Onion Fritters

Our Onion Fritters are prepared with caramelized onions, and fry up with a beautifully golden, crispy exterior, while remaining moist and tender on the inside. A simple-to-prepare crowd-pleaser, these fritters are the perfect side for your next game day party, pairing deliciously with hardy comfort food favorites like big burgers, fried fish, or even grilled hotdogs.

Best of all, these fritters are simple to make and use only simple ingredients like flour, salt, and pepper, along with affordable fresh ingredients like cheese, milk, and onions. What’s more, they can be prepared a day or two ahead of time, and heat up beautifully in the oven or toaster oven.

Read on for a complete ingredient list, prep tips, and recipe overview, along with a printable recipe card at the bottom.

Now, without further delay, let’s get to it.

Recipe Overview – What to Expect

If you’ve read this far, I’ve probably piqued your interest, but you also probably still have a few questions. You might be wondering what these fritters are like in terms of taste and texture. Or maybe you want to know how hard they are to make? Or perhaps what they pair well with?

For the answer to those questions and more, read on.

Taste and Texture

• Taste: We’ve got sweetness from the caramelized onions, some salt from the Parmesan cheese, and just a hint of warming spice from the pepper. This all combines to create a delicious savory fritter.
• Texture: Any good fritter is crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside, with a good bit of moisture from the frying – and these fritters are no exception.

Recipe Highlights

• Caramelized Onions: The star of the show is the caramelized onions. The caramelizing process really heightens their natural sweetness, which blends beautifully into the finished product, setting the stage for rich flavor in the finished fritters.
• Simple Ingredients: We’re using only pantry staples like flour, salt, and pepper, and combing that with simple, affordable fresh ingredients like cheese, milk, and onions. Simple.

Tips for Success

• Proper Caramelization: The caramelized onions are the star ingredient, so getting the caramelization right is a must. That means taking time to let the onions soften and turn golden, as this adds depth of flavor to the fritters.
• Avoid Overcrowding: I say this every time I talk about fried recipes. Overcrowding the frying pan is the quickest way to ruin your fried food. Fry the fritters in batches, and allow for about an inch of space between fritters. More on this below.
• Drain Well: Use paper towels to absorb excess oil and keep the fritters light and crisp.
• Customizable Add-Ins: Experiment with adding spices like paprika, or swap parsley for thyme or chives to tailor the flavor.

Pairings and Presentation

Serve these fritters as an appetizer or side dish with:

• Creamy dips, such as sour cream and chives or ranch)
• Fresh green salads for a contrasting crunch
• Light soups
• Hardy burgers
• Fried foods such as fried fish or chicken
• Grilled hotdogs

Ingredient Checklist – Everything You’ll Need

Now that we’ve discussed the recipe in detail, let’s talk about what exactly you’ll need to bring these fritters together. Below, you’ll find a complete ingredient checklist, along with tips for using those ingredients, and relevant substitutions where applicable.

