Smoked Hot Onion Dip
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Every holiday, my brother-in-law busts out a bubbling hot onion dip that everyone crowds around. It’s cheesy and savory and always gone in minutes. Once I tried smoking it, there was no going back.
This recipe only requires three ingredients (well, four if you include seasoning), so it’s super easy to whip up and only needs an hour on the smoker. The hardest part is slicing the onions and grating the cheese.Â
Fresh cheese is crucial
This dip works best with freshly shredded cheese. Skip the pre-shredded, store-bought stuff for this one. The freshly shredded cheese makes it so creamy and cheesy. If you absolutely MUST use pre-shredded, then I recommend buying a higher-quality brand of cheese versus the less expensive store brand.
Ingredients for smoked onion dip
- Onions – white, yellow, or Vidalia onions all work well here. I don’t recommend using red onions.
- Swiss cheese – while other cheeses may work, the flavor of the Swiss pairs perfectly with the flavor of the onions.
- Mayonnaise – use full-fat mayonnaise for this recipe, as light mayo can separate during the cooking process.
- Steak seasoning – Use any steak seasoning you have on hand or try our homemade beef rub recipe.
How to make smoked onion dip
1. Prep
Slice the onions. You can go as thick or thin as you want. If you want bigger chunks in your dip, then slice them a bit thicker. You can also choose to dice your onions instead of slicing them for a more even consistency in the dip.
Shred the cheese. For this recipe, you want optimal cheesy texture (and who doesn’t love a good cheese pull?).
2. Combine
This is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make. Once you’ve cried over your sliced onions and shredded your cheese, the hard part is done!
Add the onions to a large bowl and season with your favorite steak seasoning, or whip up a quick SPG blend (that’s equal parts salt, pepper and granulated garlic).
Once your onions are seasoned, you can add the mayonnaise and about half the shredded cheese. Give it all a good mix until everything is well combined, then add the other half of the cheese and mix it again.
Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish or aluminum pan. Take the back of your spoon and run it across the top of the dip to smooth it out. If a few onions are poking out that is totally fine – they get crispy and delicious!
3. Fire up the smoker
Preheat your smoker, grill, or oven to 300°F. For this recipe, I used my Traeger Ironwood XL along with Bear Mountain BBQ Sweet BBQ Pellets which includes a mix of oak, maple, and cherry hardwood. You can use any smoke wood for this recipe.
Cooking it on the smoker really adds an amazing touch of smoky flavor. If you don’t have a smoker, you can also use a charcoal or gas grill, and it will still turn out great.
As I mentioned before, my brother-in-law always makes his onion dip in the oven, so if you don’t have a smoker, you can use the oven instead.
4. Smoke it
When your smoker is preheated, you can place the pan on the grates and let it do its thing.
The dip takes about an hour. You don’t need to stir it or anything, just let it smoke.
You will know it’s done when the top is golden, and the sides are just slightly bubbling.
Remove it from the smoker, let it cool slightly, and serve alongside toasted French bread, tortilla chips, or crackers!
More smoked dip ideas
- Smoked Chilli Cheese Dip
- Smoked Beer Cheese Dip
- Smoked Spinach Dip
- Smoked Queso Dip
- Smoked Jalapeño Popper Dip
Smoked Hot Onion Dip
Ingredients
- 4 medium onions - peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp steak seasoning - Our prime rib seasoning is perfect for this, or use your favorite steak or beef rub.
- 2 cups mayonnaise - full fat
- 16 oz Swiss cheese - freshly shredded
Instructions
- Fire up the smoker to 300°F.
- Add the sliced onions to a bowl and season them with the steak seasoning.
- Add the mayonnaise and half the shredded cheese and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining shredded cheese and mix again.
- Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish and smooth the top with a spoon.
- Place the pan on the grates of the smoker and let smoke for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the sides are hot and bubbly.
- Let cool slightly and serve alongside toasted French bread, chips, or crackers.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation only. If you’re worried you could always add a side of kale.
About Your Pitmaster
Breanna Stark is a Texas-based competitive pitmaster and barbecue educator. She grew up cooking over charcoal and open flames while camping with her father, sparking a lifelong love of barbecue. Since 2014, she has competed in over 100 IBCA, KCBS, and CBA events, earning recognition for her award-winning chicken and Texas-style barbecue.
Passionate about recipe testing and development to create approachable dishes that help backyard cooks level up their barbecue skills. Breanna shares her expertise with over three million followers on social media.
Got this from a friend who raved about it and was so glad to try it! We are keto and this definitely fits the bill for a cheesy side for a ribeye. We also used fresh shredded Gouda and it came out great.
Thanks Regina, and thanks to your friend with good taste who recommended it! Cheers, Joe.
Tried this recipe and it turned out more like an onion soup. I would recommend cooking the onions first and then draining the liquid. Let them cool and then mix with the mayonnaise and cheese. It had a good flavor but was definitely not a dip.