Yes, You Can Make A Blooming Onion At Home - Eater

Skip to main contentApp IconGet ourApp

• Dining Out
• At Home
• Culture
• Travel

App IconAppThe homepageEaterEater logoCurrent eater city: Eater.comNavigation DrawercloseCloseSearch

• MapMaps
• VideoWatch
• App

• Restaurant News
• Maps and Guides
• At Home
• Culture
• Travel
• Newsletters
• ShopExpand
  • Editors’ Picks
  • BooksExternal Link
  • CookwareExternal Link
  • MerchExternal Link
  • Wine ClubExternal Link
• PunchExternal Link
• ThrillistExternal Link
• Gastropod
• All Coverage

Visit another Eater city siteAtlantaAustinBostonCarolinasChicagoDallasDenverDetroitHoustonLas VegasLos AngelesMiamiNashvilleNew OrleansNew YorkPhiladelphiaPhoenixPortland, ORSan DiegoSan FranciscoSeattleTwin CitiesWashington, D.C.Eater.com

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Youtube
• RSS

EaterEater logoYes, You Can Make a Blooming Onion at Home

• Eater at Home ›
• How to Cook

Yes, You Can Make a Blooming Onion at Home

Caveat: It takes a little effort and a lot of oil

by Bettina MakalintalMay 11, 2022, 1:34 PM UTC

• Facebook
• Link

If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

ShutterstockBettina Makalintal is a senior reporter at Eater.com, covering restaurant trends, home cooking advice, and all the food you can’t escape on your TikTok FYP. Previously, she worked for Bon Appétit and VICE’s Munchies.

Like making your own French fries (or sandwich bread), making a blooming onion at home is one of those things that, for most people, is prooobably more effort than it’s worth, especially when Old Reliable, the blooming onion from Outback, generally runs about $9 to $11. But maybe you’re not most people; you’re undeterred by a vat of hot oil and satisfied by the prospect of doing things your damn self.

For you, we asked a few restaurant chefs who’ve put onion blossoms on their menus for their best tips for making one at home. There are a lot of blooming onion recipes on the internet so the specifics of your process may vary, but these general practices should get you the best results possible.

The first step to blooming an onion is cutting it. You’re in luck! Several devices exist for this purpose. Generally, these provide a corer and a guide for cutting the onion into equal segments. If you’re not into single-purpose kitchen gadgets, you can carefully give it a go without one. “Work in a geometric fashion,” says Brent Young, co-host of Eater video series Prime Time and owner of Brooklyn’s Cozy Royale, which recently put a flowering onion on its menu. Make a cut downward on the part of the onion that’s closest to you, then turn the onion so your next cut can be directly opposing it, he explains. Work your way around until you have even cuts around the whole thing.

After cutting your onion, you’ll want to separate and fan out all the petals before dipping the onion into a liquid like buttermilk, recommends Tom Cunanan, owner of DC’s Pogiboy. His flowering onion, which is called the “Blooming sam-Pogi-ta” as a reference to the national flower of the Philippines, is a big hit with Pogiboy’s clientele. After shaking off the excess liquid, toss the onion into your seasoned dredge mixture. Then, “make sure you’re massaging every petal with flour and shaking off the excess,” Cunanan says.

When it’s time to fry, you’ll want to go for at least a five-quart stockpot, which will fit the fanned-out onion, Young recommends. Make sure to leave a few inches of room between the top of the pot and the level of your oil in order to avoid any overflow, since the oil generally bubbles up when you add the onion. A large pot will help avoid overflowing oil, since the oil generally bubbles up when you add the onion, he says. For best results, the onion should hit the oil bloomin’ side down, and then get flipped to finish it off once it’s golden brown. If you start the onion the other way and it’ll cook, but it just won’t look its best, Young says.

After you remove the onion from the oil, you can go a step further with your flavorings and toppings. Young goes for sour cream, chipotle mayo, and caviar, while Cunanan opts for Mama Sita’s sinigang mix, a powdered base for Filipino tamarind soup, and a side of crab fat mayo. Go off-script and use seasonings and sauces to put your own spin on the format. When you make your own blooming onion, the only limit is your imagination.

Related

• A Recipe for Beer-Battered Onion Blossoms

Eater Today

The freshest news from the food world every day

Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.See More:

• How to Cook

Most Popular

1. Where to Eat in 2026
2. British Food Is Here
3. Here Are the 2026 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists
4. The Best Housewarming Gifts (That You’ll Want for Yourself)
5. Taiwanese Breakfast, Beef Noodle Soup, and Craft Beer: How I Eat My Way Around Taipei

Eater Today

The freshest news from the food world every day

Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

More in How to Cook

The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Korean-Style Barbecue While CampingConsider the Savory (Cheese) S’moreThe Best Ways to Use Lychee in Home CookingIs Building Your Own Backyard Barbacoa Pit Worth It?Quarter Sheet Pans Are the Unsung Heroes of My KitchenHow to Season and Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet So It Lasts ForeverGo Eat OutsideSep 24, 2025Go Eat OutsideSep 24, 2025The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Korean-Style Barbecue While Camping

From the meat cuts to bring (and marinate!) to how to set up your grill

By James ParkGo Eat OutsideSep 24, 2025Go Eat OutsideSep 24, 2025Consider the Savory (Cheese) S’more

How to remix your next campfire s’more, according to a cheesemonger

By Kat ThompsonEater at HomeJul 31, 2025Eater at HomeJul 31, 2025The Best Ways to Use Lychee in Home Cooking

Canned and fresh lychee are perfect for cocktails, salads, and more

By Katrina YentchIs It Worth It?Jul 18, 2025Is It Worth It?Jul 18, 2025Is Building Your Own Backyard Barbacoa Pit Worth It?

“Why do I keep doing this? No one asked for barbacoa in a pit.”

By Mike DiagoHow to CookJul 15, 2025How to CookJul 15, 2025Quarter Sheet Pans Are the Unsung Heroes of My Kitchen

Underbaked cookies, begone

By Amy McCarthyEater at HomeJul 11, 2025Eater at HomeJul 11, 2025How to Season and Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet So It Lasts Forever

With some simple maintenance, a cast-iron skillet is basically indestructible

By Rai MinceyAdvertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

The Latest

2:00 PM UTCBritish Food Is HereJan 28Chef Mashama Bailey and Restaurateur John O. Morisano’s Guide to ParisJan 28Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Guide to Addis AbabaJan 28Chef Eric Sze’s Guide to Eating in Taipei, TaiwanJan 28Where to Eat in 2026Jan 23Where to Buy Truffles and Bonbons for Valentine’s Day, According to Eater Editors