Crispy Fried Onions and How to Store Them
Fried onions keep 3 months in the freezer if they are fried properly and dried completely. The secret is lifting them out of the oil while pale golden, not brown, because they keep browning on their residual heat after they come out.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Calories
- 90
Crispy fried onions go into half the food of Ramadan — fatteh, pasta, soup and koshari. Making a batch once before the month saves hours of daily work.
Method
-
1
Slice evenly
Cut the onions into very thin, very even slices about 2 mm thick. Slices of uneven thickness brown at different rates, so some burn while others are still white.
⏱ 22 min -
2
Dry before frying
Spread the slices on a towel and leave them 15 minutes to lose their surface moisture. Wet onion hits the oil violently and boils itself instead of browning.
⏱ 16 min -
3
Dust with flour
Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the onions and rub it through with your hands. The flour absorbs surface moisture, adds crispness and stops them sticking together.
⏱ 3 min -
4
Fry over medium heat
Heat the oil over medium, not high, heat and fry in small batches, stirring. High heat browns the outside while the inside is still full of water.
⏱ 30 min -
5
Lift them pale golden
Take them out while pale golden, not brown — they keep browning on their own heat in the strainer. Waiting for brown in the oil means they come out burnt and bitter.
⏱ 5 min -
6
Dry completely
Spread them on kitchen paper in a single layer and let them cool and dry completely — at least an hour. Any residual oil or moisture will turn rancid in storage.
⏱ 62 min -
7
Store
Keep them in an airtight glass jar for two weeks at room temperature, or in air-free freezer bags for 3 months in the freezer. Use them straight from frozen.
⏱ 8 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Lift them pale golden — they finish browning on their residual heat.
- Medium heat and small batches — high heat burns the outside while the inside stays wet.
- Drying completely before storage is what prevents rancidity.
- The leftover oil is packed with flavour — strain it and cook with it.
People also ask
Why do my onions taste bitter?
They browned too far. Lift them out pale golden, because they keep browning on their residual heat in the strainer. Waiting until they turn brown in the oil means they come out burnt and bitter.
How long do they keep?
Two weeks in an airtight glass jar at room temperature, and 3 months in the freezer in an air-free bag. The only condition is that they are completely dry before storing.
Why do they go soft in storage?
They did not dry enough before storing, or the container was not airtight and they absorbed moisture. Spread them for an hour on kitchen paper in a single layer, and store in a properly sealed jar.
Cook mode
Crispy Fried Onions and How to Store Them
-
1
Slice evenly
Cut the onions into very thin, very even slices about 2 mm thick. Slices of uneven thickness brown at different rates, so some burn while others are still white.
-
2
Dry before frying
Spread the slices on a towel and leave them 15 minutes to lose their surface moisture. Wet onion hits the oil violently and boils itself instead of browning.
-
3
Dust with flour
Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the onions and rub it through with your hands. The flour absorbs surface moisture, adds crispness and stops them sticking together.
-
4
Fry over medium heat
Heat the oil over medium, not high, heat and fry in small batches, stirring. High heat browns the outside while the inside is still full of water.
-
5
Lift them pale golden
Take them out while pale golden, not brown — they keep browning on their own heat in the strainer. Waiting for brown in the oil means they come out burnt and bitter.
-
6
Dry completely
Spread them on kitchen paper in a single layer and let them cool and dry completely — at least an hour. Any residual oil or moisture will turn rancid in storage.
-
7
Store
Keep them in an airtight glass jar for two weeks at room temperature, or in air-free freezer bags for 3 months in the freezer. Use them straight from frozen.
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