These easy Blooming Onions are double-coated with a flavorful breading and deep-fried to golden perfection. They are much better than Outbacks and so easy to make at home.
Be sure to try the tasty dipping sauce. Try them with yum yum sauce, boom boom sauce, or comeback sauce for a change of pace.
Now, you can make your own Blooming Onion right in the confines of your kitchen at your convenience. If you like onion rings or onion straws, you will surely love these crispy onions. Make the dipping sauce up to two days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Mayonnaise: I like Duke’s
- Sour cream: full-fat is best for flavor
- Horseradish: the creamy kind
- Ketchup: you can use sugar-free or organic.
- Seasonings: paprika, garlic powder, ground cayenne pepper, ground cumin, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Eggs: large ones, please
- Milk: whole or 2%
- Onions: sweet yellow or Vidalia onions. Both are great for sweetness and texture.
- Vegetable oil: canola oil or sunflower oil
How To Make A Blooming Onion
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, ketchup, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Chill this while you prepare the onions.
Start by cutting the onions. Cut a small, flat spot on the non-root end of the onion. Remove any dried or damaged peels. Place the onion flat side down on a cutting board (root side up).
Cut the onion into quarter sections using a sharp knife, staying about 1/2 inch from the root, as you want the onion to stay connected. Cut each of those quarter sections into three or four equal sections. Turn the onion root side down and gently fan out those sections.
Set up your breading stations and bread the onions. First, coat the onions with the flour mixture, dunk them in the egg mixture, and then back in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil to 350-375 degrees and carefully place the onion root side up in the hot oil. Fry for about 7-10 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Remove the onion to paper towels to drain.
Preparation Tips
- 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 for frying. Because of their thickness, they maintain and hold heat well.
- If you have a deep fryer that is big enough, use it.
- Make the sauce up to two days before and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Serve these fried onions promptly while they are warm and crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Preheat an air fryer to 350 degrees. Place the breaded onion in the air fryer, root side down, and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
The best way to reheat them is in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees and reheat for about 6 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover the onions with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until golden brown.
More Appetizers
Blooming Onion Recipe
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons creamy horseradish
- 1 ½ tablespoons ketchup
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Blooming Onions
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ 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 a 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 a bowl wide enough to fit the onion.
- Cut a small, flat pot on the non-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, cut the onion into quarter sections, staying about 1/2 inch from the root, as you want the onion to stay connected. Cut each of those quarter sections into three or four equal sections. Turn the onion root side down and gently fan out those sections.
- Using your hands, coat the onion with the flour mixture, carefully spreading and separating it to ensure it all gets breaded. 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 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve promptly with the dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- 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 for frying. Because of their thickness, they maintain and hold heat well.
- If you have a deep fryer that is big enough, use it.
- 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.
Nutrition
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Sunena
If I ever see a blooming onion on a menu, I almost always have to order it. Thank you for an awesome recipe to recreate them at home!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome!!
Cate
Yum!! Love blooming onions but I’ve never made my own, can’t wait to try it!
Chris Collins
I always order a blooming onion if I can! I never realised it was this easy to make at home! So delicious 🙂
Matt Taylor
Yummy, I love blooming onions! It is always my favorite appetizer to get at Outback. This recipe is awesome, can’t wait to try it!
Natalie
This makes me so happy! It’s one of my favorite appetizers! Didn’t realize it’s not difficult to make!
Toni
This quickly disappeared at my house! A huge hit every time!
Lisalia
I love this so much.. Like… LOVE it! And it seems so much healthier than the one we eat from our fave local Aussie-inspired restaurant.
Jessica Burgess
I have always wanted to try this and this was so easy!! Thank you!
Shelley
Bloomin’ Onions are such an indulgent treat! My family would love this! (Mmmm … especially with that sauce!)
Genevieve
Who needs a restaurant when you can make this right at home? This baby blooming onion recipe looks simple and perfect for a movie night in!
Jayne
This recipe is really EASY! Blooming onions are so flavorful I will be making this again.
Pam
I love trying recipes for dishes that we used to only get out in restaurants. It’s a different world these days, but that doesn’t mean we should deny ourselves food we love.
Jess
Favorite appetizer ever and I don’t even need to leave the house to make it!
Pris Frank
This onion looks AMAZING!! I have an air fryer AND a deep fryer and I never thought of making one! I’m totally following your tips here. Thanks for the great idea!
Soniya
Oh wow! This is one of my family favorites and I have. Ever made it at home… with this recipe incandescent now make it at home! Excited!
Sisley White
This is so much fun I can’t wait to have a go at making this at home.