EASY homemade crispy fried onions! Gluten-free, vegan, and perfect for topping all your favorite holiday dishes. Just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes required!
To ensure evenly cooked and crispy onions, you want the onion slices to be very thin (about 1/16-inch) and as even in size as possible. We recommend cutting the onion in half (or quarters if it’s large), then slicing with the cut side on the cutting board. Or, you could use a mandolin.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Add the sliced onions and toss to coat, breaking up any slices of onion that are sticking together.
Meanwhile, heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Test the oil by sprinkling in some flour. It should make a sound but not burn.
When the oil is hot, add about half of the onions in a single layer (overcrowding the pan will result in soggy onions // if using a smaller pan or making a larger batch, adjust accordingly).
Fry until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and reducing the heat as needed to avoid burning. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate in a single layer and repeat with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp oil and the onions.
Best when fresh. They lose their crispiness once cooled.
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Notes
*Shallots and leeks also work in place of onion. *Substitutes for brown rice flour: If not gluten-free, all-purpose flour works well. Chickpea flour works well but doesn’t get quite as crispy as brown rice flour. Arrowroot flour made the onions a little soggy and didn’t create a crispy coating. We’d recommend avoiding other starches like tapioca, corn, or potato. *Adapted from our Lemony Arugula Salad with Crispy Shallots. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate.