Blooming Onion Bites (with dipping sauce)
Take a trip to the Outback in your own kitchen with this homemade, super easy recipe for blooming onion bites!
These petals have all of the flavor of our favorite blooming onion but the individual pieces are easier to cook (and eat) at home. Make a batch just in time for the big game or movie night— we even included the recipe for the sauce!
What is a Blooming Onion?
A blooming onion is an onion that is cut into wedges (most of the way through) and battered and deep-fried. Think of it as a big huge onion ring.
While we love ordering this appetizer to share with a crowd at a restaurant, they can be large and difficult to handle at home.
We love cutting the onion into individual petals:
- they’re easier to cut with no special tools required
- they’re easier to deep-fry and don’t require as large of a pot of oil
- we love how the entire strip of onion is evenly coated and crispy
- they’re great to serve a crowd, it’s easier for people to grab a few petals rather than trying to pull off of the big onion
Ingredients and Variations
Fresh sweet onions are coated in a seasoned batter and then deep-fried in oil and served with its own special sauce.
ONIONS Red onions have a mellow flavor while yellow onions are far more pungent. We think the best choice is sweet onions like Walla Walla.
BATTER Flour, egg, and milk create the perfect crispy batter coating.
SEASONINGS This recipe has a long list of seasonings and they add great flavor. Feel free to swap them out with your favorite seasoning mixes from taco seasoning to cajun seasoning.
Oil for Frying
We like to use an oil that has a high smoke point like canola oil, which means it can reach the perfect temperature (~400°F) that results in a quick cook and a crispy exterior.
Peanut oil is a great choice with a really high smoke point and vegetable oil will work too! Just be sure to make sure the oil is heated to the right temperature before frying or else the battered onions will simply absorb the oil and become soft.
How to Make Blooming Onion Bites (overview)
Blooming onions are so easy to make and you’ll love the flavor and crunch!
- Prepare the dip pre recipe below and set aside (this can be done up to 48 hours in advance).
- Cut onions into wedges. Prepare the breading mixture and toss onions to coat.
- Dip in the egg mixture, then back into breading mixture (flour/egg/flour).
- Deep fry in oil until browned and crispy. Drain and serve with dipping sauce.
How to Make Blooming Onion Sauce
Our sauce is deliciously creamy and it’s almost like an aioli dip. Delicious with fries, too, and super simple to make:
- Mix all of the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Feel free to add more or less cayenne pepper for a spicier sauce.
How to Reheat Blooming Onion Bites
- Heat the oven to broil and place blooming onion bites in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil them about 3 or four minutes until they are crisp again.
- Or bake in the oven at 375°F about 5-7 minutes or until heated through.
Favorite Snacks
- Shrimp Cocktail – use fresh or frozen shrimp
- Soy Ginger Steak Bites
- Garden Fresh Bruschetta – so easy to make
- Cheeseburger Stuffed Mushrooms
- Pretzel Bites – perfect for game day
- Jalapeno Popper Dip – crowd favorite
Did you make these Blooming Onion Bites? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!
Blooming Onion Bites with Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion or 2 medium onions
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup water
- oil for frying
- seasoned salt
Dipping Sauce
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon horseradish mayo sauce or regular horseradish
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
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Combine all dip ingredients and set aside.
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Cut the onion in half vertically and make slices down the onion to make wedges. In a bowl, toss flour and seasonings except seasoning salt. In a second bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and water.
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Ensure onion slices are separated and place the onion wedges in a large freezer bag. Add about ¾ cup of the flour mixture and shake well to coat.
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Using a fork, gently lift out about 6 onion wedges and put them into the egg mixture. Using a fork, remove them from the egg mixture and into the flour mixture in the bowl. Toss to coat. (So it’s Flour. Egg. Flour.)
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Place on a rack while coating all of the onions. Gently tap the rack to remove excess flour before frying.
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Heat deep fryer or a couple of inches of oil in a pan to 360-375°F. Place the onions into the deep fryer or oil in small batches for about 6 minutes or until browned and crispy. Be sure not to overcrowd them.
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Remove from oil, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Serve hot with dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from Food Network Magazine!
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