You can stir together this homemade dry onion soup mix in about 5 minutes and keep it in the pantry for quick soups, dips, roasts, and casseroles. It gives you that familiar savory onion flavor without buying a boxed packet every time.
This small batch uses dried minced onion, beef bouillon, onion powder, and seasoned pepper for a simple copycat blend that works anywhere you’d normally reach for onion soup mix. If you like keeping pantry staples on hand, it fits right in beside Onion Soup/Dip Mix and Cream of Chicken Soup Mix.
Stored in an airtight jar in a cool, dry cupboard, this dry mix keeps best quality for about 6 months as an estimate, as long as moisture stays out. Dry goods stay safe longer when kept dry, but flavor fades over time, so label the jar and use the oldest mix first. If you turn it into a sour cream dip or another prepared dish, refrigerate leftovers promptly and use them within 3 to 4 days, following USDA leftover food safety guidance.
Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix Recipe
You’ll Need:
- 4 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules
- 8 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
Measure everything into a zip-top bag or small jar, seal it tightly, and shake until the seasonings are evenly combined. Pour the mix into a labeled spice jar, vacuum-seal bag, or small airtight container until you’re ready to use it.
Expert Tip: If your dried minced onion pieces are especially large, pulse them once or twice in a spice grinder before mixing. You’ll get a texture closer to store-bought onion soup packets, which helps the blend dissolve more evenly in dip and gravy.
To Use:
Use the full batch anywhere a single envelope of dry onion soup mix is called for. It’s handy in meatloaf, pot roast, burgers, slow cooker meals, savory bread, and creamy chip dip.
This batch makes about 1/4 cup mix, which is enough for roughly 2 servings at 2 tablespoons each if you’re portioning it as seasoning, or 1 packet equivalent for a full recipe. For onion dip, stir the whole batch into 16 ounces of sour cream and chill long enough for the dried onion to soften before serving with chips or cut vegetables.
Store the dry mix in an airtight jar or vacuum-sealed bag in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months for best quality as an estimate. Keep it away from steam, stove heat, and damp measuring spoons. Once prepared in a dip or mixed into another perishable dish, refrigerate it within 2 hours and use it within 3 to 4 days.
Note: This blend is a small batch and makes a nice pantry gift. If you want a larger homemade stash, multiply the ingredients evenly and keep the finished mix in several small jars so you aren’t opening one big container every week.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Instant beef bouillon granules |
$3.48 |
4 t. |
$0.19 |
|
Dried minced onion |
$1.08 |
8 t. |
$0.26 |
|
Onion powder |
$1.24 |
1 t. |
$0.03 |
|
Seasoned pepper |
$2.48 |
1/4 t. |
$0.02 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$0.50 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.25 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
Frequently Asked Questions about Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix
Use the whole batch. It makes about 1/4 cup total, which is the easiest way to swap it in when a recipe calls for one envelope of onion soup mix and saves you from trying to measure out half teaspoons of anything later.
Absolutely. Stir the full batch into 16 ounces of sour cream, then chill it for at least 1 to 2 hours so the dried onion softens and the flavor spreads through the dip instead of sitting there like crunchy confetti.
Plain black pepper works just fine in the same 1/4 teaspoon amount. If your seasoned pepper blend includes salt, start with a little less when subbing another blend because the bouillon already brings quite a bit of salt to the party.
Yes, but it will taste different. Swap in the same amount of chicken or vegetable bouillon for a similar savory base, or leave it out for a more onion-forward seasoning blend that works better in vegetable dishes than in pot roast or meatloaf.
Multiply every ingredient by the same number and mix thoroughly before storing. For a triple batch, that means 12 teaspoons beef bouillon, 24 teaspoons dried minced onion, 3 teaspoons onion powder, and 3/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper, which is much easier to measure if you convert 24 teaspoons to 8 tablespoons first.
The dried minced onion is the reason. Store packets are often ground a bit finer, so if you want a smoother blend for dip or gravy, pulse the minced onion briefly in a grinder or crush it with the back of a spoon before mixing.
No, not for storage. Fresh onion adds moisture, which turns a shelf-stable mix into something that spoils quickly. If you need a fresh-onion substitute while cooking, 3 tablespoons dried minced onion generally replaces about 1/2 cup chopped fresh onion, but keep the dry mix dry until you use it.
Use it in meatloaf, burger patties, roast beef, slow cooker potatoes, casseroles, or sprinkled into sour cream for dip. It also fits nicely into homemade seasoning projects like Onion Soup Mix or hearty pantry meals such as French Onion Soup.
If the aroma is weak, the onion looks faded, or the mix has clumped from moisture, it’s time to replace it. Dry seasonings don’t usually fail in a dramatic Hollywood fashion, but once they lose punch, your food will too.
Yes, fairly salty, because bouillon does most of the heavy lifting here. If you’re using it in a dish that already includes canned soup, broth, gravy mix, or other salty ingredients, hold back extra salt until the end and taste first.
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Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules
- 8 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Measure the beef bouillon, dried minced onion, onion powder, and seasoned pepper into a small zip-top bag or jar.
- Seal and shake until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Pour into a labeled airtight spice jar, vacuum-seal bag, or small container for storage.
- Use the full batch anywhere 1 packet of dry onion soup mix is called for.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
This batch makes about 1/4 cup mix, which is approximately 1 packet equivalent or 2 servings at 2 tablespoons each.
For best quality, store airtight in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months as an estimate.
If prepared as dip or mixed into another perishable dish, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days.
Hi. Does this equal 1 envelope of the store bought? Thanks.
My only suggestion is the next time you shop find an envelope and check the Net Wt located at the bottom of the envelope.
Then using your kitchen scale measure out the same amount.