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!
Ha! Autocorrect… PANKO mixture, not Pablo mixture. ;-)
what can i use as a substitute for the eggs to coat the onion? i just don’t like eggs at all ;(
You can just leave them out. I used olive oil instead.
I just got the panko breadcrumbs! I’m making it tonight. So excited!!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this — love onions, love the presentation and love that it’s baked. Thank YOU!
This is the best the best Blooming Onion takes a little time but well worth it.
This looks like it’s going to be good. I’m going to make one tonight to try it. Then I’ll make another for the Super Bowl!!
What happens if you dip the whole onion in the egg mixture? Too much goo?
Probably too much goo. I found it was easier to brush it on (although it does take an extra minute or two).
Giving this a bash tonight for dinner club…. will post feedback!!! Can’ wait to taste the finished product!!!
I wish the comments were more helpful. Want to know how it turned out for others, if they liked it or not. mostly it’s just inane “looks pretty” or “can’t wait to try”. Yeah, we can all see how nice it looks, now if someone can just let the rest of us know how it’s worked out for them. I would have been more apt to trying this over others if people spent less time making flattering remarks about the photos.
With apologies to Ali, it’s not your fault, I’m just frustrated by the glut of unsubstantial comments. With so many different recipes out there user comments can be helpful when they offer more than “it looks so pretty”.
I’m sure this will be just yummmy.