These crispy fried tobacco onions are thinly sliced onions dredged in buttermilk, egg, and seasoned flour. Then they’re fried golden and finished with my southwest seasoning. Every strand is crunchy, salty, and a little sweet from the onion underneath, and it only takes 15 minutes of prep.

Tobacco Onions

Tobacco onions are thin sliced onions coated in seasoned flour and fried until they curl up dark and crisp like dried tobacco leaves, which is where the name comes from. The frying caramelizes the onion inside the coating, so you get sweetness from the onion and crunch and spice from the breading in the same strand. This one is credited to Chef Dean Fearing at the Mansion in Dallas back in the mid-1980s, and it has been a steakhouse and burger garnish ever since.

For all my busy followers out there, I know you’re going to love this one because it’s super easy to make in less than 20 minutes. Yes, that’s right! Here is my recipe in three steps: slice the onions paper thin, run them through a buttermilk-egg wash and then a bowl of seasoned flour, and fry them in small batches until golden. That is genuinely all there is to it. Stick with my slicing and dredging notes below, and you will get crisp straws that stay crunchy instead of a greasy clump.

The first time I ever made these was as a sous chef at Cardwell’s in St. Louis, where we piled them on a tropical grilled tuna steak with pineapple salsa, and that plate was Dang good. These days I make them for burgers more than anything else. My daughter Olivia has figured out that if she hangs around the fryer she gets to eat the test batch straight off the rack. Any onion works here, so use what you have. I highly recommend making a batch the next time a burger or a casserole needs something with real crunch on top. Enjoy it!

Ingredients and Substitutions

These are the ingredients I use to make this 20-minute Fried Tobacco Onions recipe. Since I’ve already tested it with several ingredient variations, I’ve also included the substitutions that work well below.

• Yellow onion is what I typically use because it browns up sweet under the coating. White, red, or sweet onion all fry up great too, so use whatever you have.
• Buttermilk – The acid tenderizes the onion a little and seasons it while it soaks. Whole milk works if that is what is in the fridge, or just make my homemade buttermilk, which is super easy following my directions.
• Egg – Whisked into the buttermilk, the egg adds richness and color and helps the flour grab onto every strand. Chilled or room temperature is fine.
• All-purpose flour is what gives these their crisp shell in the oil. Bread flour works too.
• Southwest seasoning – My southwest seasoning is granulated onion and garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika, and it is what makes these taste like more than fried flour. Old Bay is a solid stand-in, or mix your own salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika.
• Oil – Any neutral, high-heat oil fries these well. Avocado is my preference, and a cold-pressed vegetable oil is the economical option.

How to Make Tobacco Onions

Slice the onions paper thin: Cut the ends off and peel the onion. Then slice it on a mandoline until the rings are almost translucent.

Mix the wash: Whisk the buttermilk, egg, salt, and pepper together in a deep bowl or cake dish until combined. Set it aside.

Season the flour: In a second deep bowl, stir the flour together with the southwest seasoning.

Heat the oil: Fill a medium pot halfway with oil and bring it to 350 F.

Wash: Drop a handful of onions into the buttermilk-egg wash and toss to coat.

Shake off the excess, move them to the seasoned flour, and mix until every side is breaded. Shake off the extra flour before they go in the oil.

Fry in batches: Fry the onions for 2 to 4 minutes until golden. Move them around with a slotted spoon so they don’t clump and cook at the same rate.

Drain and hold: Move the fried onions to a sheet tray lined with a rack or paper towels to drain.

Serve them hot, or keep them warm until the rest of dinner is ready.

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to serve these fried tobacco onions is on top of a burger. What about you? A tangle of these over a classic cheeseburger does everything raw onion is supposed to do with none of the sharp bite, and the crunch against the melted cheese is the reason I started making them at home in the first place. They are just as good crowning a plate of homemade salisbury steak, where they cut the richness of the gravy.

When I am cooking a steak, a handful of these over a butter-basted steak turns a plain plate into a steakhouse one, which is exactly how the Mansion served them. At the holidays they belong on the green bean casserole of course, but I also just set a bowl of them on the table and let people grab them like fries. Whatever does not get eaten hot gets crumbled over a salad the next day for crunch.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 30 minutes ahead of time. Keep them on a rack on a sheet tray in the oven at low temperatures (<200°) until you are ready to serve.

How to Store: I cover any leftovers and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I skip the freezer for these.

How to Reheat: I lay them on a rack over a sheet tray and bake at 350 F for 6 to 8 minutes, until they crisp back up and warm through.

More Side Dish Recipes

• Fried Potatoes
• Roasted Tomatoes
• Glazed Green Beans
• Hasselback Potatoes
• Roasted Garlic