Fried onions are slices of

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

s that are either pan fried (sautéed) or deep fried — and consumed as a popular

snack food A snack is a small portion of Human food, food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including Food packaging, packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at ho ...

, garnish, or vegetable accompaniment to various recipes.

Sautéed onions

Common fried onions are cooked by basic

pan frying Pan frying or pan-frying is a form of frying food characterized by the use of minimal cooking oil or fat (compared to shallow frying or deep frying), typically using just enough to lubricate the pan. In the case of a greasy food such as bacon, ...

sautéing Sautéing or sauteing (, ; , , 'jumped', 'bounced', in reference to tossing while cooking) is a method of cooking that uses a relatively small amount of oil or fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Various sauté methods exist. Descr ...

of sliced

s. This produces a fairly soft cooked onion, which may brown some from a Maillard reaction, depending on the length of cooking and the temperature. The Philadelphia cheesesteak is a hot sandwich commonly served with sautéed onions, and they are half of the dish called liver and onions. In the Middle East, mujaddara is a dish made of lentils and rice topped with fried onions. In Indian cuisine, fried onions are one of the key ingredients for the rice dish called

biryani Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating in South Asia, made with rice, meat (chicken, goat, lamb, beef) or seafood (prawns or fish), and spices. To cater to vegetarians, the meat or seafood can be substituted with vegetables or pane ...

Crisp fried onions

If the much higher temperature, immersive,

deep frying Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly Cooking oil, oil, as opposed to the shallow frying used in conventional frying done in a fryi ...

is used, this prepares the onions in a manner similar to that of

French fried potatoes French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...

. In Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia, known as ''rostad lök/ristede løg/stekte løk'', they are a staple garnish for

hot dogs A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...

or ''tunnbrödsrulle'', served in local fast food restaurants or by street vendors (which are common in large cities such as

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

and

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

). Crisp fried onions are also used in

biriyani Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating in South Asia, made with rice, meat (chicken, goat, lamb, beef) or seafood (prawns or fish), and spices. To cater to vegetarians, the meat or seafood can be substituted with vegetables or pane ...

for layering and garnishing. They are also a crucial component of the Egyptian national dish kushari, which in addition to always being topped with crispy fried onions, the lentils and/or rice are frequently cooked using the oil in which the onions were fried. They are called " French fried onions" in Southern cooking of the United States. Smaller and irregularly shaped (from being deep-fried until they are crunchy) onions are an integral part of the American dish green bean casserole. Freshly made crisp fried onions may be used as garnishes in some restaurants.

Variations

Onion rings

Large, often ring-shaped, batter-coated, deep-fried onions are often associated with fast food and

casual dining Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the US, while categor ...

. Examples include onion rings and blooming onions.

Fried shallot

Shallot The shallot is a cultivar group of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the difference was t ...

, a variety of onion, is fried and used in various parts of Asia as a garnish and flavouring ingredient. This includes bawang goreng in

Indonesian cuisine Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions by various ethnic groups that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed ...

, ''you cong su'' (油蔥酥) from

Taiwanese cuisine Taiwanese cuisine ( or ) is a popular style of food with several variations, including Chinese cuisine, Chinese and that of Taiwanese indigenous peoples, with the earliest cuisines known of being the indigenous ones. With over a hundred years of ...

, as well as in Thai cuisine. Shallots are thinly sliced and deep fried in plenty of

cooking oil Cooking oil (also known as edible oil) is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing h ...

until golden crisp, and often placed in a tight glass jar for later use. Fried shallot has a slightly bitter yet savoury flavour. Crispy fried shallots are often sprinkled upon steamed rice,

satay Satay ( , in the US also ), or sate in Indonesia, is a Javanese cuisine, Javanese dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay originated in Java, but has spread throughout Indonesia, into Southeast Asia, Europe, ...

, '' soto'', '' gado-gado'', '' bubur ayam'', and many other dishes as a condiment as well as garnish. They are used for stir-fried vegetables, soups, stews, curries, noodles, rice and salads as toppings. Prepacked ''bawang goreng'' fried shallots are available in supermarkets and grocery stores in Indonesia, and also Asian grocery stores abroad.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fried Onion Fast food Onion-based foods Deep fried foods

Onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...