A Sweet Vidalia onion sliced, then slow-smoked, then fried in a crispy, golden batter: this Smoke-Fried Onion Blossom is the perfect appetizer for your next backyard BBQ.
Smoke-Fried Onion Blossom
When you finally nail that backyard steak method and you’re looking for the perfect side to go with it, you want this Smoke-Fried Onion Blossom. With just 3 simple ingredients, your smoker, some frying oil, and about an hour, you can create a crispy, smoky, sweet, and savory dish at home alongside any meat you love. Throw in a little of my homemade BBQ ranch for dipping, and you’ve got an appetizer to rival the best steakhouse in town! Let’s get started.
Ingredients for Smoke-Fried Onion Blossom
Nobody will believe you when you tell them, but this blossom comes together with just 3 easy ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need so you can get started:
- Sweet Vidalia onions: Sweet onions are great because they caramelize beautifully and the petals hold up during frying. Avoid yellow onions as they can get mushy.
- Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub: The brown sugar in the rub highlights the natural sweetness of the onions while helping develop a caramelization. Grab some here, if you don’t have any already.
- Hey Grill Hey Crispy Chicken Wing Batter: This batter was made for getting things shatteringly crispy, and it does exactly that on the onion petals. If you don’t have it on hand, you can grab some here!
- BBQ Ranch (for dipping): It’s tangy, smoky, creamy, and it ties the whole thing together. You can make your own following this recipe.
How to Make a Smoke-Fried Onion Blossom
- Preheat the smoker. Set your smoker up to run at 225 degrees F. For wood, go with something light, like maple or alder, so it doesn’t overpower the onion.
- Prepare the onion. Slice the stem off the top of each onion with a sharp knife, then set it cut-side down on the flat bottom. From there, slice down all the way around the onion to create spokes, like on a wagon wheel. It’s critical you don’t cut all the way through the onion. Stop about ½ inch from the bottom so the whole thing stays together as one blossom.
- Smoke the onion. Set the prepared onions directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and smoke for 45 minutes. The petals will start to fan out and soften. When the time is up, transfer them to a cutting board and let them rest for a few minutes before battering.
- Batter the onion. Whisk together the Crispy Chicken Wing Batter with cold water in a medium bowl until smooth. Place each smoked onion into the batter and work it around so every petal gets coated. Any under or over-coated spots won’t fry up as crispy.
- Fry the onion. Heat your cooking oil in a large, heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat. I’ve found cast iron works best. You want the oil at around 350 degrees F before the onions go in. Use an instant-read thermometer so you don’t have to guess. Carefully lower the battered onion into the oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping occasionally with tongs, until it’s golden-brown all over. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter to rest for a few minutes.
- Serve. Plate it up with a bowl of BBQ ranch on the side and dig in while it’s hot.
How Long to Smoke and Fry the Onion Blossom
The smoking phase should take about 45 minutes when smoking at 225 degrees F. You’re not looking for a specific temperature here, just for the onion to soften and fan out. You can adjust the time based on your preferred texture and smoke level.
Frying the onion blossom is a quick process, taking 3 to 4 minutes once your oil is heated to 350 degrees F. When the batter is a golden-brown and crispy, you can pull the onion to cool for a few minutes. Let the oil heat back up between batches to ensure even cooking and crispy petals.
Susie’s Onion Blossom Pro Tips
- Slice straight down. To ensure you blossom fans out evenly, make sure to use a sharp knife and cut straight up and down.
- Use cold water. Mix the batter with cold water right before you fry because warm batter doesn’t crisp as well.
- Don’t skip the rest. The onion needs a few minutes to cool before you batter it. Putting hot onion straight into batter causes it to run off instead of coating evenly.
More Smoke-Fried Favorite Recipes
If you like this crispy smoky onion blossom, you’re going to love the other smoke-fried recipes I’ve got for you. You can find them all (along with over 750 more BBQ recipes) here on the https://homefrontking.com/, as well as in the Hey Grill Hey App. For now, check out these popular recipes:
Simple Smoke-Fried Onion Blossom Recipe
Follow the recipe card below to make this Smoke-Fried Onion Blossom to share with the people you love. After you try this one out, come back and drop a comment and 5-star review below!
Make sure you’re following me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, then tag @heygrillhey when sharing any photos of your bangin’ blossom! I love cheering you on as you become a Backyard BBQ Hero!
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Preheat the smoker. Set your smoker up for 225 degrees F with your favorite wood. I recommend something light like maple or alder.
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Prepare the onion. Cut the stem off the top of the onion using a sharp knife, then set it on the bottom end. Slice the onion all the way around so it looks like spokes on a wagon wheel. Be careful not to slice all the way through so you have an onion blossom rather than petals (petals are delicious with this recipe, but you’ll want to use a grill basket for smoking them). Sprinkle the spoked onion with the Beef Rub.
2 large sweet Vidalia onion, 1 teaspoon Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub
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Smoke the onion. Place the prepared onion directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for about 45 minutes. Transfer the smoked onion to a cutting board to rest for a few minutes.
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Batter the onion. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the Crispy Chicken Wing Batter and cold water until smooth. Next, place the smoked onion in the batter and rotate it, ensuring each petal is evenly coated.
1 cup Hey Grill Hey Crispy Chicken Wing Batter, ¾ cup cold water
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Fry the onion. Preheat the cooking oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottom pan until it reaches a temperature around 350 degrees F. Carefully place the battered onion in the oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping occasionally with tongs. When the onion is crispy golden-brown, remove it to a cutting board or serving platter to rest for a few minutes.
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Serve and enjoy. Serve your fried onion blossom with some BBQ ranch or your favorite dip, and enjoy!
Hey Grill Hey Crispy Chicken Wing Batter
Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 672mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
