Copycat French's Fried Onions Recipe from Scratch

Homemade French fried onions are super crispy with lots of flavor and a tongue-tingling kick from optional Cajun seasonings. The crunchy texture is perfect on your green bean casserole! They're much easier to make than you might think!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 3

Total Time 13

Jump to Recipe

You'll never have to make a quick run to the store the day before Thanksgiving when you've got this easy recipe at your fingertips! SO convenient - and better than store bought.

Perfect on top of all your favorite casseroles and soups!

Overhead view of a platter of finished fried onions.

Table of Contents

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
🧾 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
🎥 Video
🥫 Storage
💭 Tips
👩‍🍳 FAQs
📚 Related recipes
📞 The last word
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

OMG these are amazing...

OMG these are amazing! My husband is a glutard, so I substituted GF flour, and they came out SO much better than any other recipe I've tried. THANK YOU!

Elena

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

better than the original crispy fried onions
perfect to top casseroles and for salad toppings
don't do Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without them!

Quick, easy, and money saving!

These are so delicious with that crunch texture we all love - and no worries about the store being sold out during the holidays.

After all, what's green bean casserole without those crispy fried onions on top?

🧾 Ingredients

Tony Chachere's Seasoning is a spicy blend that I add to the flour -there's a link in the recipe or you might like to try my copycat Tony Chachere's seasoning.. You can substitute salt and pepper if you like.
Peanut Oil is my favorite for frying as long as there are no allergies. It's got a high smoke point and fries clean and crispy. Other oils to use are: safflower, grape seed, or canola.

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below. Click on the image to see it full size.

Steps 1 through 4 for making French fried onions.

You'll find the instructions for frying, air frying, and baking in the printable card at the bottom of the page.

Slice white onions very thin and soak in buttermilk about 10 minutes.
Mix the flour and the seasoning.
Drain the onions dredge in the flour mixture.
Let sit for about 5 minutes before frying.

Steps 5 and 6 for making French fried onions.

Heat oil to 375F. Fry a few at a time in hot oil.
Remove when they are golden brown. They will crisp more as they cool.

Note: I used to have air fryer instructions but I have removed them because the quality is just not there.

🎥 Video

🥫 Storage

Homemade French fried onions can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days. Here's how -

Cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.
Crisp back up (if needed) in a 375F oven for 5 minutes or so - watch carefully!

💭 Tips

Expert Tip: The trick for copycat French's fried onions is to slice the onions super thin and fry them until they are crispy but not burnt.

Deep frying in oil is the best way to make fried onions. Air fryer and oven methods are ok but not as good as frying.
Use a large mild onion like a 1015 onion.
Let them soak in the buttermilk longer if the onions are very strong.
Drain as much buttermilk as possible off the onions before dredging in the flour.
If you don't have buttermilk you can use regular milk.
Use these crispy fried onion strings on top of any casserole the way you would with Durkee or French's.
Grind them into crumbs and use them to coat the chicken.
Homemade French fried onions are fabulous on burgers and hot dogs!
Eat for a snack.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

Can these be made gluten-free?

They can! Just substitute GF flour for the all-purpose flour. It couldn't be easier! Be sure to double-check any seasonings you add for gluten.

How should I store them - are they shelf stable?

You can store them in an airtight container in a cool pantry for a day or two if you've been sure to cook them thoroughly. You may need to crisp them back up for a few minutes in an air fryer or oven.

Can I make these a day or two in advance? Do they stay crispy?

Yes. Just be sure to drain well and blot off as much oil as possible, let them cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Can I make these vegan?

Absolutely. Just use oat milk or other plant-based milk with a tablespoon of vinegar per cup.

Closeup of finished onions draining on paper towel.

See more Thanksgiving Recipes →

📞 The last word

A few years ago Thanksgiving came and I was madly throwing things together trying to get everything done. I realized at the very last minute that I did not have the crispy onions for the top of the green bean casserole.

Quelle horreur!

I did what any red-blooded American foodie would do... I had a meltdown.

Once that was out of the way I figured out how to make my own copycat French's onions. And I like them SO much better.

I will never go back to the store-bought French fried onions again. These are so good!

We love them on top of this crack chicken chili.

📖 Recipe

Crispy French Fried Onions (Copycat French's Onions) from Scratch

4.78 from 127 votes

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Course Condiments and Spices,Side Dish

Cuisine Amercian Heritage

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 3

Total Time: 13

Servings:

Calories:127

Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ pounds onions, peeled and sliced paper thin
▢ 2 cups buttermilk
▢ 2 cups flour, all-purpose
▢ 3 tablespoons Creole Seasoning (Tony Chachere’s), or your favorite seasoning
▢ Peanut oil for frying, (I like this best, if there is an allergy any other oil with a high smoke point can be used.)

Instructions

Heat the deep fryer up to 375F.
Mix the flour and the Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning in a large bowl.
Add the onions to the buttermilk in a separate bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
Drain and then dredge in the flour.
Shake off excess flour.
Fry, a few at a time, until golden brown and crisp.
Drain on paper towels.
Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Tips

The trick is to slice the onions super thin and fry them until they are crispy but not burnt. You don't want onion rings, you want them to be crispy all the way through so you have that classic crunch.
Drain as much buttermilk as possible off the onions before dredging in the flour.
If you don't have buttermilk you can use regular milk.
Use these on top of any casserole the way you would with Durkee or French's.
Grind them into crumbs and use them to coat chicken.
Fabulous on burgers and hot dogs!
Eat for a snack.

Can these French fried onions be made gluten-free?

They can! Just substitute gluten-free flour for the flour in the recipe. It couldn't be easier! Be sure to double-check any seasonings you add for gluten.

Storage:

Store French-fried onions in an airtight container in a cool pantry for a day or two. Make sure you've cooked them thoroughly. You may need to crisp them back up for a few minutes in an air fryer or oven.

For safety's sake, it's probably better to put them in the fridge if you are going to keep them longer and crisp them up when ready to use again.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published November 2015. Last updated September 4, 2023 for editorial improvements.

Comments

4.78 from 127 votes (115 ratings without comment)