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    Home » Cooking Guide

    Published: Apr 12, 2020 · Modified: Nov 20, 2022 by Wajiha · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    How to make crispy fried onions and store them

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Frying the perfect crispy crunchy golden brown onions is almost equivalent to the perfect gol roti (flatbread). In brown people world, its a sign of a “perfect wife/bahu or watever” I could give a rat’s behind as to what it makes me. All I know is I want my food to taste frikkin awesome ok? Whether I am making Biryani or Chicken curry or Pulao, I want my taste buds happy!

    Just like garlic ginger paste, crispy fried onions is one of the basis of all South Asian cooking and if you nail it, you pretty much have MASTERED one of the CORE ingredients in almost ALL Indian/Pakistani curries.

    So getting these beautiful crispy onions is honestly just a few tips and tricks away. But behold...since it is something we struggle with, the internet has come up with WEIRD and absolutely useless tips and tricks as well. I’ll mention some really popular myths below as well so that you know what to stay away from as well.

    Where are fried onions used?

    Fried onions are a staple in South Asian cooking. Here’s where they are used

    • Used in gravies and curries like Chicken ka saalan
    • They are used for layering and adding flavor. like in Biryanis and Pulaos
    • Also used as garnishing or toppings on dals, and haleems.
    • They are also used in certain kebab marinations and dam keema etc.

    Different levels of fried onions.

    Light translucent color Used for omelettes etc not
    crispy
    Light golden color Use in vegetable curries and
    most International cooking.
    Also known as caramelized onions
    not
    crispy
    Light golden brown Used in Spicy rices, curries, and
    marination
    slightly
    crispy
    Golden Brown onions Used heavily in South Asian cooking
    as garnish, masala base, layering,
    can be stored for very long time
    crispy

    A glimpse of what topics this post covers

    • Choosing the right onions
    • Peeling onions
    • Cutting the onions
    • Selecting the pot
    • Selecting the oil
    • How much oil to use
    • Reaching the right color
    • Letting the onions cool down
    • Serving Size
    • Storing fried onions
    • What to do with left-over oil

    Here’s are a few key things to know about frying onions.

    Choosing the right onions

    There are 6 kinds of onions:

    • Red onion
    • white onions,
    • yellow onions,
    • sweet onions,
    • shallots and
    • Scallions / Green onions

      The internet will tell you that the ideal onions for frying are the sweet onions. And it won’t be completely wrong. They do have a uniform color through out and the perfect amount of natural sugars that fry up to give you a uniform golden brown color. But they don’t have thin layers, which when sliced, will not give you nice thin slivers. Thin layers are important for that crispy frying. You can use any, white onion, red onion, or sweet onion, as long as they have thin layers. And you will great results! Where I live, red onions are the ones with the thinnest layers so I pick those.
    a sweet onion and red onion side by side. peeled, unpealed, and cut versions
    Thin layers of red onion compared to sweet onion.

    Peeling Onions

    Keep dipping your peeled onions in a pot or bowl of cold water. Helps with the tears (more on that below)

    peeled red onions dipped in a container with water

    Cutting the onions

    red onions cut through the centre and their roots removed
    Onions cut in halves and with their roots removed from the bottom.

    The onions are peeled, halved vertically and their roots are removed. And then cut into long thin slices. This is also known as the “biryani cut” onions. Obviously this is a tedious task to do by hand and when done in bulk can feel like a truckload of work. You can use the slicer option in your food processor to slice your onions the easy way. You can also use a manual mandoline slicer to do the deed as well. Of course the food processor is quicker, but a mandoline is also twice as fast as manual slicing.

    How to avoid crying while cutting the onions

    So, so far with all the methods I’ve tried, all I can say is, crying a li’l is inevitable (yeah you hate me I know). Maybe do it in a well ventilated area or near a candle so the gases don’t effect you as much? But here’s a good read on how to avoid crying if you wanna check it out.

    Selecting the pot

    bulk of red sliced onions in a pot
    Wide pot for frying onions

    So it all comes down to size and area. Imagine frying french fries. Your fries are going to get clumpy and soggy if you toss them in a small space. The same rule applies while frying onions. So opt for a wider shallow utensil with a thick base. Give your sliced onions room to crisp up individually. 

    Ideal pot:
    Thick base, wide and can withstand high temperatures.