• 2 yellow onions, sliced thin
  • Tip: While I sliced the onions by hand using a sharp knife, you can of course expedite the process with a mandoline. You want to ensure even slices for even cooking.
  • Substitution: Your preferred onion will get the job done. Sweet onions, however, would be my go-to substitution.
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • Tip: I’m using panko for a couple of reasons. First, I think it brings a nice crispiness to the outside, but I also find that it gives the fritters a lighter overall texture than regular breadcrumbs.
  • Substitution: With that said, regular breadcrumbs will get the job done just fine.
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • Tip: Be sure to measure the flour precisely, sifting if necessary. Too much flour will result in a dense batter.
  • Substitution: As always, your gluten-free flour of choice will work just fine.
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Tip: I give this tip every chance I get – use freshly shredded parmesan for the best flavor. Why? Because pre-shredded leaks away moisture, and less moisture means less flavor, as well as a lower melting quality. Also, it is a general rule that lower quality cheeses tend to be used for pre-ground, even if only because pre-ground cheese isn’t ‘just’ cheese.
  • Substitution: Your grating cheese of choice will work just fine, whether it be Romano, Locatelli, or Asiago. You might also consider mixing and matching cheeses, or even using a melty cheese like mozzarella or cheddar. Get creative!
• 1½ teaspoons salt
  • Tip: Plain table salt is all you need here.
  • Substitution: That said, feel free to use your preferred Sea salt or kosher salt.
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Tip: For enhancing the natural sweetness of the onions, and facilitating the caramelization process. Plain, granulated sugar is all we’re looking for here.
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • Tip: Adjust to taste. I do recommend fresh ground for better aromatics, but beyond that pre-ground will get the job done just fine.
  • Substitution: Yes, white pepper can be used if preferred.
• 3–4 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • Tip: Bring a touch of freshness and a pop of color to the fritters.
  • Substitution: Get creative with the herbs. Experiment with thyme, chives, or cilantro.
• ½ cup milk + 1 tablespoon water
  • Tip: Room-temperature milk blends more easily into the batter.
  • Substitution: As always, the plant-based milk of your choice will get the job done.
• 1 egg
  • Tip: Beat the egg lightly before mixing it into the batter for even distribution.
  • Substitution: I can’t really recommend a decent substitute for the egg, which helps bind the fritters together. All I can recommend is experimenting with your choice of egg substitute and seeing what happens. Again, the egg is a key ingredient, as it binds the fritters together through the frying process.
• Vegetable oil for frying
  • Tip: Use a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or corn oil both because of their high smoke point and because you don’t want the fritters absorbing flavor from the oil.
  • Substitution: That said, you can of course use olive oil if preferred, but that “olive oil flavor” will seep into the fritters. Though, if using a decent quality olive oil, that’ll probably be a good thing.
• Sour cream and chives (optional, for serving)
  • Tip: Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the sour cream for extra brightness.
  • Substitution: Other dips like ranch, garlic aioli, or spicy mayo work wonderfully.

Prep Tips – Getting the Recipe Just Right

All right, if you’ve read this far you’ve likely decided on preparing these fritters. If that’s the case, then I’ve got a whole batch of tips to help you succeed in doing precisely that.

1. Prepare Your Ingredients First
   • Slice the Onions Evenly: Start things off by prepping the onions themselves. As mentioned above, while I’m using a sharp knife, I do recommend using a mandolin slicer to ensure thin, uniform slices. Remember, thin, even slices mean even caramelization.
   • Measure and Organize: Beyond the onions, I do recommend that you pre-measure all of the ingredients, and have them ready to go to avoid rushing during the cooking process.
2. Caramelize Onions Properly
   • Heat Control: Do not try to rush the caramelization process by turning up the heat. Instead, use medium heat throughout to caramelize the onions slowly. This enhances their sweetness and prevents burning. Remember to stir occasionally, otherwise the onions will stick and burn. Not fun.
   • Cool Before Mixing: Let the onions cool after caramelizing to prevent scrambling the egg when combined with the batter. If you’ve got the time, let the onions cool to room temperature before combining with the batter.
3. Mix Batter with Care
   • Combine Wet and Dry Separately: Mix the milk, water, and egg in one bowl (the wet ingredients), and the dry ingredients in another before combining them. This helps to prevent over-mixing, which can make the fritters dense. Instead, you only want to mix the ingredients until they are combined, and then stop. Too much mixing means introducing too much air into the batter, which will lead to dense fritters. Not fun.
   • Consistency: The batter should be slightly thick, and slightly clumpy, but still spoonable. Adjust with a splash of milk (if too dry) or a sprinkle of flour (if too wet) if needed.
4. Prepare for Frying
   • Oil Temperature: Preheat the oil to about 350°F (175°C) for optimal frying. If you spoon the fritters into the oil before the oil is hot, the fritters will absorb the oil, resulting in greasy fritters. Conversely, if the oil is too hot, the fritters will burn. Not good.
   • Test the Oil: Drop a small piece of batter into the oil. If it sizzles the oil is ready.
   • Use the Right Pan: I wholeheartedly recommend using a cast iron skillet for the frying process. You can also use a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan, but cast iron really is the way to go for this type of frying.
5. Cook in Batches
   • Don’t Overcrowd: My top tip for frying is to ‘not’ overcrowd the pan. Instead, fry in small batches to maintain the oil temperature and give each fritter enough room to cook evenly. Overcrowding traps air between the food that’s being fried, which results in boiling. Not good.
   • Flip Gently: Use a spatula or tongs to flip the fritters carefully to avoid breaking them.
6. Drain Properly
   • Use Paper Towels: Place cooked fritters on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

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And those are our Onion Fritters. If you enjoyed this recipe or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below, we always love hearing from you!

Happy Cooking!

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