These easy Blooming Onions are double coated with a slightly spicy breading and deep fried to golden perfection. They are better than Outbacks and super simple to make. Don’t forget the dipping sauce or for a change of pace try them with Yum Yum Sauce (Japanese Hibachi Style) or Southern Comeback Sauce.
Now you can make your own Blooming Onion right in the confines of your own kitchen at your convenience. If you like onion rings or onion straws than you are sure to love these crispy onions. Are you always in a hurry? No problem make the dipping sauce up to two days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Not into deep frying? They are delicious cooked in an air fryer. Simply preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Prepare the onion per the recipe instructions however cook it in the air fryer basket for about 10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
How do you make a Blooming Onion?
Mixing the sauce
Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, ketchup, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Chill this while you prepare the onions.
Preparing the onion
Start by cutting the onions. Cut a small flat spot on the none root end of the onion. Now remove any dried or damaged peels. Place the onion flat side down on a cutting board (root side up). Now using a sharp knife starting about 1/2 inch from the root make a clean slice downward. Next turn the onion one quarter turn and make another clean slice downward. Follow that with two more quarter turns and two more clean slices downward.
Now you should have four clean slices down on the onion equally spaced apart. Now cut three to four equal spaced cuts downward in each of those four sections. Then turn the onion root side down and gently fan out those sections.
Breading the onion
First in a large bowl big enough to hold the onion whisk together the milk and eggs. Then in another large bowl combine the flour, paprika, cumin, oregano, thyme, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper and garlic powder. Now put one of the cut onions in the flour mixture. Using your hands coat the onion with the flour mixture spreading and separating the onion to make sure that it all gets breaded. Now dunk the onion into the egg mixture. Then back into the flour mixture using your hands to coat the onion.
Deep frying the onion
Use a heavy pan like a dutch oven and heat the oil to 375 degrees. Using a skimmer ladle or tongs carefully place the onion root side up in the hot oil. Fry for about 6 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Next remove the onion to paper towels to drain. For best results serve promptly with the homemade dipping sauce.
Tips for making a Blooming Onion
- If available use sweet Vidalia Onions
- Try to maintain a consistent fry temperature of 375 degrees. Use a candy or deep fry thermometer. Dutch ovens are good heavy pans to fry in. Because of their thickness they maintain and hold heat well.
- If you have a deep fryer that is big enough use it.
- For best results do not crowd the frying pan. Instead fry in batches.
- Stay real close when frying the onions. They will take anywhere from 5-7 minutes to reach a deep golden brown.
- The sauce can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- These fried onions are best served promptly while they are warm and crisp.
- Not into deep frying? Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees. Load onion into air fryer root side down and cook 9-10 minutes.
Other appetizers you will love!!
This post was published July 17, 2015 and was republished April 27, 2020 with new content.
PrintBlooming Onion
An easy recipe for crispy Blooming Onions that is just as tasty if not better than any Outback restaurant. Make some for your family today and don’t forget the tasty dipping sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 3 blooming onions 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: deep fry
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy horseradish
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Fried Blooming Onions
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 medium sweet onions
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, ketchup, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
- Whisk egg and milk in bowl wide and deep enough to dunk the onion.
- Mix flour, paprika, cumin, dried oregano, thyme, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper and garlic powder in bowl wide enough to fit the onion.
- Cut a small flat spot on the none root end of the onion. Remove any dried or damaged peels. Place the onion flat side down on a cutting board (root side up). Using a sharp knife starting about 1/2 inch from the root make a clean slice downward. Turn the onion one quarter turn and make another clean slice downward. Follow that with two more quarter turns and two more clean slices downward. Cut three to four equal spaced cuts downward in each of those four sections. Then turn the onion root side down and gently fan out the sections.
- Put the onion in the bowl with the flour mixture. Using your hands coat the onion with the flour mixture spreading and separating the onion to make sure that it all gets breaded. Now dunk the onion into the egg mixture. Then back into the flour mixture using your hands to coat the onion.
- Heat oil in a heavy pan to 375 degrees. You will need just enough oil to cover the onion. Fry the onions root side up for 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve promptly with the dipping sauce.
Keywords: air fryer blooming onion, blooming onion batter, how to make a blooming onion, how to cut a blooming onion
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
I love this.
Thanks for the compliment! It makes me very happy!
I love these. Thank you so much for reminding us that we don’t always t\have to make the large ones only.
Me too! I need to eat things in small portions. LOL!
Going to try this but I am also going to use the same dipping proceedure to prep the larger garlic cloves on a toohpick and fry those also. When cloves are cooked they get sweet and creamy as well as fresh chicken nuggets on toothpicks and fry. Serve at game day. Have variety of dips and honey for the nuggets.
Those are all wonderful ideas Pamela! Thanks for sharing those with us!
Soak the onions in water to get them to spread easily
Thanks for the heads up. We always appreciate helpful food tips.
i am going t trythis for the super bowl we always have appys to eat. i will deep fry this in my deep fryer too.
Sounds like a plan. Happy cooking!
Can you make those in an air-fryer. I just bought one and was hoping I could try these.
I am sorry I can not answer that. I have never used an air fryer. Never even heard of them until now!! 🙂
Yes you can..I made a large one, delicious, never thought to make small ones. Almost didn’t want to do it again just to much. Now I will. I had no recipe for it. Just try about 5 min open up, if not done just put it back in. Easy. Was so crispy.
Yes you can
I totally destroyed a keyboard with drool over this one! A moment of serendipity, I needed some onion to throw into a recipe and there in the sink was one of those apple sectioner/corer gadgets. Humm, says I. Thump. Did not quite cut all the way through the onion but there was a mini-blooming onion right before my eyes! Wow! How can I put this discovery to use? Well, right here in THIS recipe! I would take care to not cut the onion all the way through and I would
as Patti suggests soak the cut onion in warm(?) water to aid the petal spread (don’t know what happened when I went to find out who suggested the water soak) OK, 8 sections instead of 12 but super easy to do. (I like super easy.)
A restaurant near me used to make pepper rings too – think I’ll try this on both.
Sounds delicious!!
Could you please clarify something?
Is there an egg in the buttermilk mixture?
There is no egg in the list of ingredients in the recipe, however,
in the “make ahead” instructions, you mention an egg mixture.
Also, if made ahead, are they fried from the frozen state?
Thank you.
Are you referring to my Baby Blooming Onions Recipe? There is an egg listed in the ingredients and it is whisked in with milk.
This is so good! It has always been a favorite and so glad I can make it at home now.
★★★★★
I love love LOVE blooming onions, but I’ve always been afraid to try making them myself…..which is probably a good thing, because I would want to eat them nonstop, lol.
You make it look easy though, so I think I’ll give it a try this weekend! I’m excited!
★★★★★
Yum, yum, yum! This was amazing! Such a great recipe.
★★★★★
Could you make these in an air fryer instead of deep frying them?
Yes you can. They will not be as crispy as deep frying but a lot healthier for you!!
What a great recipe! I can’t wait to make it for the weekend! Can’t get enough of it!
★★★★★
This was so much easier to make than I though! So crispy and delicious.
★★★★★
These blooming onions look absolutely amazing – might have to whip up some for the whole family!
★★★★★
I go to Outback just to eat their blooming onion. I think this is a fabulous recipe and I would love to try it ASAP!
★★★★★
This recipe is amazing. We made it last week. It was kind of messy, but so worth it. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks Lizet! So glad that you liked it!