Chef Tom's Grilled Bloomin' Onion is your perfect game day app! Sweet onion, grilled to perfection and ready to devour - guarantee to make your game night a hit! Enjoy the grilled, caramelized onion flavor, only made better with the smoky aroma of the grill.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Brined onions: Ninety minutes in a salted brine seasons the onions all the way through and softens their raw bite.
- Petal cut with the root left on: Slicing into 16ths from the top while keeping the root intact lets the onion hold together and fan open into a “bloom.”
- Triple coating: Seasoned flour, then an egg-and-cream wash, then a flour-and-panko mixture builds a thick crust that clings between the petals.
- Foil-covered finish: Cooking uncovered until the tips darken, then covering with foil, browns the outside and steams the center tender.
Grilled Bloomin' Onion
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
2 hours
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
584
Looking for a game day app? Chef Tom has got you covered! Check out this Grilled Bloomin’ Onion, cooked entirely on the Kamado Joe Ceramic Charcoal Grill.
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet yellow onions
-
Cattleman's Grill Butcher House Brine
- 4 eggs, whisked
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups all purpose flour
-
1/4 cup R Butts R Smokin’ Butt Kick’n Chicken
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 lb bacon, diced, cooked (optional garnish)
- 1/4 cup scallions (green onions), minced (optional garnish)
-
1/2 cup Firebug Grillin’ Sauce Mild BBQ Sauce
-
1/4 cup Big Rick’s Jalapeño Honey Mustard
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
For the sauce:
Directions
Preheat your Kamado Joe Classic II to 400ºF, set up for indirect grilling.
- Cut the top 1/4” of the onion off. Leave the root end intact. Peel the outer layer of the onion. Place the onion cut side down on a cutting board. Place the tip of the knife just next to the root and slice down. Repeat this process until the onion is sliced into 16ths. Flip the onion over and gently spread apart the pedals.
In a Briner 8 Quart Brining Bucket, combine 1 cup Cattleman's Grill Butcher House Brine with one gallon cold water. Whisk until the brine is mostly dissolved. Place the onions in the brine and lock the Briner locking plate into place to keep the onions fully submerged. Brine for 90 minutes. Remove from the brine and drain on a pan. Remove the extra liquid from the pan with paper towels.
Combine the flour and R Butts R Smokin’ Butt Kick’n Chicken in a medium bowl and mix well.
- Combine the whisked eggs and heavy cream in a bowl large enough to hold the onion. Whisk to combine.
- Place the onion in the flour mixture and coat all surfaces and set aside. Repeat with the second onion.
- Add the panko to the flour mixture and mix well.
- One at a time, transfer the onions to the egg wash and coat all surfaces. Transfer to the flour/panko mixture and coat all surfaces. Shake off the extra and set aside.
- Place a sheet of foil, just large enough to fit the two blooming onions, on the grill grates. Place the onions on the foil. Close the lid and cook until the tips are dark brown in color, about 30 minutes. Cover with a second sheet of foil and continue cooking until the onion is tender all the way in the center, about 10-15 more minutes. Remove from the grill.
To make the dipping sauce, combine all three ingredients and mix well.
- Serve the Grilled Bloomin’ Onion with the dipping sauce and topped with diced bacon and minced green onions.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why leave the root end on when cutting the onion?
The root holds the layers together. With the root intact, you can slice the onion into 16ths and gently spread the petals open without the whole thing falling apart.
Why brine the onions for 90 minutes?
The brine seasons the onion all the way through and mellows its sharpness. Locking the plate into the Briner bucket keeps the onions submerged so they brine evenly.
Why drain the onions and dry the pan with paper towels?
Extra liquid on the onions would make the coating slide off. Draining them and drying the surface gives the flour something to cling to.
Why coat the onion in seasoned flour before the egg wash?
The dry flour layer absorbs surface moisture and gives the egg-and-cream wash something to grip, so the final coating sticks between the petals.
Why add panko to the flour for the second coat?
Panko adds a coarse, crisp texture that flour alone wouldn't give. Shaking off the excess keeps the coating from clumping.
Why cook on a sheet of foil and cover with a second sheet?
The foil underneath keeps the crumbs from falling through the grates. The first stage browns the tips for about 30 minutes, and covering with foil afterward holds in steam so the center turns tender in another 10-15 minutes.
How do I know the bloomin' onion is done?
The tips should be dark brown, and the onion should be tender all the way through the center. The egg-and-cream coating is cooked through by then.
How should I serve it?
Serve it with the barbecue honey mustard dipping sauce and top it with diced cooked bacon and minced scallions. Both garnishes are optional.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5. A 400°F oven bakes the onions on a foil-lined sheet pan exactly the same way, and the sauce is a bowl-and-whisk recipe. You'd lose a little smoke flavor.
Recipe Highlights
Brined onions: Seasoned through and milder in flavor.
Root-intact petal cut: Holds together and fans open.
Triple-coated crust: Clings between the petals.
Foil-covered finish: Browns the tips and steams the center tender.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 15.16 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 584
- Carbs
- 80 grams
- Protein
- 14 grams
- Fat
- 22 grams
- Sodium
- 772 milligrams
