A gluten-free copycat French's fried onions recipe that is baked to perfection and unbelievably crispy. My gluten-free fried onions are perfect for topping your gluten-free green bean casserole, salads, or burgers. But we even like them on their own for the easiest gluten-free shoestring onion rings ever!
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When working on an updated green bean casserole recipe (i.e. deconstructed, from scratch mushroom pecorino sauce- yum!) for Thanksgiving I wanted something crunchy on top.
I tried almonds and gluten-free bread crumbs but at the end of the day, nothing is better than fried onions.
I found myself eating them non-stop and had to make another batch. That is when I realized these babies were basically gluten-free onion rings and I had to share my technique for homemade french fried onions.
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📖Why My Recipe Works
- Baked Not Fried- This recipe utilizes cornmeal rather than plain flour to create a crispy coating that doesn't need to be deep fried.
- Allergy Friendly- Dairy-free/ vegan option (see variations below)
- Versatile Recipe- More than just a casserole topping, nosh on these as a healthy snack or steakhouse-style side dish.
🧾Ingredient Notes
This recipe contains easy-to-find ingredients. The key is to not overdo in on seasonings and let the onion be the star of the show.
- Onion- I prefer to use a white onion or yellow onion. Avoid Vidalia onions if used as a topping, it will be too sweet. But Vidalia onions are great for onion rings. Yum!
- Red onions are fine, but they don't hold up to reheating as well so not great for the holiday season.
- Buttermilk- See below for dairy-free options.
- Flour- This recipe uses a rice flour and cornmeal mixture. You can also use plain gluten-free flour and cornmeal.
- Oil- I recommend using either olive oil or avocado oil in this recipe.
💭 Variations
Dairy-Free Fried Onions
Soak the onions in oat milk (or other unsweetened non-dairy milk) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or distilled vinegar.
Spicy Fried Onions
Add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or 1//2 teaspoon cajun seasoning. Highly recommend the cajun seasoning for burgers!
⏲️ How to Make Gluten-Free Fried Onions
Now that we have our ingredients let's review step by step how to make gluten-free french's fried onions from scratch. It is a simple recipe but as will simple recipes the key to success is in the details.
The primary use for this recipe is a fried onion topping for casseroles. Therefore the raw onion needs to be sliced very thinly. I prefer in half-moons but you can also quarter.
If you plan on serving them as onion straws, cut them into very thin rounds.
Soak the onions in buttermilk for 10 minutes. Soaking the onions in buttermilk will tone down the sharp bite that the sulfur gives off.
It also helps the crunchy coating to adhere to the onion.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl (or for less clean up a ziplock bag).
Remove the onion slices from the buttermilk using a slotted spoon or tongs. Give them a good shake.
Or you can drain in a colander. You don't want them totally dry but also not sopping wet.
Add the onions to the bag or bowl. Toss to coat thoroughly. There shouldn't be much if any, excess coating left.
Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees. Brush half the oil on a sheet pan.
Don't worry about shaking off excess breading, we want it all! Spread out the onions in a single layer. They may overlap a bit. but more air flow will increase the crispiness and prevent clumps.
Use a pastry brush to brush the remaining oil over the onions.
Bake in the preheated oven, tossing onions occasionally, until crisped and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Expect a few pieces to get burnt, onions tend to do that. You can discard them.
Air Fryer Fried Onions
- Just like the baked onions, you will need to divide the oil between the air-fryer basket with oil and the flour-coated onions.
- Add the onions to the basket and place them in the air fryer.
- Depending on your air fryer you will likely need to cook in batches. Cook the onions at 375 F for 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Even if you bake the onions, the air fryer is a great way to reheat.
🥗 How to Use Fried Onions
Adding delicious onion flavor to your favorite green bean casserole might be the most obvious way. But to me, they give steakhouse vibes and I put them on top of cast-iron seared bavette steaks and fancy Wagyu burgers.
Use fried onions in place of croutons on your favorite salads. Eat plain, with ketchup or siracha mayo.
Note: Easy siracha mayo is ¼ mayonnaise mixed with 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
Or reheat leftover onions and sprinkle over fried eggs for breakfast!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
The high heat is one of the reasons I recommend making these in advance if serving on Thanksgiving, easter, or another holiday. Nothing else will cook at this high of a temperature (425 F).
🧾 Best Store-Bought GF Fried Onions
French's fried onions are not gluten-free. My favorite gluten-free options are the 365 brand from Whole Foods and Aldi's Live GFree Brand. They are only seasonal items so stock up if that is your thing.
I am partial, I think crispy fried onions are best made from scratch. BUT... we all have time constraints.
Gluten-Free Onion Recipes
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Gluten-Free French Fried Onions (Oven or Air Fry)
Ingredients
- 1 large onion halved and cut into thin strips
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¼ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Brush half the oil on a baking sheet.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Soak onions in buttermilk for 10 minutes.1 large onion, 1 cup buttermilk
- While the onions soak, mix rice flour, cornmeal, salt, and garlic powder together in a large plastic bag or bowl.¼ cup rice flour, ¼ cup cornmeal, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Remove the onions from the buttermilk. Shake off the excess liquid and add to the cornmeal-flour mixture. Toss the drained onions in the flour mixture until coated.
- Spread the onion mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle or brush the remaining oil over the onions. Bake in the preheated oven, tossing onions occasionally, until crisped and golden, about 30 minutes.
Notes
- Air Fryer: Cook the onions at 375 F for 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Serving size:
- Makes a snack for 4
- A side dish for 2
- Topping for 8-10
Rachel says
Haven't eaten yet (saving for Thanksgiving), but I'm sure they'll be great. The recipe is low-stress and has on-hand ingredients for the most part if you cook from scratch regularly. My onions did start to burn toward the end and I didn't catch it in time. Next time, I'll probably put on parchment paper or just rotate my pan better.
Paige says
How long do these keep in a seal container? I plan to make these ahead of time, so I can use them in a green bean casserole for next Saturday.
Rachel says
How far in advance can these be made?
Goose says
Looks good and I'll try it. I wasn't able to figure out how much this makes - how many cups. My casserole recipe calls for 1-1/2 cups of the store-bought version. Is "serves 4" about a cup?
Jen Wooster says
It makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups depending on the size of your onion. Great question!!!!
Sam says
Can you use gluten free all purpose flour instead of the rice/corn meal mixture, or does the rice and corn meal add a certain texture/flavor?
Jen Wooster says
You can use GF AP flour for the rice flour but the cornmeal is what gives it extra crunch so I recommend sticking with that. It also is less likely to burn with the cornmeal.
Mack says
Just made these and they are fantastic! Not just "Good for GF", Good!
Cathleen says
I love fried onions, and I never thought it could be made gluten free! This is so perfect since my friends coming over for Thanksgiving are gluten intolerant. Thanks so much for the recipe !
Sara Welch says
This is such a great recipe that is way better than the store bought version! Looking forward to serving these again for Thanksgiving; delicious!
Jen says
Thanks so much for the review!
Maricruz says
Oh my! I definitely need to try this, I love, LOVE, fried onions and never thought of making a gluten-free version. I don’t even need to add them on top of anything, I just want to munch on those so badly haha
Jen says
Thanks for checking us out!
Healing Tomato says
I am always looking for a gluten-free version for fried onions because I have family members with gluten sensitivities. These fried onions look very easy to make.
Jen says
They are super easy, make in advanced, and you can reheat them in the oven on Thanksgiving day.
Biana says
These fried onions look delicious! Will go great with green beans.
Jen says
They do- and perfect as onion straws on burgers too.