Fans of crunchy onions, this one’s for you! These crispy fried Tobacco Onions will have you “taste-testing” the whole batch.
I grew up in a household filled with onions. I swear, onions were in everything my mom or dad ever cooked for us kids. Dad bought them by the sack and froze them in portions so we’d always have diced onions easily available to cook with. Sometimes we’d run out of household staples before the grocery trip was made, but we never ran out of onions. You’d think we had an onion farm growing out back.
As you might imagine, I ate onions in every way imaginable. Baked in casseroles, braised in stews, battered and fried as onion rings, and cooked down into delicious caramel goo for French onion soup. And every once in a while, we’d be treated to crispy tobacco onions.
It’s not what you think! Tobacco onions aren’t related to the stuff you smoke, and they certainly don’t taste like cigars. Rather, they taste kind of like onion rings, but without the thick batter. The crunch of tobacco onions is very satisfying, and the recipe I’ll share with you today gives them an extra dose of flavor, incorporating garlic, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Beware, though: they’re extremely snackable, so you could easily end up eating the whole batch in minutes!
Are Tobacco Onions Healthy?
Tobacco onions aren’t a healthy food, but you probably could’ve seen that coming, right? These onions are deep-fried in oil after being dredged in flour. Onions do have some nutrients on their own, such as antioxidants, some fiber, and trace amounts of minerals like potassium and manganese. But I wouldn’t say it’s enough to make up for the negative aspects of deep-fried food.
If you want to make this guilty pleasure a little less guilty, you can use an oil with a higher health profile, like avocado oil, instead of vegetable oil. You might also consider swapping all-purpose flour for whole-wheat or chickpea flour for extra nutrients and fiber. Overall, this recipe is vegan, so at least there’s that!
The Fine Art Of Deep-Frying Onions
Deep-frying is, overall, a very simple cooking method that can result in delicious, crispy food. But lots of people go through a bit of trial and error before they end up with perfectly fried food. I have a few important tips for frying, so keep these in mind for golden, crunchy onions!
- Make sure your oil is the right temperature: This is the golden rule of deep-frying! You’ll want to check the oil temperature with a frying thermometer before and during cooking, and also between batches. The temperature should be as close to 350°F as possible when you add the onions, if not a smidgen higher, as the oil will cool off a bit when you add the onions. If the oil gets too hot, it may start to smoke, so it’s important to monitor the temperature throughout the cooking process. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the flour on the onions may float away in the pot. Don’t be afraid to adjust the heat a little when necessary.
- Pat the onions dry before you dredge them in flour: A little moisture is fine, but if your onions are overly juicy when you dredge them, the seasoned flour may float away in the pot as they fry, and the oil may “spit” at you when you add the onions, which leads me to my next tip…
- Be very careful when you add food to hot oil: Oil burns are awful, and depending on what you’re frying, the oil could start to crackle and spit at you when you add it to the pot. I like to use a slotted metal spoon with a wooden handle to add the onions to the pot, just in case the oil gets angry.
- Cook in batches: I know it’s tempting to get it all done in one go, but overcrowding the pot could result in a temperature drop, which could compromise the crispy exterior of the tobacco onions. Also, if the hot oil can’t get to all the surface areas of each onion, you’ll end up with soggy bits of onion. Just trust me and cook in batches!
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Honestly, it’s best to not have any leftover tobacco onions! You may be able to rescue the crispiness in an air fryer, but they’re truly at their best right out of the pot. If you do end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Even if they’re soggy, you might find uses for them, like on top of soups or sandwiches!
Serving Suggestions
Burgers and tobacco onions are meant for each other, so if you do end up with some tobacco onions after all the taste-testing, load up your burgers with them! Whether you like Cajun Burgers With Sweet Potato Buns, Black Bean Burgers, or Hawaiian Pizza Burgers, sprinkling some tobacco onions on top is sure to add an extra pop of flavor. Tobacco onions are also an excellent topper for decadent steak recipes, like Oven-Cooked Top Sirloin Steak or Keto Steak With Garlic Butter Mushrooms.
For those interested in non-pub grub options, you can also easily work tobacco onions as a topping on a wide range of salads, soups, and appetizers. For example, try sprinkling some of these fried onions on savory Pulled Pork Mac And Cheese or healthy Quinoa With Roasted Vegetables. Whatever you’re cooking up—as long as it’s not a dessert—there’s a good chance tobacco onions will complement your feast.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large, heavy pot to 375℉.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and salt.
- Toss the onion slices in the flour mixture until they are well coated, shaking off any excess.
- Fry the coated onion slices in batches until they are golden brown and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer the fried onions to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and crisp up further.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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