Do you want to know how to reheat a blooming onion?
While frying food may create an unhealthy amalgam of cholesterol and fats, it is undeniable that it makes everything taste incredible. The king among these fried foods is the blooming onion.
However, eating an entire onion takes incredible amounts of effort. Throwing out the extra onion is a waste, and yet, many people struggle with the soggy texture of leftover fried food that has simply been reheated in a microwave.
The way you want to eat your leftovers changes how to reheat a blooming onion, but there are two basic choices.
Keep it the Same
If you don’t want to do anything crazy and just keep the onion the same as it was when you ordered it, there are only a couple of steps to making that onion crispy and delicious again.
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Let the blooming onion sit out for a few minutes before you put it in. Ideally, you want the onion to come back to room temperature. Don’t put a cold onion in the oven.
3. Monitor the onion. Depending on your oven’s specifics, the time it could take the onion to heat up will change. You don’t want it to be cold, but you also need to realize that it’s already cooked, and you don’t want the batter to burn. Around 10 minutes should be perfect on most conventional ovens.
Mix it Up When You Reheat a Blooming Onion
If you don’t just want to eat the same onion the day after, then your best option is to get creative in the kitchen and see what happens.
Option 1: Crispy Onion Topping
1. Peel apart the blooming onion, keeping each of the “petals” intact.
2. Heat some vegetable oil – or coconut oil if you want a healthier option – to around 350 degrees in a pan.
3. Carefully place the onion petals into the oil and let them fry for a couple of minutes. Remember to do this in batches so that the pan doesn’t get too crowded.
4. After the breading gets hot and becomes crispy again, place the newly fried petals in a bowl lined with paper towel to drain off the excess oil.
5. Use as a crispy topping for any soup, salad, or steak to get an extra bit of texture and flavor.
Remember not to exercise caution when frying. Avoid overcrowding the pan or filling too high with oil as these could cause splashing and oil burns.
Option 2: Breadcrumb substitute
1. Peel apart the blooming onion. Unlike other options, you do not need to be careful, the whole thing is going to get destroyed anyway.
2. Dry any excess moisture.
2. Place the petals into a blender.
3. Optionally season your onion with extra herbs. While most blooming onions are fried in a heavily-seasoned batter, this is your chance to mix the flavors up. Italian parsley or some grated parmesan are excellent additions.
4. Pulse the onion until it becomes a fine-grain mixture.
5. Use in any dish that you would usually use breadcrumbs, such as meatballs, or as a coating for chicken or mozzarella sticks.
No matter your decision, don’t be afraid of keeping your fried foods. Revitalize them and find other uses in the kitchen for your leftover blooming onion.