    Selecting the oil

    When frying onions, or any other thing for that matter, you want to make sure that your oil has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. The temperatures can go up to 190 C while frying onions and you want to use an oil that can stay stable for that long. Basic vegetable oil like sunflower oil and canola oil can easily stay stable at those temperatures. If you are on a keto diet or are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, coconut oil is also a good option for frying as it can stay stable up to 180 C. As an alternative, you can also use ghee.

    Important: Always use fresh oil when you want the perfectly nice brown onions. Oil that has been used once to fry before is going to take double or triple time to brown onions and you will end up with onions that have soaked up a LOT of oil!

    How much quantity of oil to use

    bulk of sliced red onions in a pot submerged in oil
    onions submerged in oil

    When frying onions for one time use, you can get away with using very little oil and stirring constantly to get a good color. But for a large batch, you will definitely need to use oil enough for deep frying. So adding a truck load of oil in the onions seems like OMG this is soooooo frikking unhealthy. But trust me when I say this. If you fry your onions right, your onions will NOTTT absorb a lot of oil. You can even measure the amount of oil you put in the pan before frying and how much oil is left AFTER frying.

    While growing up I kept hearing this very popular TOTKA (aka tip) that adding onions in cold oil makes it crispier. This, of ALL THE hacks out there, is the only one that LEGIT works. All it does is absorb more oil. Always add onions to oil that has already started to heat up. Doesn’t need to be boiling hot, just warmed up. And keep frying your onions at high heat. 

    TIP: Add onions and oil together in a pot first and then putting them on a flame to fry for crispy onions

    You can easily eyeball the amount of oil you want to add. Toss in your onions in the pot you are going to fry them in. And THEN add oil to it till it comes up to the level of the onions roughly.

    TIP: Don’t I repeat DON’t Add stuff to your oil

    Lots of internet groups and articles suggest to add baking soda or salt or sugar to your oil in hopes of achieving a uniform brown color. PLEASE do NOT commit this heinous crime! Not only will these ingredients make your onions absorb MORE oil, but it will also alter the natural sweet taste of the fried onions, and eventually might also effect the dish you are preparing your fried onions for.

    TIP: Use a slotted stainless steel spoon or skimmer for stirring through the onions. Try not to stir too much, just occasionally a stir here and there, making sure all the onions are getting evenly fried.

    Reaching the right color

    When you keep your pot with onions and oils onto the stove, turn on the flame directly at a high. You will begin to notice the changes that the onions will go through during its frying journey.

    (TIMINGS FOR BULK FRYING)

    5 to 10 min mark – The oil will get hot and the onions will start releasing water of their own. (Stir from sides once in 5 mins)

    15 min mark– The onions will start to dehydrate at the water evaporates and will start to shrink in size. (Stir once or twice to check even browning)

    20 min mark – The onions will turn very light gold and have now officially started to crisp up. (stir once or twice and now stay close)

    25 min mark – Onions have started to crisp up. Some thinner ones are golden already. Reduce the flame to medium and stir constantly. Start removing onions that have turned golden.

    Between 25 to 30 min – This is a critical time. When you see your onions are just ABOUT to reach the perfect color, reduce the flame to low and start removing them with the skimmer. The oil is hot and the onions will turn a shade darker after getting removed as well. If you wait till you reach the right color and THEN start removing onions, the last batch you remove will be burnt.

    • 5 mins mark at high flame
    • onions being fried in oil
      10 mins mark at high flame
    • translucent onion in oil
      15 mins mark at high flame
    • light golden brown onions in oil
      20 mins mark at high flame
    • semi golden semi translucent onions in oil
      25 mins mark at medium flame
    • 30 min at low flame

    Letting the onions cool down.

    You should have a large tray or plate lined with paper towel ready on the side when you start frying the onions. Remove all your fried onions from the oil and place them directly on top of these paper towels. Make sure they are spread out evenly. Allow the onions to cool down. Its important for the onions to cool down in as much space as possible, in order to crisp up properly. You can press the onions together once they cool down, and you’ll hear a gentle crisp. Which will say, all of your effort, was well WORTH IT!

    Serving Size

    1 medium onion is equal to 1/2 cup of fried onions and 1/4 cup of crushed fried onions.

    Storing the onions

    golden brown strands of fried onions in 3 ziplock bags

    The best part about all of this hard work is that you can savor it! You can batch fry lots of onions in one go and freeze them! They are totally freeezer friendly and can last indefinitely! (I’ve always used them within 4 months, but I don’t see a reason why they won’t last longer than that) Once the onions cool down, bag them up in a ziplock bag and keep it in the freezer. If you want to use them in the coming days, they can even stay outside in a jar for a week.

