a mandolin for the most precise cuts. But, to be honest, we're usually too lazy to pull out the mandolin for this recipe. The onion dip can handle a range of fried shallots (pale to dark golden), as long as they aren't burnt/bitter.
- Adjust for uneven cooking, if needed: Don't hesitate to pull out any shallots that are done cooking before the others (to prevent them from burning). Then, you can add them back once the oil is off the heat. That said, there's no need to worry about all the shallots being cooked exactly the same—as long as you're not adding burnt/bitter fried shallots, it's all good! A bit of variety is actually good here.
- Account for carryover cooking: The shallots will continue to cook in the hot oil, even after the pot is removed from the heat. So, it's better that the shallots don't look fully cooked when you remove them from the heat!
- Watch carefully: Fried shallots can go from perfect to burnt quite quickly—so keep both eyes on the shallots!
Serving suggestions
This yummy Greek Yogurt Onion Dip is delicious served with:
- Fresh vegetables (such as carrot, celery, radishes, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes)
- Blanched or steamed vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower)
- Bread (brush the bread in olive oil and grill or toast it for more flavor!)
- Naan or pita
- Potato chips (such as plain crinkle cut)
- Crackers
Frequently asked questions
If you can't get chives, substitute with scallions (green onions). Scallions are slightly sharper tasting than chives, but it'll still taste yummy! Chives are quite small, so make sure to mince the scallions (green onions) so they meld into the yogurt.
The shallot and chili oil topping has some red pepper flakes in it, but the amount yields a mild (to potentially moderate) level of spice. That said, feel free to adjust the amount of red pepper (chili) flakes to your liking! When serving a mixed crowd, we usually recommend not adding too much spice. It's easier to add more heat afterwards than try to fix something that's too spicy.
We often use Greek yogurt as a base for creamy sauces—it is our healthier go-to substitute for sour cream or mayo based! If you have leftover yogurt after making this Onion Dip with Crispy Shallots, try one of these other 3 Greek Yogurt dip recipes:
1. Creamy Buffalo Dip (serve with Air Fryer Broccoli Tots)
2. Creamy Dijon Aioli (substitute Greek yogurt instead of mayo)
3. Tzatziki
📖 Recipe
Greek Yogurt Onion Dip with Crispy Shallots
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, cut into thin rounds (see note 1)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated (see note 2)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1½ cups plain Greek yogurt (see note 3)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives (more for garnish)
Instructions
- Make crispy shallots: Add olive oil and shallots to a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, swirling the pan frequently. Once shallots are golden (about 7 to 10 minutes in), remove the pan from the heat. (The shallot will continue cooking in the hot oil).
- Add garlic and chili: Immediately add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon salt to the pan of hot shallot oil (still off the heat). Stir continuously, until you no longer hear the oil sizzling, about 1 minute. Set the pot of oil aside.
- Season yogurt: In a shallow serving bowl, whisk Greek yogurt, ½ teaspoon of the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until well mixed. Add chives, stir to mix. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Serve: Spoon the shallots and chili garlic oil over the yogurt. Garnish with more chives. Serve with fresh veggies, bread, or chips for dipping.
Notes
- Sliced shallots: About ¼ cup. Try to cut thin, even slices so that they cook at the same rate. If some of the shallots are cooked before the others, you can use tongs or a fork to pull them out of the oil while the others finish cooking—then add them back with the garlic and chili at the end. Burnt shallots can taste bitter, so keep a careful eye on them to avoid overcooking.
- Grating garlic: If you have a microplane or garlic press, use it for the garlic. In this recipe, raw garlic is being added to hot oil and cooked only with the residual heat (carryover cooking from the shallots). So, the finer the garlic, the faster it can infuse into the oil. If you must mince the garlic by hand, take care to cut the garlic as small as you can.
- Greek yogurt: Use full fat Greek yogurt for the best flavor and texture. But if you prefer, low fat Greek yogurt works too.
- Serving suggestions: This Greek Yogurt Onion Dip is delicious served with fresh or blanched vegetables (such as carrots, celery, radishes, broccoli, bell peppers), bread (grilled or toasted, optional), pita/naan, crackers or potato chips.
- Storage tips: The yogurt dip can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. But the crispy shallots and chili garlic oil are best enjoyed fresh. (The shallots will eventually soften in the oil and yogurt. And, oil preparations that use fresh garlic have a short shelf life and should be refrigerated). So, if you're looking to make this dish in advance, we recommend mixing the yogurt base the day before, then making the shallots and chili garlic oil right before serving. If you have any unexpected leftovers, refrigerate and enjoy within 1-2 days (and know that the shallots will soften).
Jonathan says
A very strong and moorish condiment that can go with many dishes. It's a knockout recipe...and your 'short shelf' life comment is to be taken seriously. So....have lashings of it over fish, chicken, grilled vegetables, ....or whatever takes your fancy....even in a salad warmed pita bread. Thank you for this delicious addition to my kitchen!!!
bri says
Hi Jonathan! Thank you so much for taking the time to write in! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. And thank you for your suggestions for how to use the dip — those all sound like fabulous ideas! We hope you make the recipe again soon!
Abey C says
OK WOWWWW, this dip is unreal! First recipe I've made from this site. I wasn't sure because there weren't any reviews. But OMG it is so good. Will be making this again for friends this weekend.
bri says
Yayy, so glad you loved this dip Abey! Hope your friends like it too:) Thanks for sharing!