Bloomin onion bites are a bite-sized, less intimidating version of the Outback favorite. This appetizer features perfectly seasoned, breaded onion pieces fried to perfection and served with a zesty dipping sauce.
I’ve always loved Outback’s Blooming Onion.
But it’s one of those things that, ambitious as I may be in the kitchen, I’ve always been way too nervous to try myself at home.
Perfectly battering and frying a whole onion to crispy, golden perfection? Too far out of my league.
But, wedges of onion?
Um, that I can totally handle!
And the result is the same flavors and textures of the Outback favorite! That’s reason enough to celebrate right there.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need a set of ingredients for the onion bites themselves and a set for the dipping sauce.
For the bloomin onion bites, you’ll need:
- Onions– These bites are best with a big sweet onion like a Vidalia but will work as well if you only have regular onions. Cut them into wedges
- Flour– All purpose flour to coat the onion bites.
- Spices– Cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme, oregano, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper
- Eggs– To help the breading stick.
- Milk– Whatever kind you’ve got on hand to mix with the eggs but whole milk works best.
- Water– Also to mix into the egg. Substitute with milk if you are using low fat milk.
- Oil– For frying
For the dipping sauce you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise– Full fat mayonnaise and not mayonnaise style dressing works best.
- Sour cream– Again, full fat is best. Don’t have sour cream? Substitute greek yogurt.
- Ketchup
- Seasonings– Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, paprika, cayenne pepper and black pepper
How to Make
Start by whisking together all the dip ingredients. Set the dip aside in the refrigerator.
Then cut the onion in half and make slices down the onion to make wedges.
After you’ve cut the onion toss together the flour and seasonings.
Whisk the eggs, milk and water together in a second bowl.
Then, make sure the onion slices are separated and put them in a large ziploc bag.
Add about 3/4 cup of the flour mixture to the onion bag and shake well to coat.
Using a fork, gently lift out about 6 onion wedges and put them into the egg mixture.
Then, remove them from the egg mixture and dip them into the flour mixture in the bowl, gently tossing them to coat.
Set on a rack while coating the rest of the onions.
Gently tap the rack to remove excess flour before frying.
Then, heat a deep fryer or a couple of inches of oil in a pan to 360-375 degrees.
Deep fry the onions in the fryer or oil in small batches for about 6 minutes or until browned and crispy, making sure not to overcrowd them.
Remove from oil, drain on paper towels.
Serve warm with chilled dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes and just reheat them in the broiler for a minute until warmed through and crispy.
Storing leftovers
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What oil should I fry the onion petals in?
I recommend using an oil with a high smoke point like canola or peanut oil.
Using a different oil may result in soft, soggy onion petals.
Tips and Tricks
- These do taste the best with a big sweet white onion .
- Be sure to cut the wedges nice and thick.
- Don’t overcrowd your pan or fryer in order to allow all of the onion bits to get nice and crispy.
Other Fried Appetizers You’ll Love
Bloomin onion bites are a hit for snacking on anytime or serving at parties. Make them for your next occasion and enjoy!
Looking for other fried appetizer recipes? Try these:
- Shrimp Toast
- Nonna’s City Chicken
- Fried Olives with Garlic Aioli
- Crab Rangoon
- Dill Pickle Chips
- Cajun Style Fried Deviled Eggs
If you’ve tried this BLOOMIN ONION BITES, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Bloomin Onion Bites with Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For The Onion Bites
- 1 large sweet onion or 2 medium onions
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon each thyme and oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- Oil for frying
For The Dipping Sauce
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream or greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all dip ingredients and set aside, preferably in the refrigerator.
- Cut the onion in half 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 1/2 cup water.
- Ensure onion slices are separated and place the onion wedges in a large ziploc bag. Add about 3/4 cup of the flour mixture and shake well to coat. 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.)
- Place on a rack while coating all of the onions. Gently tap the rack to remove excess flour before frying.
- Heat deep fryer or a couple of inches of oil in a pan to 360-375 degrees. 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. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels.
- Serve warm with chilled dipping sauce.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Spend with Pennies
originally published April 30, 2014
I haven’t made these in years. Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to get started! 🙂
You’re quite welcome! I have a weakness for fried foods 😉
As do I! 🙂
This reminds me of onion rings, perfectly fried and a pleasure to eat. Thanks for sharing!
I’m loving the sound of these. Something different to have with drinks!! Thankd
Oops meant thanks!
You’re welcome guys! They’d make a fantastic snack to munch on over a few drinks with friends.