We were enjoying some time with friends at the Kansas State Fair one year, when I told Joey I was in the mood for a blooming onion and was going to go around the corner to buy one.
I asked if he wanted his own, and he looked at me like I had two heads.
“No. I’m good to share. That’s a lot of fried onion,” he told me.
Fair enough.
While I was waiting for my onion, two ladies in front of me received theirs. They immediately turned around and said, “Hey, while we were waiting, we decided we don’t want this. Do you want it?”
I figured, “Why not?”
When I showed up back to our friends with two blooming onions in tow, I felt like the universe had spoken, but I’m pretty sure Joey thought I made up the whole story just so I wouldn’t have to share with him.
That’s why this week’s recipe really appealed to me. It was a good way to get the flavors of a blooming onion in a small, easy-to-make version.
This recipe, from Trisha Haas, comes from the blog “Salty Side Dish.” You can find the original post at https://www.saltysidedish.com/fried-pearl-onions/. I doubled the seasonings in my version (except the salt). Also, if you want to use an air fryer for this, see her recipe for the directions.
Mini Blooming Onions
Ingredients
- 12 ounces frozen pearl onions thawed and drained well
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying I used about 1 cup
Instructions
- Drain the thawed pearl onions well, and lay them on some paper towels to help dry them as much as possible.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs, and set it aside.
- In another bowl, stir the flour and seasonings together and set it aside.
- Add oil to a skillet (I used a six-inch pan and fried in batches) to about one inch in depth. Heat it over medium-low heat until the oil registers 370 to 400 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Prepare a plate by lining it with paper towels, and set it aside.
- Coat the onions in the beaten eggs, and then transfer them to the bowl with the flour, tossing to coat them completely.
- Tap off any extra flour and carefully drop the coated onions into the hot oil. Let them fry for five to eight minutes or until the onions reach a deep brown color to your liking.
- Remove the fried onions from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on the lined plate to drain.
- Serve the onions while hot, along with your favorite dipping sauce.
These were really tasty. I will say that the cayenne pepper made them have just a slight, lingering spiciness, so if that’s really not your cup of tea, I would leave that out of the mix.
The unfortunate side effect is that our house smelled like the midway at the fair for a bit, though, so be warned. You won’t be able to sneakily give this recipe a try. Everyone will know you made it.
But if you like a blooming onion like I do, this was so much easier to make, and it was less work and mess than even onion rings, which I also appreciated.
Joey shared this plate with me as a nice side to a meal, and I opted not to remind him of the free blooming onion story. I’m still not totally sure he believes my version of the tale. Regardless, I would also like to state for the record that he didn’t end up complaining about getting to indulge in some fried, onion-y goodness, either.
This piece first appeared in print Nov. 7, 2024.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
