French fried onions are a staple pantry ingredient around Thanksgiving, but it deserves its own moment to shine with this homemade crispy onion strings recipe. Dip it in a bbq aioli or your favorite dipping sauce for a simple fried treat that is easy to devour.
Why This Recipe Works
Let me start by saying that fried onion strings (aka: french fried onions) SHOULD NOT STICK TOGETHER!
Nope.
If they do, something isn't right.
This crispy onion strings recipe prevents that sticking and gives you a perfectly golden-brown exterior for a snackable treat that is perfect on burgers, green bean casserole, or just as an appetizer.
Plus, with the seasoning blend, you'll never go back to bland french fried onions again.
What's Goes Into the Recipe?
- Onions. If you plan on using this as a snack, go for large sweet onions. If you want to use it as a topping, get smaller onions.
- Buttermilk. Go for full fat. It gives you the best flavor!
- Flour. The amount may seem excessive, but this makes a huge difference for preventing clumping when dredging the onions.
- Seasoning. The blend is made of pantry staples including garlic powder, cayenne, and paprika. Get smoked paprika for an extra fun twist.
- Oil. You need an oil that is safe to deep fry in. Canola and vegetable are the most economic, but avocado is fantastic and peanut gives you the best flavor.
How To Make This Recipe
Peel the onion and cut it in half so it creates half-moons.
Cut the onions into thin slices and submerge them in the buttermilk. Let soak for 30 minutes.
In a large dish combine the flour, salt, pepper, and seasonings. Set aside.
Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed pan until it is 2 inches deep. (About 4 cups).
Transfer the onions to a colander and allow most of the buttermilk to drain off. Stir the onions around a few times to help release any trapped buttermilk
Working with a small handful at a time, transfer the onions into the flour mixture. Toss until each onion is well coated and when you pick them up they don't stick together.
Drop the onions into the oil and let fry until golden brown. About 3-5 minutes.
Strain the fried onion strings from the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to catch the excess oil.
Serve the fried onion strings with a dipping sauce or as a topping.
Expert Tips
- Don't pull the crispy onion strings out of the oil too early. The coating will look golden brown in the oil, but when you strain them out they may not be cooked through enough for your liking. Check just one or two before removing the whole batch from the oil.
French fried onions stick together for one of the following reasons:
- They are too wet from the buttermilk. This makes the coating gooey and the fried onion strings more likely to stick together. Don't skip the colander.
- The dish that the flour was in was too small. By using a larger dish the onions can move around more to get completely coated with the flour.
- There isn't enough flour. I know it seems wasteful to use this much flour, but you end up with the choice of too much flour or gooey onions that stick together.
- The oil isn't deep enough. If there isn't enough oil for the onion strings to float in they will get too close to the bottom of the pan or stick out of the oil and not get crispy.
- You overcrowded the pan. There should be enough room for the onions to move about freely while frying. If you put too much into the pan the onions will be forced to cuddle and then the flour coating melds together causing clumping.
FAQ's
The best onions to use are sweet onions like Vidalia, Walla-Walla, or Maui. If a sweet onion variety isn't available substitute with a standard yellow onion.
First make sure that they are completely cooled an any excess oil is removed. This can be tricky with fried onions because oil sometimes gets trapped between layers. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature with a paper towel on both bottom and tight. They should last up to a week this way.
The same chemical that makes your eyes water also makes the onions taste sharp and stringent. Soaking the onions in buttermilk before frying allows the fats and acid to dissolve the chemical and make the onions more palatable.
Related Recipes
These fried onion strings are a great topping to use on burgers, at Thanksgiving, or even with a dip. Some ways I recommend using them are:
French Fried Onion Strings
Ingredients
- 1 sweet onion
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups All-Purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- neutral cooking oil, as needed
Instructions
- Peel the onion and cut it half through the root. Laying the cut side down on cutting board, slice the onions into half moons. Use your hands to break apart the layers and let them soak in a bowl with the buttermilk for at least 30 minutes.
- In a pot fitted with a deep frying thermometer (or a deep fryer) heat two inches of oil to 375°F. .
- While it heats, Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Set aside. Transfer the onions to a colander and drain off the excess buttermilk, stirring a few times to make sure none is trapped.
- Once the oil is hot and no longer increasing in tempeature, grab a handful of the soaked onions and transfer them to the flour. Stir them around until each one is well coated in the flour and they don't stick together. Shake off excess flour and transfer them to the oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown*
- Transfer the fried onion strings to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all the onions strings are cooked. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
- *Don't pull the onion strings out of the oil too early. The coating will look golden brown in the oil, but when you strain them out may not be cooked through enough for your liking. Check just one or two before removing the whole batch from the oil.
- They are too wet from the buttermilk. This makes the coating gooey and the onions more likely to stick together. Don't skip the colander.
- The dish that the flour was in was too small. By using a larger dish the onions can move around more to get completely coated with the flour.
- There isn't enough flour. I know it seems wasteful to use this much flour, but you end up with the choice of too much flour or gooey onions that stick together.
- The oil isn't deep enough. If there isn't enough oil for the onion strings to float in they will get too close to the bottom of the pan or stick out of the oil and not get crispy.
- You overcrowded the pan. There should be enough room for the onions to move about freely while frying. If you put too much into the pan the onions will be forced to cuddle and then the flour coating melds together causing clumping.
What are your thoughts?