French S Crispy Fried Onions

About

Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner, and what better than trying some of the best classic holiday recipes from scratch? Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner table is incomplete without side dishes like green bean casserole or soups like broccoli cheddar or cream of mushroom soup which in turn are incomplete without the addition of crispy and crunchy fried onion topping. Basically, fried onions are a perfect garnish on all your dinner casseroles and soups.

Ingredients

1 pound Onions, thinly sliced (500 grams or 16 oz approx)2 cups Buttermilk (homemade or store-bought)1 cup All purpose flour1 teaspoon Paprika or Red chile powder½ to 1 teaspoon Onion powder, optional¾ teaspoon SaltOil for frying

How to make the best homemade French’s crispy fried onions from scratch

Soak onions in buttermilk for a minimum of 10 minutes to up to 1 hr. Soaking sliced onions in buttermilk helps to mellow down any sharp flavors. In a large plate or bowl, add flour, paprika, onion powder, and salt, and mix. Drain the buttermilk from onions as much as possible and dredge it in the flour in batches (check out the video here). Heat oil in a pan on a medium flame for frying. Once hot, add the dredged onions and fry them on a medium-high flame in batches until crispy and golden brown. Transfer it to a paper towel using a slotted spoon. Store it in an airtight container and use it as and when needed.

Pro Tips

Deep frying will give the best results over the air fryer or oven method.Drain as much buttermilk as possible before you dredge for a light and crisp coating.Adjust the spices you add to the flour as per your taste. You can even add cajun seasoning or pizza seasoning if desired. Or simply add pepper powder and salt for a minimum spice flavor.Make sure you slice the onion as thin as possible - mine was about 3 to 4 mm thick.It is important to fry the onion on medium-high flame. If you fry on a low flame, it will absorb excess oil, and frying on a high flame will burn your onion strings.The total frying time depends on the onions’ thickness, the flame’s intensity, and the material of the pan used.To check if the oil is hot, add a small piece of onion and see if it sizzles and comes up.

How to make French’s fried onions without buttermilk?

There are two ways you make onion rings without buttermilk.

Crispy fried onions in an air fryer

Follow the same steps as above for cutting the onions, soaking in milk/buttermilk, and dredging with flour. Spray your air fryer rack with oil. Arrange the dredged onion slices in a single layer in your air fryer and spray some more oil. Air fry it at 360 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes or until crispy.

Crispy fried onions in an oven

Follow the same steps to cut the onion, soaking the onion slices in buttermilk and dredging them with flour. Now line a baking pan with parchment paper or grease your baking pan. Arrange the flour-coated onion slices in a single layer. Spray oil. Bake in preheated 425 degrees F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden brown and crispy.