    What to do with the left over oil?

    oil with some strands in it in a pot

    I usually fry my onions when I have a fresh bottle of cooking oil, and a big batch of onions, i.e. when I have freshly done my groceries. Let the remaining oil cool down and use a funnel to transfer it back to the bottle you had used it from. This oil has a nice sweet oniony flavor to it and can be used basically for everything savory. Of course not for sweets, and definitely not for more deep frying.

    golden brown fried onions close up

    Bonus: If you are using pre-fried onions in your curry etc, you can make those with about 1 tbsp of oil, because all the oil that goes in a gravy is usually to fry the onions. And if that’s already done, you don’t need anymore!

    paper towel with lots of crispy golden brown onion slices on it against a grey background

    How to fry onions

    A batch of perfectly fried brown onions to use in all Pakistani Indian Recipes
    4.52 from 35 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Dips & Condiments, FRIED FOOD
    Cuisine: Continental, South Asian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 pack
    Calories: 400kcal
    Author: Wajiha

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg onions
    • Oil for frying

    Instructions

    • Peel the onions and remove the root.
    • Cut the onions from the center vertically, and slice the halves thinly in vertical cuts
    • Add sliced onions in a wide pot and add oil till it comes at the level of the onions. Eye ball the quantity.
    • Increase heat to high flame and fry the onions until golden brown.
    • Keep stirring the onions every 5 mins to check its getting cooked evenly.
    • Use a slotted stainless steel spoon to stir the onions.
    • The onions will release water over time and then will start to fry.
    • At about 20 min mark your onions will start to look very slightly brown. Reduce the flame to medium at this point and don’t leave the onions un-attended anymore.
    • Stir constantly to make sure all the onions turn evenly golden.
    • When the onions turn light gold, reduce the flame to low and start removing the onions from the oil slowly.
    • Spread the onions on a tray covered with paper towel. And try not to crowd them.
    • Allow the onions to cool down and you will have crispy golden onions.
    • Use directly in recipes or make a pack in save it in the freezer.

    Notes

    for more detailed information, read the entire post with tips, tricks and onion selection
    if you use these pre-fried onions in your gravies, you can make them with a tbsp of oil.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1batchCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 11gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 40mgPotassium: 1460mgFiber: 17gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 230mgIron: 2mg
    Can’t wait to see your remakes! Tag meon IG with your pictures @butteroverbae
    « Aloo ki Tarkari – Potato Curry
    Keema macaroni »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ketaki says

      September 29, 2021 at 7:09 am

      Absolutely loved the post!! Thank you so much for the efforts you put into making it so detailed at every step, covering all the doubts that may arise in the mind, using such crisp, no-nonsense language and adding step by step detailed photos. This really helps and was just what I was looking for. I will definitely try this and let you know how it turns out.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        October 18, 2021 at 1:56 pm

        Hey Ketaki. Im so happy you saw the blood and sweat that went into writing this post. HAHA! i hope it helps!

        Reply
    2. lucia says

      September 27, 2021 at 2:49 am

      planning to give this a try. Thank you for the detailed instructions on frying time.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        October 18, 2021 at 1:58 pm

        that sounds perfecT! lemme know how it goes

        Reply
    3. mohammad Tahir Ismail says

      July 31, 2021 at 2:18 am

      thanks for guidance. I will try it

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        September 08, 2021 at 9:00 am

        Most welcome! cant wait for you to try it

        Reply
    4. James says

      July 07, 2021 at 8:53 pm

      Question: If I am making biryani, and the fried onions are going to be cooked in a closed pot for an hour, why is it important that they be crispy? Is it a question of lowering the oil content?

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        July 14, 2021 at 8:19 am

        Thats a very good question James, so the crispy onions are mostly for garnish and layer. Crispy simply means that you’ve fried your onions long enough to dehydrate them properly. So if you are frying onions in bulk to store for later use, you want them to be completely dehydrate so they don’t spoil.

        Fried onions are used as curry base and as well as garnish. So for recipes like Biryani, you are right, your onions don’t need to be crispy, just good caramelized onions would do too. But for recipes that use this as a garnish, it adds an actual crunch. I hope that answers your question, lemme know if I can help you out more.

