A blooming onion is that crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside appetizer that looks a lot like flower petals. It’s one of those classics that can be found at Outback Steakhouse and other popular restaurants.
It’s easy to make at home, with just a little bit of prep. And you can use your air fryer to make it if you don’t have a deep fryer.
Peeling
Peeling a blooming onion is simple with a sharp knife. First, trim the stem end and peel away the outer skin. Next, place the onion root-side up on a cutting board and make vertical cuts in four quarters that are about half an inch from the root.
Continue this technique for a total of 16 evenly spaced sections. This will produce petals that are 3-6mm thick.
If you’re not careful, you can cut through the onions’ roots. That could cause the petals to break off or fall apart.
If you’re serious about making blooming onions, it may be worth getting a special blooming onion cutter that cuts the onions. This helps you keep the root intact when making vertical cuts, which is crucial to keeping the petals in place.
Cutting
Blooming onions are a popular appetizer at many restaurants. They’re cut in the shape of flower petals, battered and deep-fried, and served with signature dipping sauces.
To make a blooming onion, start by removing the outer skin of an onion. Next, make a series of vertical cuts with your knife that begin about a half-inch from the root.
Each cut should be slightly downward so that you can avoid cutting through the root. This is important because it will prevent the flower from tearing and breaking off.
Continue to make these vertical cuts a total of four times, evenly spaced around the onion. These sections of onion should be attached at the root side, so that they will be easy to peel away when the time comes to fry them.
Now, you need to coat the onion with flour and spices. Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl that’s wide enough to cover the onion, then coat it with egg and milk.
Coating
When fried, blooming onions are one of the most drool-worthy appetizers you can eat. This fan-favorite is found at state fairs, Aussie steakhouses, and now it can be made right in your own kitchen!
To start, you’ll need to coat the onion petals in a combination of flour and seasonings. To make the coating even easier, dust the onion with corn starch first so it isn’t as sticky.
You’ll want to make sure that you get every petal coated with the dry mix. You can do this by splaying the petals before you place them in the bag of flour and spices.
Next, you’ll dunk the onion in a mixture of milk and egg. Once you’ve coated it with this mixture, you’ll dip it in the flour again. This double-dipping process will help ensure that your onion is well-coated before you deep fry it.
Frying
Onions are a great vegetable for salads, sandwiches, sauteing, and grilling. They are also an excellent appetizer for a party or get-together with friends and family.
Frying is a cooking technique in which food is immersed in hot oil or fat, which cooks and browns the foods. There are many different frying techniques, ranging from shallow frying, which uses only enough fat to cover the surface of the food, to deep-fat frying, which fully submerses the food in the fat.
Traditionally, the blooming onion is battered and fried. This makes a great appetizer and can be served with a variety of sauces for dipping. However, if you want to save some time and energy while still enjoying this fun appetizer, you can try making an air fryer version.