Onion Petals

Onion Petals with copycat Outback dipping sauce could not be any more crave-worthy. Sweet onion petals are battered, and deep fried to a crispy and golden brown, served with signature bloom’ sauce, need I say more?

When it comes to iconic restaurant appetizers, Outback’s Bloomin’ Onion will automatically come to mind. Our recipe for Onion Petals is so spot on, especially served alongside our dipping sauce you will immediately be transported into the restaurant.

As you know by now, I love making copycat recipes of my favorite foods. Our recipe today is no exception.

Save time and money by making your favorite dishes at home? Yes, please! I’m all about saving money these days, and you will be shocked at how much you will save making this recipe.

Full of simple ingredients, these Onion Petals go together in no time and are a true crowd-pleaser. I love when I get asked to make these because I get to indulge in one of my favorite appetizers of all time. 

Even my picky husband, who HATES onions, absolutely goes nuts every time I make these. I say that’s a score in my book.

Some of our other favorite appetizers that we have on our site include: Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip, Fried Mac and Cheese Balls, and Sausage Dip Pinwheels. 

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: 

• There is no tricky cutting to make one gigantic bloomin’ onion.
• Spot-on copycat recipe.
• Total crowd-pleasing appetizer.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW): 

• Mayonnaise
• Sour cream
• Ketchup
• Prepared horseradish
• Garlic
• Kosher Salt
• Black pepper
• Smoked paprika
• Cayenne
• Sweet onion
• All-purpose flour
• Seasoned salt
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Buttermilk
• Egg

HOW TO MAKE ONION PETALS:

1. Make the sauce first by whisking together the mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, horseradish, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until serving.
2. Cut the root off of the onion and discard the peel. Cut the onion in half, then into 4ths. Cut the wedges again in half, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
4. In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
5. Separate the onion petals and place them into a gallon-sized zipper bag. Add ¼ cup of the flour mixture to the bag. Seal the bag and toss the onion petals in the flour.
6. Taking a handful of the petals at a time, tap off the excess flour. Dip them into the buttermilk mixture. Let any excess drip off.
7. Add the petals directly to the bowl with the flour mixture and coat them well, tap off any excess.
8. Place the petals onto a parchment-lined sheet tray and continue coating the rest of the petals.
9. Heat your deep fryer or large skillet with deep sides with 2 inches of oil to 350°F. Once hot, dry the prepared onion petals for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
10. Place the fried petals onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Then, place them on a wire rack over a sheet tray while you fry the remaining petals, so they don’t become soggy.
11. Once all of the petals are done frying, serve them with the sauce and enjoy.

ARE THEY SPICY?

Not at all. You get that slight heat from the horseradish, but that disappears quickly.

To amp up the heat, you can add more cayenne to the dipping sauce and flour mixture. Or a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce with the buttermilk will help too!

WHAT KIND OF ONION SHOULD I USE?

We prefer to use a sweet onion for this, like a Vidalia. The contrast of sweetness from the onion compliments the dish’s other savory aspects.

If you don’t have access to a sweeter onion, you can use yellow or white onion in its place.

CAN THIS BE MADE IN ADVANCE?

I suggest making the sauce in advance. I like to make it the day before, cover it, and place it in the fridge overnight. 

It is even better the next day, so I like to make it ahead of time when I can. 

The onions need to be fried right before serving for optimal crispiness.

HOW TO STORE:

These are best eaten right away, and we rarely have leftovers. However, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To reheat, I suggest warming them by adding them back to your deep fryer or hot oil, this will make them crispy again. Or, you can warm them in the oven on a wire rack over a sheet tray.

They can be frozen after frying or after being fully breaded for up to 3 months.

Place the fully breaded petals onto a parchment paper-lined sheet tray. Place into the freezer until frozen solid, then place the petals in a freezer-safe container or bag. You can fry from frozen, but it may take a little longer to cook.

TIPS AND TRICKS: 

• Add more cayenne or hot sauce to amp up the heat.
• This can be frozen before or after frying, see above on how to do that.
• This can easily be doubled or tripled.
• Use a sweet onion if you can, if not, a white or yellow onion will work.
• Make the sauce the day before if time allows.

Looking for that crowd-pleasing, irresistible appetizer everyone will love? These Onion Petals are truly that and more!

If you like this recipe you might also like:

• • Alice Springs Chicken Copycat
  • Fried Cheese Curds
  • Copycat Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup

If you’ve tried this ONION PETALS recipe let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!