✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This copycat Outback Bloomin' Onion is a whole sweet onion cut into crispy, golden petals, with a creamy, tangy, slightly spicy bloom sauce in the middle. The two tricks are an ice water soak and a double coat of seasoned flour.
How Do You Make an Outback Bloomin’ Onion? (Quick Answer)
Cut a peeled sweet onion into 16 petals, stopping 1/2 inch above the root. Soak it in ice water for 30 minutes and dry it well. Coat it in paprika and cayenne seasoned flour, dip it in egg and milk, coat it in flour again, then fry at 375°F for about 5 to 6 minutes, flipping once. Serve with a sauce of mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish and spices.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Stop every cut 1/2 inch above the root. That little base is what holds the whole flower together in the hot oil.
Why You'll Love This Bloomin' Onion
- Restaurant showpiece it looks like you ordered it.
- Crispy all the way in the ice water soak opens the petals so the coating gets everywhere.
- Bloom sauce from the pantry mayo, ketchup, horseradish and a few spices.
- One onion feeds four the perfect game day or movie night appetizer.
- Easy to cut the 16-petal method takes less than 2 minutes.
What Is the Bloomin’ Onion?
The Bloomin' Onion is Outback Steakhouse's signature appetizer: a big sweet onion cut so it opens like a flower, coated in seasoned batter, deep fried and served with spicy bloom sauce in the middle. Everyone at the table pulls off petals and dunks them.
My test for any copycat is simple: does it taste like the original, can a home cook make it reliably, and is there a shortcut? The shortcut here is the cutting method. Two minutes with a sharp knife and the 16-petal pattern, and the rest is just coating and frying.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Sweet onion: about 1 pound, round and firm, with the root end intact.
- Flour and spices: paprika gives the red-gold color, cayenne the gentle heat, and garlic, oregano and thyme the savory background.
- Eggs and milk: the glue between the two flour coats.
- Mayonnaise, ketchup and horseradish: the base of the bloom sauce. Prepared horseradish in a jar is all you need.
- Frying oil: about 8 cups in a pot wide enough to fit the onion with room around it.
How to Cut a Bloomin’ Onion
Slice 1/2 inch off the top (the pointed end), peel off the papery skin and leave the root on. Stand the onion cut side down. Place your knife 1/2 inch from the root and cut straight down to the board. Turn the onion and repeat to make 4 cuts like a clock face at 12, 3, 6 and 9, then cut each quarter in half and each eighth in half again. That's 16 petals, all joined at the root.
Turn it over and gently pull the petals apart with your fingers. The ice water soak does the rest.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Pick the biggest sweet onion you can find. Vidalia or another sweet onion of about 1 pound gives long petals and a mild, sweet bite. A regular yellow onion works but tastes sharper.
- Don't skip the ice water. 30 minutes in ice water opens the petals so you can get flour between every layer. Dry it really well afterward or the coating slides off.
- Double dredge, then rest. Flour, egg wash, flour again, then 5 minutes on the counter. The coating sets into a shell that fries up craggy and crisp.
- Use a thermometer. Under 350°F the onion soaks up oil; over 400°F the outside browns before the inside softens. 375°F is the sweet spot.
- Fry safely. Use a heavy, deep pot no more than half full of oil, lower the onion in gently on a spider, and keep a lid nearby. Never leave hot oil alone.
- My first one fell apart. I cut all the way to the root and half the petals floated off in the oil. Now I always stop 1/2 inch short, and the flower stays in one piece.
Outback Bloomin’ Onion
4
servings20
minutes6
minutes460
kcal1
hourA copycat version of the Outback Bloomin’ Onion: a large sweet onion cut into 16 petals, soaked in ice water, double dredged in paprika and cayenne flour with an egg and milk dip, deep fried until golden and served with a creamy, tangy, slightly spicy bloom sauce. Serves 4 as an appetizer.
Ingredients
- For the Bloom Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch salt and black pepper
- For the Onion
1 large sweet onion (Vidalia or similar), about 1 lb
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
8 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for deep frying
Directions
- Make the bloom sauce: stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, paprika, cayenne, oregano, salt and pepper together. Cover and chill while you make the onion.
- Slice 1/2 inch off the pointed top of the onion and peel it, but leave the root end on. Set it cut side down. Starting 1/2 inch from the root, cut straight down through to the board 4 times to make 8 even wedges, then cut each wedge in half to make 16 petals.
- Soak the cut onion in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes. The petals open up and turn crisp. Drain it upside down and pat it very dry, inside and out.
- Whisk the flour with the paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a deep bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs and milk.
- Set the onion in the flour, spread the petals and spoon flour between every layer. Dip it in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off, then coat it in flour again, getting into every gap. Let it rest for 5 minutes while the oil heats.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot (no more than half full) to 375°F. Lower the onion in cut side down on a spider and fry for 3 minutes, then carefully flip and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more, until deep golden.
- Lift it out and drain upside down on a rack over paper towels for 1 minute. Set it on a plate, cut out the center core with a small knife, and put the bowl of bloom sauce in the middle. Serve hot.
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Storage and Reheating
Leftover fried onion goes soft in the fridge, but you can crisp it up again in a 400°F oven or air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes. Keep the bloom sauce covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What to Serve It With
For a full Outback night at home, start with this and a warm loaf of my Outback bread. A bowl of Outback potato soup or Outback mac and cheese fills out the table, and if anyone wants a second dip, my Outback ranch is great with the petals too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Outback Bloomin' Onion?
It's Outback's signature appetizer: a large sweet onion cut to open like a flower, battered, fried and served with their spicy bloom sauce. It's been on the menu since 1988.
What is bloom sauce made of?
Outback doesn't publish its recipe. Most copycats, including mine, use mayonnaise, ketchup and horseradish with paprika, cayenne and oregano. It tastes creamy, tangy and slightly spicy, like the restaurant sauce.
Can I make a bloomin' onion in the air fryer?
Yes, but it's a different result. Coat as directed, spray it well with oil, and air fry at 390°F for about 15 minutes until golden. It's less crunchy and less even than deep frying.
Why did my bloomin' onion fall apart?
The cuts went through the root. Stop every cut 1/2 inch from the root end so the petals stay attached.
Can I make it ahead?
The sauce, yes: up to 4 days in the fridge. The onion is best fried and eaten right away. You can cut and soak it a few hours ahead, then drain, dry and coat it just before frying.
What oil is best for frying?
Peanut, vegetable or canola oil. They have a high smoke point and a neutral flavor.
