Zesty Baked Blooming Onion
With this blooming onion, you don’t have to feel guilty!
you're making mealtime meaningful.
One of our favorite appetizers, when we’re really feeling indulgent and throw caution to the wind, is the classic blooming onion. It’s perfectly spicy, completely addictive, and we can’t get enough of it…but it’s also no secret that it’s a total calorie bomb. We’re not fans of cutting things completely out of our diet, so we usually try to see if there’s a way we can lighten up those heavy dishes so that they’re a little healthier. Here, we baked our blooming onion instead of frying it, and the result was seriously yummy! The flavor of the breading is just as good as the original, but now we can dive in without feeling guilty afterwards!
Baked Blooming Onion
Yield(s): Serves 8
40 min
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- Onion:
- 1 large Vidalia onion
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dip:
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons horseradish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Cut off the top 1/4-inch of onion (not the root) so the inner layers are slightly exposed. Do not cut off the root, as that is holding all the layers together. Peel off outer layer.
- Place onion cut side down on the cutting board and place knife 1/8-inch away from root. Cut straight down, then repeat 15 times around the onion, making sure to not sever the root.
- Turn onion over and gently open up the layers with your fingers. Transfer onion to a parchment paper-lined baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine panko, parmesan, cajun seasoning, paprika and salt, and whisk together.
- Beat eggs together in a small bowl, then, working in sections, brush onion petals with egg wash and sprinkle with panko mixture, pressing gently to make sure it adheres.
- Tent a large piece of aluminum foil over the blooming onion and bake for 5 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 10-15, or until onion is softened and coating is golden brown.
- While onion is in the oven, whisk together dip ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
- Remove onion from oven, serve with dip and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven