One of my favorite memories with my grandma back in the day was going to dinner at Chili’s. My mom would order a salad, my sister would order chicken fingers, and my grandma and my dad and I would all order the baby back ribs, which inevitably brought on a rendition of everyone singing the famous jingle (with bar-be-que sauce!).
But before we dove into our messy main courses, every now and then we would treat ourselves to their famous “awesome blossom”. Or as other restaurants call it, a blooming onion. I found out later that this deep-fried onion topped the charts at the time for the most unhealthy thing you could order at the restaurant, but boy was it good!!! We all loved dipping those onion petals in that heavenly sauce — so much so, that we were often completely full before our entrees arrived! Oh, to have the metabolism of a kid. :)
I admit I haven’t had a blooming onion in at least a decade. But when I recently posted a lightened up version of another restaurant favorite, it reminded me of the famous awesome blossom. And I got to thinking what it would take to lighten it up! Sure enough, my favorite way to “oven-fry” other dishes worked like a charm with this dish, and my baked blooming onion was born! Just coat an onion with a heck of a lot of seasoned panko, bake it in the oven, and you’re good to go!
It is definitely different than the deep-fried effect. But the panko made this blooming onion crispy, flavorful, and made for a really fun appetizer to share with friends. And I guarantee that everyone will be so impressed with how you got the onion to “bloom”! Definitely a timeless treat, made all the better when it’s not loaded with a gazillion calories. Enjoy!
Baked Blooming Onion
Ingredients
For The Blooming Onion:
- 1 large Vidalia onion (or any yellow onion)
- 2/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp. Cajun or blackening seasoning (**see alternate seasonings below**)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- optional sides: ketchup, spicy dipping sauce (see below), ranch dip, honey mustard
!For The Spicy Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or mayo)
- 2 Tbsp. ketchup
- 2 tsp. horseradish sauce
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp. oregano
Instructions
To Make The Blooming Onion:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- On a cutting board, use a knife to cut off the top (not the root) 1/4-inch of the onion until a few of the inside layers are exposed. Peel the outermost layer of the onion down to the root, but leave the root intact.
- Lay the onion on the cutting board so that the flat side (that you just cut) is facing downward. Then use a knife to section the onion into 16ths, beginning with your knife 1/8-inch away from the root and cutting straight down. Once all cuts are complete, turn the onion over and set on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Then use your fingers to gently spread apart the petals. If any of your cuts did not go all the way through, you can use a paring knife to be sure that the entire onion is cut into 16ths.
- (Update: I have had readers give the tip that if you soak your sliced onion in cold water overnight, it will open up naturally on its own.)
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the Panko, Cajun seasoning and salt until combined.
- In a separate (additional) bowl, whisk the eggs until combined.
- Beginning with the lowest (bottom) layers of the onion, brush the top of each petal with the egg mixture until coated, then immediately sprinkle with the Panko mixture. Repeat until all petals are coated. (The panko won’t totally “stick” when the egg is wet, but just press it on with your fingers.) It is kind of tedious, but worth it!
- Carefully form a tent with aluminum foil over the baking sheet until the onion is completely enclosed. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove tent and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the onion is soft and the tips are lightly crisped.
- Remove and serve with desired sauces.
To Make The Spicy Dipping Sauce:
- Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
This is just great, baked not fried and the variety of seasonings are incredible… trying this ASAP.
I love that it’s baked! I’ve had deep fried before, but now I’m going to try this. Beautiful photos.
Go on Google and type in how to cut onion for blooming onion
you will find how too. enjoy
I thought your cutting instructions were great, mine came out lovely. I left mine in for the whole 15 and sprinkled more crumbs on it half way thru when the moisture started coming out. It was great. Iixed hot sauce with sour cream and Cajun seasoning.
Could we get a few more pictures to show how you cut it? Maybe even a video? That would be helpful! I so want to try this, but I’m worried I’ll mess up the cuts!
Are there any other onions that would work besides a vidalia onion? I can’t seem to find a vidalia onion at my local grocery store.
Texas sweet or Florida sweet would also do. Vidalia are fro.m Georgia
I haven’t had one of these in YEARS!! But it used to be my favorite appetizer ever! Love that you found a way to lighten it up, and my husband will love that you made the sauce.
Mmmm this just looks super yummy! I can’t wait to try it (mine is in the oven as I’m typing this)
Made this tonight ……very scrumptious ….thank you from UK
Thank you for a wonderful recipe – can you tell me if you think this would work with another onion type as we dont have vidalia onions in Australia.