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Made without added sugar, bouillon, or preservatives, this super simple Copycat Lipton Onion Soup Mix recipe adds intense savory flavor to endless dishes.
Looking for more simple spice blends to help elevate your cooking? Don't miss my recipes for Chili Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, and Seasoned Salt.
Growing up, Lipton Onion Soup Mix was a pantry staple in my home. My mom used it to add intense flavor to rice pilaf, burgers, and roasted red potatoes. It was the secret ingredient that transformed simple meals into family favorites.
However, while it enhances flavor, store-bought onion soup mix also comes with a dose of sodium, preservatives, sugar, MSG, and gluten.
But don't worry, you don't have to give up that delicious flavor!
You can easily recreate the classic taste of Lipton Dry Onion Soup Mix in minutes using simple spices you likely already have--and leave the preservatives on the shelf!
Dry Onion Soup Mix Ingredients
- Onion: To pack in A LOT of onion flavor, this recipe calls for both dried onion flakes and onion powder.
- Garlic Powder: Rounds out the flavor and balances out the onion.
- Celery Seed: This is not a commonly used spice in most homes and may not be one you typically keep on hand. However, it is necessary to achieve the same flavor found in Lipton Onion Soup Mix. It is also delicious in Shake and Bake Pork Chops, Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and Old Bay as well--so it won't go to waste in your pantry!
- Dried Parsley: A little bit of dried parsley adds a bit of freshness to the blend.
- Salt and Pepper: Because this recipe does not call for bouillon, you need to add salt and pepper to enhance the flavors. I recommend kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper for best results.
How to Make & Store Onion Soup Mix
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Combine. Making onion soup mix is as easy as mixing the dried spices and salt together until everything is well combined.
- Use or Store. If you aren't planning to use the dry onion soup mix immediately, transfer it to an airtight jar or container and store in a cool, dark pantry or spice cabinet for up to 6 months.
How to Replace Lipton Onion Soup Mix
To replace a 2-ounce packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix use ¼ cup of this homemade blend.
Ways to Use Onion Soup Mix
Beyond using this blend as a replacement for Lipton Onion Soup Mix, you can also use it to enhance flavor in a variety of ways.
- Chip Dip: Make the easiest chip dip ever using this homemade onion soup mix recipe.
- Season Rice: Add a tablespoon or two to rice while cooking for incredible flavor, or use it to make rice pilaf or Instant Pot rice pilaf.
- Flavor Pot Roast: Add 2-3 tablespoons of the Slow Cooker pot roast in addition to other seasonings for an additional layer of flavor. Or make a delicious Instant Pot Mississippi pot roast or tender crockpot beef tips.
- In a Marinade: Prepare a quick and flavorful marinade for veggies and proteins by mixing 2 tablespoons of the Onion Soup Mix with ⅓ cup olive oil and ¼ cup red wine vinegar. It is my go-to marinade when preparing vegetable kabobs and is a great addition to my London broil marinade as well.
- Flavor Ground Beef Recipes: Add amazing flavor to Instant Pot beef stroganoff, Instant Pot meatloaf, and classic hamburgers with this onion soup mix.
- Season Potatoes: Replace the salt with this onion soup mix in air fryer potatoes, baked fries, or roasted fingerling potatoes for a delicious, savory spin.
More Favorite Homemade Spice Blends
Homemade Dry Onion Soup
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine ½ cup dried onion flakes, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon celery seed, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place (like the pantry or spice cabinet) for up to 6 months.
- To replace a 2 ounce packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, use ¼ cup of this homemade blend.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello. Can I use celery seed instead? We love French onion dip on the weekends and I cringe every time I look at the lengthy list of ingredients on the tub! Can’t wait to try this instead! Thank you!
Hi Suz! The celery seed will have more texture, but the flavor works! You can also grind up the celery seed in a clean coffee bean grinder if desired. I hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for the quick response! All I could find was “minced onion” is this the same as onion flakes ? They also had chopped onion but was all sold out. No sign of onion flakes at the store I was at! Was just to looking online to see if minced onion was comparable but conflicting results. Thanks so much!
And I meant to add it’s minced onion that is dried and in a spice container not one that is contained in any liquid.
Yes, you can absolutely use minced onion (dried) with no change. Some brands call it minced onion 😉
Why is there no beef flavoring? Does the packaged one have this?
Hi Eileen! In the original onion soup recipe, there is not beef added. They do have a "beefy" version, that is where you would add in bouillon if desired.
Im wondering if Incould use celery salt ? I dont have plain cerlery powder. Thanks.
Hi Jacqueline! If you use celery salt, just cut the added salt in half in this recipe 🙂
Yay! I have all the ingredients. Need this recipe to make a batch of oat burgers to taste really awesome. Thank you!
I still after reading your replies to others, don't see where all that salt comes from just one teaspoon??
1 teaspoon of salt has 2,300 milligrams of sodium--so that is what people were referencing 🙂
If you want, you can add 4 Tbsp. (1/4 cup) of GF Beef Bouillon Powder to the recipe or 2 Tbsp. Better than Bouillon per recipe serving when making a recipe.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Is the addition of Bouillon to make it taste more like the original recipe or for enhancement?
Thanks!
Hi Barbara! I have not tried adding bouillon, but I would imagine it would add a rich depth to this blend.
We have finally got back our favourite recipe for burgers with this copycat recipe. Thank You so much for this, our grill will be full of burgers again this summer.
Wahoo!! I so happy this recipe will help you enjoy your burgers more Colin.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I don't understand where the sodium count is coming from. Please explain. Thanks again.
Lynn
Hi Lynn--the sodium is from the salt, but this calculator is a bit off when estimating sodium count. However the sodium is for the ENTIRE recipe, which is 2 packets--1 serving is only a tiny fraction of the entire recipe. It is SIGNIFICANTLY less than Lipton's brand. For example--most recipes use 1 packet for 8 servings which would only be 6% or 140 mg of sodium. I hope that helps! But feel free to cut salt in half if you are on a low sodium diet.