        Reply
        • James Irsay says

          September 09, 2022 at 7:18 pm

          Hello Wajiha,
          I just now noticed your response to my onion query! Thanks for the sensible answer. Be well.
          James

          Reply
          • Wajiha says

            September 14, 2022 at 7:03 am

            no problem James!

            Reply
    5. Beverly says

      June 20, 2021 at 9:18 pm

      Can you leave them in bigger pieces, like 1/4 of onion, peeled apart by layers, and make them like potatoes chips? I want onion potatoe chips … with no potatoes only onion!

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        June 30, 2021 at 5:55 pm

        so onion holds more water than potatoes. IF you want to make them like chips, you’ll have to coat it with something, cornflour, all purpose flour or rice flour. But on its on, the onions have enough sugar and water that no matter what cut you use, they wILL caramelize in oil, even if not crunchy

        Reply
    6. Donna says

      May 30, 2021 at 9:11 pm

      My onions came out beautiful! Thanks for the well written instructions and the matching pictures.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        June 02, 2021 at 10:54 am

        Hey Donna! that is soooo good to hear! I am glad this post helped you!

        Reply
    7. Amiratou says

      May 26, 2021 at 1:57 pm

      Hello, 1kg onion , weight onion after frying ? (Sorry i am french and i don’t speak english lol)

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        June 02, 2021 at 10:53 am

        the weight of 1 kg onion after frying usually goes down because it loses all the water. it should be roughly about 400 to 500 gms but thats just an estimate

        Reply
    8. maryam says

      May 18, 2021 at 3:32 pm

      Dear Baji
      hey what’s with the “brown people’s world” we come in all skin shades ( whiter than white mans skin and blacker than any black),so please stop stereotyping ,we are a very diverse group here.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        May 26, 2021 at 9:35 am

        Hey Maryam, um you do realize I am a South Asian too right? and brown here isn’t used as a color stereotype but a cultural food reference??? . I mean i’m sure you are well read up on these things considering you decided to use the word Baji thinking its somehow offensive 🙂

        Reply
    9. M Hamid says

      January 24, 2021 at 8:04 am

      Please tell me about yeild agaist 1kg of raw onion.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        February 01, 2021 at 7:43 am

        Hello Hamid, fried onions are generally less in weight than raw onions. 1 medium onion gives you about 1/2 cup of fried onions. 1 kg has approximately 6 onions, that should give you about 3 cups of fried onions. hope this helps

        Reply
    10. Fatima M. says

      January 05, 2021 at 11:28 pm

      “The science behind perfectly fried onions” Loved it. The detailed explanation is very useful and not at all boring.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        January 06, 2021 at 1:55 pm

        haha than you must love cooking like me to not find it boring 🙂 thankyou so much

        Reply
    11. Anonymous says

      January 03, 2021 at 1:52 pm

      Very detailed info. Nice work ????????????

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        January 04, 2021 at 5:54 am

        Aww thanks!

        Reply
    12. witclcik says

      September 28, 2020 at 7:34 am

      Thankx a lot

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        September 29, 2020 at 9:41 am

        most welcome!

        Reply
    13. Anonymous says

      June 30, 2020 at 3:38 pm

      oil or ghee which one is good to frying onion?

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        June 30, 2020 at 4:15 pm

        I definitely prefer oil for frying onions.

        Reply
    14. Farida says

      June 22, 2020 at 11:28 am

      After deep freezing it, when u need to use it. When it thaws down does it still stay crispy???

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        June 23, 2020 at 8:58 pm

        Hi Farida. Yes it does. Even if you don’t thaw it, and use it directly, it’ll be crispy. If you are going to use it within 2 weeks, you can also leave it outside in an airtight container.

        Reply
    15. sabinasalam says

      April 13, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Thank you for sharing. This is so helpful.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        April 14, 2020 at 3:29 pm

        I tried! I know its a long read but you probably only need to read it once right?

        Reply
    16. Fatimq says

      April 13, 2020 at 8:47 am

      This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for the detailed instructions.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        April 14, 2020 at 3:30 pm

        Thankgod! While I was writing this, I was so worried that its getting so long and if you guys would want to read the whole thing or not! HAHA kudos to making it all the way to here!

        Reply
    17. Anonymous says

      April 13, 2020 at 3:37 am

      Loved all the tips and tricks . Great effort !!

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        April 14, 2020 at 3:30 pm

        I tried my best! thankyouuuuuu for this !

        Reply
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