The Spicy Addition Ina Garten Adds To Her Pan-Fried Onion Dip

We all love a good onion dip. After all, it makes for the perfect appetizer. But have you ever wanted to elevate your onion dip to make it more unique? To do so, all you have to do is look to celebrity chef Ina Garten's recipe for pan-fried onion dip, which includes a special, unexpected ingredient: cayenne pepper.

Garten's dip is as savory and rich as you would expect from any onion dip, but the cayenne pepper gives it that extra depth of flavor that will make a difference — especially for anyone who likes a spicy kick. Plus, one of the great things about cayenne pepper is that a little bit goes a long way — Garten uses just 1/4 teaspoon in her recipe for a 2-cup portion. That amount should make for the perfect amount of spice — enough to notice it, but not so much that it overpowers the dish.

Additionally, you can adjust the level of spiciness. If you have a low spice tolerance, you can lower the amount of cayenne pepper down to 1/8 teaspoon. Or, if you're looking for more spice, up the amount to 1/2 teaspoon.

If you're curious to try an onion dip with a spicy kick, you don't have to stick to Garten's recipe — although that is certainly a great option. You can choose to add it to a favorite recipe of yours. Since you only need a small amount of cayenne pepper to make a difference, you don't need to worry about changing up the recipe in any way.

If you need a recipe, use Tasting Table's recipe for a luxe caramelized onion dip, which is already plenty creamy but is missing that kick of spice. Or, there's our fig and caramelized onion dip — with the addition of cayenne pepper, this dip becomes the perfect combination of spicy and sweet (thanks to the fig jam). Again, feel free to adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to fit your preference for spiciness.

Once you've made a batch of cayenne pepper-infused onion dip, all that's left to do is serve it. You can pair the dip with chips, crackers, or veggies — all of which make for delicious vessels to enjoy a helping of the dip. Or, you can even integrate the dip into the next charcuterie board you put together.