These Beer Battered Onion Petals have all the crispy, flavorful appeal of a blooming onion but are much easier to make. Sweet onion petals are coated in a light, beer-based batter and fried until golden and crisp, then served with a spicy Sriracha mayonnaise for dipping.
The recipe comes together quickly and is perfect for an appetizer, snack, game-day gathering, or casual get-together. Cooking the onion petals in small batches helps keep them crisp and golden, while the amount of cayenne and Sriracha can be adjusted to suit your guests’ taste.
Serve them immediately while they’re hot and crispy, with plenty of spicy mayo on the side. They’re an easy way to enjoy blooming-onion flavor without all the work of making a traditional blooming onion.
Beer Battered Onion Petals Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- canola oil for frying
- 2 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
- 12 oz beer your favorite beer, light is suggested
- 1 teaspoon cayenne red pepper sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 small onions Vidalia or other sweet onion
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1½ tablespoons Sriracha and ½ cup mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Add about 1½ inches of canola oil to a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and paper towels for draining the fried onion petals.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Peel and rinse the onions. Cut each onion into quarters and separate the layers into individual petals. Discard the small center pieces. If any petals are especially wide, cut them in half.
- Remove ¼ cup of the seasoned flour mixture and place it in a separate shallow dish.
- Toss the onion petals in the reserved dry flour, coating them lightly.
- Pour the 12 ounces beer into the remaining seasoned flour mixture. Stir gently with a fork just until combined. The batter should remain slightly lumpy; do not overmix.
- Working in small batches, dip the floured onion petals into the beer batter. Shake off any excess batter.
- Carefully place the battered onion petals into the 350°F oil. Fry for about 2–3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Do not overcrowd the pot.
- Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the onion petals to the prepared baking sheet. Allow excess oil to drain.
- Repeat with the remaining onion petals, allowing the oil to return to 350°F between batches.
- Serve immediately with the chilled Sriracha mayonnaise for dipping.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Art of Cooking Recipes (Paulson Pursuits} is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
