Crispy Tobacco Onions

When it comes to onion recipes, tobacco onions stand out with their crispy, curly, and crunchy texture, perfect for burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

tobacco onions in glass jar

These fried onions pack a punch of flavor in every bite and add that perfect jolt of texture recipes so often are missing. In this post, I guide you through making your own tobacco onions, with options for gluten-free and air-fryer variations. We’ll then cover a few of my all-time favorite ways to use the ultimate side dish of crunch. (Psst… And just in case you were worried, there is no tobacco in this recipe 😉

How to Make Tobacco Onions

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large yellow onions (you can also use red onions)
  • 1 cup all-purpose (or gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version)
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

  1. Peel and very thinly slice one large yellow onion.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, pour the buttermilk.
  4. Next, dip each slice of onion into the buttermilk and coat in the flour mix. Make sure the entire piece of onion is fully coated. Then, set aside on a plate.
  5. Heat your vegetable oil (about 1 inch deep) in a saucepan or skillet. You can also use a deep fryer if you have one.
  6. Carefully fry the coated onions in batches, avoiding overcrowding. Cook the onions until golden brown. This will take about 2-3 minutes per batch.
  7. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the oil and let them sit on a few layers of paper towel. This will help absorb excess oil.
  8. Season with additional salt and spices if you’d like. Add to a burger, sandwich or salad and enjoy!
close up of tobacco onions
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Crispy Tobacco Onions

Crispy tobacco onions are easy to make and the perfect topping for burgers, salads, sandwiches, or casseroles. Simple, fast, and flavorful.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: deep fried onions, fried onions, tobacco onions
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 318kcal

Ingredients

  • 2  large yellow onions you can also use red onions
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp  cayenne pepper
  • salt to taste
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Peel and very thinly slice one large yellow onion.
    thinly sliced onions for fried tobacco onions
  • In a large bowl, mix the flour, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, pour the buttermilk.
  • Next, dip each slice of onion into the buttermilk and coat in the flour mix. Make sure the entire piece of onion is fully coated. Then, set aside on a plate.
    onion batter for tobacco onions
  • Heat your vegetable oil (about 1 inch deep) in a saucepan or skillet. You can also use a deep fryer if you have one.
  • Carefully fry the coated onions in batches, avoiding overcrowding. Cook the onions until golden brown. This will take about 2-3 minutes per batch.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the oil and let them sit on a few layers of paper towel. This will help absorb excess oil.
  • Season with additional salt and spices if you'd like. Add to a burger, sandwich or salad and enjoy!
    close up of tobacco onions

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

Gluten-Free Tobacco Onions

To make gluten-free onions, swap out the all-purpose for a gluten-free flour blend. Ensure that the blend contains a binding agent like Xanthan gum to help the coating adhere during frying. My go-to gluten-free flours are Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.

Air Fryer Tobacco Onions

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
  2. Follow steps 1-4 from the recipe above to prep your onions. As a note, you can also make gluten-free air fryer onions!
  3. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
  4. Place the coated onions in a single layer in the basket. Make sure they aren’t touching or overlapping. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, You may need to cook them in batches.
  5. Very lightly spray the onions with cooking spray or oil.
  6. Air fry for 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with remaining batches.

How to Use Tobacco Onions

These onions are truly the best of both worlds, in my humble opinions. They provide a necessary crunch to tasty recipes that might be lacking in texture, while also having an incredible flavor themselves. 

They are perfect for anything from a sandwich to salads. Below are a few of my favorite ways to use this small but mighty ingredient.

Favorite Ways to use Tobacco Onions

As a burger topping. Mix up your traditional burger onions using these onions instead. Try them on our pineapple teriyaki turkey burger.

In a sandwich. Take a tuna or turkey salad from boring to brilliant with the addition of these crunchy onions.

To top a casserole. Forget topping your casseroles with fried onions from a can or jar; use freshly-made tobacco onions instead. Try topping this crack green bean recipe, this tuna pasta bake, or one of these many summer casseroles.

In a salad. Whoever said salads are boring was, well, boring! Try adding these fried onions to this shaved Brussels sprout salad, alongside a Southwest salad dressing, this Olive Garden salad, or one of these many Easter salad recipes.

close up of tobacco onions

Tobacco Onions FAQs

Where did tobacco onions get their name?

Tobacco onions, despite their slightly perplexing name, don’t have any tobacco in them. Though the true inventor of these onions is a bit unclear, these delicious, crispy-fried onion strings definitely received their name because of their resemblance to dried tobacco leaves. We’ll repeat it one last time though: these onions are tobacco and nicotine free. Some say it was celebrity chef Dean Fearing who created them while others say it was British chef Paul Heathcote.

What are tobacco onions made of?

Tobacco onions do not contain tobacco. Now that we’ve covered that, these fried onions are made out of onions that have been battered, then either deep-fried or air fried.

Why do you soak onions in milk before frying?

Great question! Soaking onions in milk before frying serves a couple of purposes. First, the milk helps to neutralize and mellow out the pungent, sharp flavor of raw onions. This gives them a more mild flavor. 

Second, the milk actually works as a tenderizer and softens the texture of the onions. 

Finally, when it comes to frying, soaking or dipping the onions in milk (or buttermilk) helps the flour and seasoning mixture adhere to the onions better, creating a crispier and more flavorful coating.

More Recipes and Onion Info

Best Green Onion Substitutes

Bacon Onion Jam for Burgers

Best Onions for Burgers

Now that you’ve mastered the art of making tobacco onions, you’re ready to impress your family and friends with these scrumptious, crispy onion strings. Whether you opt for the traditional deep-fried version, the gluten-free alternative, or the healthier air-fried option, you’re in for a delightful treat that will leave everyone craving more.

tobacco onions -pinterest pin

2 thoughts on “Crispy Tobacco Onions”

  1. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!!! Looking forward to breaking this recipe out this summer during my family’s BBQs. My brother is going to be so impressed!

    Reply

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