Copycat French's Fried Onions Recipe from Scratch (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in French's French fried onions? ›

Ingredients: Onions, Palm Oil, Wheat Flour, Salt & Dextrose. No preparation necessary. French's® Crispy Fried Onions are versatile and ready to use to inspire chef creativity.

"In lieu of crispy French fried onions on top of your casserole, try a different crunchy topping instead," Lonergan says. Lonergan suggests: Butter + Ritz cracker crumbs. Coarsely crushed potato chips.

I think the trick for great fried onions too is to make sure the onions are sliced thin. This way you get ultra-crispy fried onions.

Optional: Soak onions in ice water for 15 minutes and pat them completely dry before frying. This neutralizes the flavors and brings out a hint of sweetness instead of a harsher bite. It also makes them a bit crunchier. Place cooling racks over a baking sheet next to where you'll be frying.

Common flavorings are salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, garlic powder, parsley, chives, Worcestershire sauce pepper sauce and others.

Sautéing is the best for when you want a soft texture and a mild onion flavor, such as the base for soups or sauces. In contrast, caramelizing onions is a more time-intensive process. Still, it transforms the onions into a deep brown jam, reaching a level of sweetness that sautéed onions just don't achieve.

Caramelizing or sauteing onions on low or moderate heat causes a reaction between the sugars and the proteins. The onions turn brown, the sugars come free, and the sulphuric compounds react over and over until the pungent flavor is gone and the sweet sugar flavor remains.

Heat oil or butter over medium-high heat until hot in a large skillet or pan. Use about 1 Tbsp. fat per small to medium onion (you can use just about any fat). If you want to sauté onions without oil, use a nonstick pan and add a small amount of water or vegetable broth to help keep onions from sticking.

Onions - soaking in cold water to soften the flavor

When preparing raw onions, soak in cold water before hand to remove some of the pungency and soften the flavor. However since soaking too long will dilute the flavor, soaking in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes is recommended. Squeeze out excess water before using.

Make sure you have chosen a frying pan that will hold your onions snugly, but still gives you plenty of room to stir. Place the pan on your burner over a medium heat and add the oil or fat called for in your recipe. Then add your onions along with a pinch of salt. Sweat the onions.

What does adding salt to frying onions do? ›

Adding salt to onions draws out their moisture and softens them. How often have you "sweated" an onion in your cooking life? This predominant cooking technique refers to cooking onion in some fat over low or medium heat, causing it to soften and release some of its moisture (via The Spruce Eats).

Milk was also very effective at removing the sulfur compounds, but it left the onions tasting washed-out. The best method—better than even plain water—was our own: a baking-soda solution (1 tablespoon per cup of water).

Then you just have to wait long enough for the vinegar to do its job, rinsing away the harsh sulfurous compounds, softening the onion, and giving it a pleasantly tart pop of flavor. If you use red wine vinegar, my personal favorite, the onions also turn an amazing hot-pink color.

A simple and quick way to do that, according to chef Rick Bayless, is to pour boiling water over the chopped onions. That's pretty much all you need to know. This step makes the onions much mellower and is an easy alternative to sauteing onions in a pan for 10 minutes to take the "flame" out of them.

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, white pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt together in a bowl. Stir in cooled onions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

French's® Crispy Fried Onions are non-GMO, dairy-free, vegetarian, kosher and free from high fructose corn syrup.

POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CANOLA, PALM, SOYBEAN, SUNFLOWER), SALT, DISODIUM DIHYDROGEN PYROPHOSPHATE (TO PROMOTE COLOR RETENTION), COLORING (CARAMEL, ANNATTO, TURMERIC), DEXTROSE.