You'll never have to make a quick run to the store the day before Thanksgiving when you've got this easy recipe at your fingertips! SO convenient - and better than store bought.
Perfect on top of all your favorite casseroles and soups!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- better than the original crispy fried onions
- perfect to top casseroles and for salad toppings
- don't do Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without them!
Quick, easy, and money saving!
These are so delicious with that crunch texture we all love - and no worries about the store being sold out during the holidays.
After all, what's green bean casserole without those crispy fried onions on top?
🧾 Ingredients
- Tony Chachere's Seasoning is a spicy blend that I add to the flour -there's a link in the recipe. You can substitute salt and pepper if you like.
- Peanut Oil is my favorite for frying as long as there are no allergies. It's got a high smoke point and fries clean and crispy.
- If you're not deep frying then you'll want peanut oil or olive oil in a mister so that you can spray the breaded onions before they go into the air fryer or oven.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
You'll find the instructions for frying, air frying, and baking in the printable card at the bottom of the page.
- Slice white onions very thin and soak in buttermilk about 10 minutes.
- Mix the flour and the seasoning.
- Drain the onions dredge in the flour mixture.
- Let sit for about 5 minutes before frying.
- Heat oil to 375F. Fry a few at a time in hot oil.
- Remove when they are golden brown. They will crisp more as they cool.
🥄 Cook along!
Follow along step by step! The pages turn with a click or automatically after 7 seconds.
🎥 Video
Just click on the image below if you'd like to see the full length video on YouTube. It opens in a new tab so you won't lose your place here.
🥫 Storage
Homemade French fried onions can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days. Here's how -
- Cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Crisp back up (if needed) in a 375F oven for 5 minutes or so - watch carefully!
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: The trick for copycat French's fried onions is to slice the onions super thin and fry until they are crispy but not burnt.
- Deep frying in oil is the best way to make these. The air fryer and oven methods are good but not as good as frying.
- Use a large mild onion like a 1015.
- Let them soak in the buttermilk longer if the onions are very strong.
- Drain as much buttermilk as possible off the onions before dredging in the flour.
- If you don't have buttermilk you can use regular milk.
- Use these crispy fried onion strings on top of any casserole the way you would with Durkee or French's.
- Grind them into crumbs and use them to coat chicken.
- Homemade French fried onions are fabulous on burgers and hot dogs!
- Eat for a snack.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
They can! Just substitute gluten free flour for the all-purpose flour. It couldn't be easier! Be sure to double check any seasonings you add for gluten.
You can store them in an airtight container in a cool pantry for a day or two if you've been sure to cook them thoroughly. You may need to crisp them back up for a few minutes in an air fryer or oven. For safety's sake it's probably better to put them in the fridge if your are going to keep them longer and crisp them up when ready to use again.
You have to really be generous when spraying the coated onions with oil when baking or air frying or the flour will just sit there.
Yes. Just be sure to drain well and blot off as much oil as possible, let them cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
📚 Related recipes
📞 The last word
A few years ago Thanksgiving came and I was madly throwing things together trying to get everything done. I realized at the very last minute that I did not have the crispy onions for the top of the green bean casserole.
Quelle horreur!
I did what any red blooded American foodie would do... I had a meltdown.
Once that was out of the way I figured out how to make my own copycat French's onions. And I like them SO much better.
I will never go back to the store bought French fried onions again. These are so good!
We love them on top of this crack chicken chili.
Crispy French Fried Onions (Copycat French's Onions) from Scratch
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
- Deep Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds onions, peeled and sliced paper thin
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups flour, all-purpose
- 3 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s seasoning, or your favorite seasoning
- Peanut oil for frying, (I like this best, if there is an allergy any other oil with a high smoke point can be used.)
- Oil spray if you are baking or air frying
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Instructions
To Deep Fry (Best Results)
- Heat the deep fryer up to 375F.
- Mix the flour and the Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning in a large bowl.
- Add the onions to the buttermilk in a separate bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Drain and then dredge in the flour.
- Shake off excess flour.
- Fry, a few at a time, until golden brown and crisp.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Store in an airtight container.
To Air Fry
- Follow instructions for preparing the onions above.
- Spray the air fryer rack with an oil spray.
- Lay the flour coated onions in a single layer on the rack.
- Spray generously with oil spray.
- Air fry at 360 for 10 minutes - check at 8 minutes.
To Bake
- Follow instructions for preparing the onions above.
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Place the flour coated onions on the baking sheet.
- Spray generously with oil spray.
- Bake at 425F for 20 to 30 minutes - or until crispy, turning about halfway through. Watch carefully.
Notes
- The trick is to slice the onions super thin and fry them until they are crispy but not burnt. You don't want onion rings, you want them to be crispy all the way through so you have that classic crunch.
- Drain as much buttermilk as possible off the onions before dredging in the flour.
- If you don't have buttermilk you can use regular milk.
- Use these on top of any casserole the way you would with Durkee or French's.
- Grind them into crumbs and use them to coat chicken.
- Fabulous on burgers and hot dogs!
- Eat for a snack.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published November 2015. Last updated September 22, 2021 for more tips and information.
Julie Angelena
I started putting these on my salads along with my croutons & now i can't stop! I was spending too much on the store-bought kind - so happy that I found your recipe, Marye! Thanks!
Julie 😇
☮💜🎶🕊
Doris
The recipe you have posted for the onions is superb! The Cajun spice really makes them extra flavorful..In my opinion, I think egg wash makes the flour adhere better as I have made them both ways using buttermilk. If I could just stop eating them!!!
Frank - I like Abuja
I like onions, but my girlfriend doesn't like it)) And I cooked it my self and It was very tasty. I ate with tomato sauce))
Thank you
Dana
Has anyone tried this with an air fryer?
Marye
Hi Dana - I actually have that scheduled for later today. 🙂 I should have something up this weekend.
Glenda
Does anyone know if I can substitute whole milk instead of buttermilk?
Marye Audet
yes. it will be slightly different but not a lot.
Elena
OMG these are amazing! My husband is a glutard, so I substituted GF flour, and they came out SO much better than any other recipe I've tried. THANK YOU!
Laura
Thanks for the great recipe! I wanted to make these but I hate wasting all of the oil it takes to use my deep frier unless I'm going to deep fry several things at once or make a really large batch. I tried pan frying in about an inch of oil. I tested with a cooking thermometer to get the temperature right and they worked out great! Thought my experience might be helpful to share for others who don't want to waste oil or who don't have a deep frier.
PS: Does anyone know how long these will keep in an air tight container before they go stale or soggy?