Easy Baked Blooming Onion Recipe | Wicked Spatula (2024)

A healthy, easy baked blooming onion recipe - yes, really! I'll teach you how to cut a blooming onion and how to make a blooming onion that's healthy, gluten-free and paleo friendly.

by Maya Last Updated on May 29, 2020 29 Comments

This delicious baked blooming onion recipe tastes exactly like you would expect a blooming onion to taste like! Perfectly golden and crunchy and smothered in horseradish dipping sauce that has just enough bite to keep you coming back for more. And if you haven’t made anything like this before, I promise it looks scarier than it is. I’ll walk you through how to cut a blooming onion and how to make a blooming onion perfectly crispy using healthy ingredients.

In fact, it’s hard to believe that this easy blooming onion recipe is paleo and gluten-free. Honestly, if you served this onion appetizer to someone who had no idea what paleo or gluten free is, they couldn’t tell a bit of difference. It’s that classic.

I intentionally used small onions since these were supposed to be mini versions, which are perfect for game-day appetizers. They look pretty large in the pictures but I think they are the perfect individual size. This baked blooming onion recipe can be made with any size onion, though. As written, the dredge will coat about 5 baseball size onions.

What Is A Blooming Onion?

A blooming onion is a battered appetizer that is notoriously fried in oil and served with spicy dipping sauce.

The blooming onion get’s it’s name because after it’s cut, it looks very similar to a flower. It also goes by several other names, like onion flower, onion blossom, and onion bloom.

Most restaurant and even homemade blooming onion recipes are not healthy, but this one is!

How To Cut A Blooming Onion

Cutting a blooming onion looks difficult, but don’t worry. I promise it doesn’t have to be.

I’m going to teach you how to cut a blooming onion easily. When you first look at an onion blossom, you might be terrified that you won’t be able to cut it right. I promise it is the easiest thing ever!

• Cut 1/2 inch off the pointy side of the onion, and peel the outer skin away from that side. Tear it off the other end, but don’t cut off the other end of the onion.
• Lay the onion cut side down and begin making vertical cuts downward, starting a half inch from the top. Don’t start all the way at the top! The half inch is what will hold the onion petals together.
• Keep making slices, until you end up with 8-12 slits depending on the size of the onion.
• Flip the onion over and watch it blossom.

Here is how the blooming onions look after flipping over:

How To Make A Blooming Onion

Now that you know how to cut a blooming onion, we are ready to learn how to make a blooming onion.

1. Make the blooming onion dipping sauce

Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, prepared horseradish, cayenne pepper, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator until it is ready to use.

2. Batter the blooming onion

Whisk an egg in a small bowl. Get another bowl and add flour (I used almond and tapioca flours to keep this healthy!) and seasonings together.

Dip an onion into the egg, making sure to get the inside and outside of the onion covered in egg, allowing the excess to fall off. Next, gently press the onion into the flour mixture.

PRO TIP: The easiest way to coat the onion in flour is to place it in the center of the bowl and use a spoon to get it onto each petal. It takes a couple of minutes, but it is worth it when you bite into that crunchy crust.

Continue this process until all the onions have been coated with the egg and flour mixture. Place bloom-side-up on the baking sheet.

3. Bake the blooming onion

Cover the blooming onions with aluminum foil and begin baking for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes is up, remove the foil and continue to cook for an additional 8 minutes.

PRO TIP: Don’t skip covering the blooming onions with foil because this step allows them to start cooking. If you skip the step, you will end up with burnt exteriors and raw onions.

You can also make blooming onions in an air fryer.

Next, carefully coat the onion blossoms with melted coconut oil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. This is when they start getting extra crispy. If after 15 minutes they aren’t crispy enough, you can broil them for up to 5 minutes.

Now, you can dig in. Don’t forget the horseradish sauce!

How Do You Store Leftover Baked Blooming Onion?

If you happen to have leftover baked blooming onion, you can store it in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container. When freezing, place in a freezer bag first, then the airtight container.

Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.

How To Reheat A Blooming Onion

You can reheat a blooming onion by placing it in the oven at 350 degrees F and baking for 10-15 minutes. You can broil the baked blooming onion at the end to crisp up again. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

What To Serve With This Easy Blooming Onion Recipe

While this easy blooming onion recipe is so delicious you could eat it all by itself, you might want some ideas for the main course. Here are some of my favorites that pair nicely:

• Beef Chuck Eye Steak
• Spicy Honey BBQ Chicken Wings
• Chipotle Cauliflower Burgers