Crispy Onion Strings

Crispy
Onion Strings

Thinly sliced onions soaked in buttermilk, lightly seasoned and fried until golden and crisp. Use them anywhere you need another layer of onion flavor and a serious hit of crunch.

A LITTLE ABOUT THIS RECIPE

Crispy onion strings are one of those simple components that can completely change a dish. The onions are sliced thin so they cook quickly, soaked in buttermilk to help the seasoned flour cling, then fried until crisp and golden.

Pile them onto burgers and sandwiches, scatter them over steaks or vegetables, or use them anywhere a soft, creamy or rich dish could use another layer of flavor and a little crunch.

Sometimes the fix isn’t another sauce or seasoning. Sometimes what the dish is missing is texture.

CRISPY ONION STRINGS

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Method

1. Soak the onions. Place the sliced onions in the buttermilk and soak for 10 minutes.

2. Season and dredge. Combine the flour, salt, black pepper and paprika in a shallow bowl. Remove the onions from the buttermilk, allowing the excess to drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour. Shake off the excess.

3. Fry. Heat 1½ to 2 inches of oil to 325–350°F. Fry the onions in small batches for 2–3 minutes, until light golden and crisp.

4. Drain and season. Transfer the onions to a rack or paper towels and season lightly with salt while hot.

THE FLAVOR FIX

Great flavor gets even better with contrast.

Crispy onions bring more than onion flavor. They add a light, crunchy texture that can change the way an entire dish eats. The buttermilk gives the seasoned flour something to grab onto, creating those irregular little edges that turn especially crisp in the hot oil.

Use them anywhere a soft, creamy, rich or tender dish needs contrast.

That’s the Flavor Fix.

Chef’s Notes

Slice them thin and evenly. Thin onions cook quickly and give you more crispness without a heavy coating. A mandoline works especially well if you have one.

Let the excess buttermilk drip off. You want the onions coated, not swimming, before they hit the seasoned flour.

Don’t crowd the fryer. Frying in small batches helps maintain the oil temperature and keeps the onions crisp instead of greasy.

Pull them at golden, not dark brown. They continue to darken and crisp a little after leaving the oil.

Use them for texture. Add them to burgers, sandwiches, tacos, salads, grain bowls, baked or mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, casseroles, roasted vegetables, steaks or grilled chicken. They’re especially useful anywhere something soft, creamy or rich needs crunch.

Change the seasoning, change the application. The basic technique stays the same, but the seasoned flour can take you in completely different directions.