Crispy Frizzled Onions from Scratch

In the mood for something crunchy, salty, and totally addictive? These crispy frizzled onions are unbelievably good! Made from scratch with just a handful of ingredients, they’re perfect on top of burgers, salads, and more. Or, serve them with aioli for an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer!

While shoving a generous handful of fried onions into my mouth this afternoon, I suddenly had a recovered memory of doing the exact thing as a 7 year old, except it was a plastic container of French’s fried onions. (Never mind that you probably couldn’t have paid me $100 to eat a non-fried onion at that age.)

Anyways, if you’ve been here for a while, you may know that I put crispy fried shallots on just about everything. But, there’s a time and a place for a shoestring onion, and that time is today.

They’re crunchy, have a lovely spice, and they go on just about everything from sandwiches to salads to just eating them fresh out of the pan while you burn your fingers. (Not that I’ve ever done that before or anything.)

And, when I was in culinary school, I learned that fried onions are basically the easiest way to elevate a dish ASAP – it totally works. If I see a dish with fried onions on the menu, there is about a 99% chance I will order it.

My favorite way to serve these onions is on top of Dr. Pepper pulled pork, reverse sear filet mignon, tri-tip sandwiches, or BBQ bacon blue cheese burgers. But of course, they’re a fun appetizer for dinner parties or game nights too! And the best part? We’re shallow frying the onions – absolutely no deep frying required.

5 simple ingredients

• Onions – my favorite is sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc.) because they’re less strong than other types. But you can also use red, white, or yellow onions.
• Buttermilk – marinating the onions in whole milk buttermilk will take out some of the bite, make the onions more tender, and create a light crunchy crust.
• Flour – instead of making a wet batter, we’ll dredge the marinated onions in flour which will make the onions nice and crispy!
• Spices – garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper will add extra flavor to the flour. Of course, feel free to switch out the spices with something like Cajun seasoning for different flavors.
• Oil – you’ll want oil with a high smoke-point like canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil.

Let’s make this recipe

Slice the onions

1. Start by slicing the onions. Peel the onions and cut them in half, leaving the root intact.
2. Then, use a mandoline to cut the onions into 1/8-inch thick slices. I recommend using a mandoline for even frying but you can also slice them by hand.

Marinate & dredge

1. Once the onions are all sliced, place them in a bowl and pour the buttermilk over the top. Marinate for 15 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
3. Then, use tongs to grab a few of the onion slices, letting the extra buttermilk drip off. Dredge in the flour mixture, and tap off any extra flour.

Fry the onions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet until it reaches 350-375°F (177-191°C).
2. Place the dredged onions in the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
3. Use tongs to remove the onions from the oil. Place them on a paper towel and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt.

Freezer friendly

You can freeze the leftover onions! I like making a big batch and freezing them for later so I always have crispy onions on hand for sandwiches. Just spread the onions on a sheet pan and freeze until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer the frozen onion strings into an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.

Refrigerating leftovers

You can also store them in the fridge by placing the onions in an airtight container and refrigerating for 3-4 days. Just a head’s up that they will get a bit soggy in the fridge, but no worries! You can easily crisp them right up in the air fryer or oven.

Reheating the onions

• Air fryer – If you have an air fryer, that’s my favorite way to reheat the onions! Just place the leftover onions in a single layer in the air fryer. Cook them at 360°F (182°C) for 3-4 minutes, tossing them halfway through. Depending on the air fryer, they may need another 1-2 minutes.
• Oven – To reheat the onions in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Place the onions on a sheet pan and bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning. They may not be super crunchy in the oven but will crisp up as they cool a bit.
• Frozen – If you’re reheating them from frozen, you can use either the air fryer or oven method. Just add 1-2 extra minutes to the cook time!

Oil temp

I’ve tested this recipe many times and oil temp is key! Frying the onions in oil that isn’t hot enough will make them soggy and taste like oil. But, frying the onions in oil that’s too hot will burn the breading without cooking the raw onions inside. Keep the oil between 350-375°F (177-191°C) for light and crispy onions!

I always recommend using a candy thermometer to monitor the temp. But, if you don’t have one, you can test if it’s ready by sprinkling a pinch of flour over the hot oil. If it sizzles and turns golden-brown, it’s ready to go! If it sizzles but immediately burns, it’s too hot. Or, if it doesn’t sizzle much, it’s too cold.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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