Lighter Baked Blooming Onion
A whole sweet onion cut into petals, coated with a light dusting of flour, an egg white and Greek yogurt wash and spiced panko, then baked instead of deep-fried. A restaurant blooming onion is close to 2,000 calories. This one is under 400 for the whole thing.
Method
Heat the oven
- Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Cut the onion
- Slice about 1 cm off the top, leave the root end on, and peel.
- Set it cut-side down. Starting 1 cm from the root, cut straight down all the way around to make 12–16 wedges. The root holds them together.
Soak 10 minutes
- Flip the onion over, gently spread the petals, and soak it in ice water so it opens up more.
Drain 10 minutes
- Shake off the water, then set the onion petals-down on a rack or a folded tea towel so water drains out of the centre.
Pat dry 2–3 minutes
- Turn it right side up. Blot the outside with paper towels, then tuck a folded paper towel between the petals all the way around, working inward.
The petals should feel dry to the touch, not just less wet. Any water left between them makes the coating slide off.
Air-dry 5 minutes
- Leave it uncovered while you mix the panko with the spices and whisk the egg white with the yogurt.
- Stir the sauce together now too, and chill it.
Flour it and rest 2–3 minutes
- Put the onion in a bowl, spoon the flour over it and down between the petals, and shake off the excess.
- Let it sit so the flour hydrates and gets tacky.
Add the wash
- Spoon the egg white and yogurt slowly between the petals and let the excess drip off.
Add the panko
- Press the spiced panko in between the petals. Spray the whole onion with oil.
Bake 25–30 minutes
- Bake until golden and tender in the centre.
If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
Good to know
- The amounts are scaled to what actually stuck to the onion. The first time, I used more flour, wash and panko, and a good part of it was left in the bowl.
- It won't get as crispy as a deep-fried one, especially in the centre. That's why the panko stays. For crispier pieces, separate the onion into thick rings, coat them the same way, and bake 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Got leftover sauce? Try it on burgers.
Storing and reheating
You can cut, soak and dry the onion a few hours ahead. Store it petals-down on a paper towel in a covered container in the fridge. Mix the panko and spices and keep them covered on the counter, and make the sauce ahead (it's better after a few hours). Don't flour or coat the onion until right before it goes in the oven, or the panko turns soggy and patchy. Straight from the fridge, it needs the full 30 minutes.
Macros
| Per | kcal | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole onion, no sauce | 381 | 14.8 g | 7.3 g | 67 g |
| Sauce, full batch | 41 | 4.9 g | 0.1 g | 5.1 g |
| 1 serving (1/2 onion + half the sauce) | 211 | 9.8 g | 3.7 g | 36 g |
Estimates based on typical Canadian label values. Yours will vary with the brands you use. Most of the carbs come from the panko and flour, and most of the fat from the oil spray.
Notes from readers
Tips, questions and suggested edits. I read every one before it appears here.
No notes yet. Made it? I'd love to hear how it went.
Lighter Baked Blooming Onion
1 hr
Get everything out
Tick things off as you set them out. Every step will show the amounts it needs, at this size.
Onion
Panko coating
Bloom sauce
Step 1 of 10
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Step 2 of 10
Cut the onion
Slice about 1 cm off the top, leave the root end on, and peel.
Set it cut-side down. Starting 1 cm from the root, cut straight down all the way around to make 12–16 wedges. The root holds them together.
For this step
- 400 g large sweet onion (Vidalia or Spanish) · 1 onion
Step 3 of 10
Soak 10 minutes
Flip the onion over, gently spread the petals, and soak it in ice water so it opens up more.
Step 4 of 10
Drain 10 minutes
Shake off the water, then set the onion petals-down on a rack or a folded tea towel so water drains out of the centre.
Step 5 of 10
Pat dry 2–3 minutes
Turn it right side up. Blot the outside with paper towels, then tuck a folded paper towel between the petals all the way around, working inward.
The petals should feel dry to the touch, not just less wet. Any water left between them makes the coating slide off.
Step 6 of 10
Air-dry 5 minutes
Leave it uncovered while you mix the panko with the spices and whisk the egg white with the yogurt.
Stir the sauce together now too, and chill it.
For this step
- Panko coating
- 35 g plain panko · 2/3 cup
- 3 g smoked paprika · 1 1/4 tsp
- 2 g garlic powder · 2/3 tsp
- 1 g onion powder · 1/2 tsp
- 0.5 g cayenne · 1/4 tsp
- 2 g salt · 1/4 tsp table salt, or 1/2 tsp kosher
- 0.5 g black pepper, to taste · 1/4 tsp
- 33 g egg white · 1 large white
- 20 g 0% plain Greek yogurt · 4 tsp
- Bloom sauce
- 45 g 0% plain Greek yogurt · 3 tbsp
- 11 g ketchup · 2 tsp
- 4 g prepared horseradish · 3/4 tsp
- 0.75 g smoked paprika · 1/3 tsp
- 0.4 g garlic powder · 1/8 tsp
- cayenne and salt, a pinch each
Step 7 of 10
Flour it and rest 2–3 minutes
Put the onion in a bowl, spoon the flour over it and down between the petals, and shake off the excess.
Let it sit so the flour hydrates and gets tacky.
For this step
- 10 g all-purpose flour · 1 tbsp
Step 8 of 10
Add the wash
Spoon the egg white and yogurt slowly between the petals and let the excess drip off.
For this step
- 33 g egg white · 1 large white
- 20 g 0% plain Greek yogurt · 4 tsp
Step 9 of 10
Add the panko
Press the spiced panko in between the petals. Spray the whole onion with oil.
For this step
- the spiced panko
- olive oil spray
Step 10 of 10
Bake 25–30 minutes
Bake until golden and tender in the centre.
If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
That's it. Enjoy!
Made it? I'd love to hear how it went. You can leave a note at the bottom of the recipe.
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