Crispy “Bloomed” Onion – Better Than Bloomin’

This no-fry version of Outback’s famous “Bloomin’ Onion” is way easier to make, way less messy, and yet tastes every bit as good. Maybe better, since every bite is perfectly cooked, and crispy. In fact, this came out so well, I didn’t even think about making a sauce to go with it, although that might be a nice addition.

Over the years, I’ve received many food wishes for a copycat bloomin’ onion video, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. First of all, you need a special cutting device to really get it right, but mostly it’s the deep-frying part that turned me off. This is one of those things that’s easy to make using a giant, restaurant deep fryer, but in the home kitchen setting, not so much. Which is why I loved this approach so much.

We really do get an extremely similar experience here, and the doneness of the onion is almost identical to what comes out of a deep fryer. The “petals” are sweet, and tender, but not soft, as well as each and every one contains the perfect amount of crispy crumbs. I was also going to say this version is way less greasy, but not everyone would consider that an advantage.

Regarding my “onion nachos” comment in the video, I think this recipe would go beautifully with all sorts of additions. Basically, if it’s good with onions, it would be good scattered over the top of this. Either way, whether you make these as shown, or come up with your own variation, I really do hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients to make two 10-12 inch round pans:

4 large red onions, quartered, boiled in heavily salted water as shown

For the crumbs:

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup olive oil, plus a drizzle for the top

2 cloves finely crushed garlic

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for the top

chopped parsley to garnish

- To finish, brown under the broiler, or in a 450 F. oven until crispy and heated through

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