Chili’s Awesome Blossom was an amazing menu item at Chilis. While this tasty onion appetizer was retired from the menu, you can still enjoy this favorite flavor.
Chili’s is known for its flavorful food and delicious cocktails. Everyone loves Chili’s Chicken Crispers and Chili’s Salsa.
The Awesome Blossom is aptly named. It’s a “bloom” of breaded and deep-fried onion. You pick apart the petals of the onion “flower” and dip them in a delicious sauce with just the right amount of spice.
The Awesome Blossom has been replaced at Chili’s by Awesome Blossom Petals. Awesome Blossom Petals is a very similar (but lighter) version of the full blooming onion but is served up as separate petals. It consists of a light, flaky breading, hints of seasoned salt, sweetness from the onion, and a ranch-style dressing dip.
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About Chili’s Restaurant
Chili’s began life in 1975 as a quirky little hamburger joint in a building that used to be a Dallas post office. Now there are over 1,600 Chili’s spread over 33 countries.
If you go to a Chili’s, you’ll find an upside-down photo. This is a tradition that goes back to the first Chili’s when a photo was accidentally hung the wrong way.
Now the upside-down picture means that good luck will follow Chili’s diners. So go there for good fortune and delicious food! If you are interested in reading more about the history of Chili’s, click here.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Large Onion
- All-purpose flour
- McCormick Seasoned Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Buttermilk
- Sour cream
- Ketchup
- Ground red pepper
- Horseradish
- Paprika
- Vegetable oil for frying
How to Make Chili’s Awesome Blossom
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, and garlic powder together.
- Cut the top off the onion, then peel the onion but make sure the root stays intact.
- Carefully slice the onion from the top stopping about a half of an inch above the root.
- Slice the rest of the onion the way same as a pie.
- Soak the onion in ice-cold water for about 30 minutes until the onion’s petals open up and bloom.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees.
- Drain the onion and dip it in the flour mixture and dust thoroughly.
- Dip the onion in buttermilk and back in the flour mixture.
- Place the breaded onion in the hot oil and fry until golden.
- When done, drain the fried onion well and place it on a plate.
- Cut the center out of the onion.
- Mix sour cream, ketchup, seasoned salt, red pepper, horseradish, and paprika together.
- Place the sauce in a small ramekin in the center of the onion blossom.
- Garnish with paprika and a dash of red pepper.
Recipe Modifications
If you are counting calories, you can make these modifications to this copycat Awesome Blossom recipe:
- Substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
- Find a brand of ketchup that has low sugar content. Of course, if you make your own ketchup, you have complete control over how much sugar goes into it.
How to Store Onions
Never store your onions with your potatoes because the gases they emit will make the other vegetable spoil faster. Get more information about storing fruits and vegetables.
Let me know how much fun you’ve had making an Awesome Blossom out of an onion. Here are some more links for you to try including a couple of copycat onion recipes:
Love Chili’s? Try these copycat recipes!
Favorite Fried Appetizer Recipes
Check out more of my easy appetizer recipes and the best copycat recipes for casual dining restaurants here on CopyKat!
Chili’s Awesome Blossom
Ingredients
Awesome Blossom
- 1 large onion
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons McCormick seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- vegetable oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ teaspoon McCormick seasoned salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1½ teaspoons horseradish
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Awesome Blossom
- Mix all dry ingredients together.
- Cut the top 1/4 off the onion (the top has the stem). Then peel the onion but make sure the root stays intact.
- Carefully slice the onion from the top stopping about ½ inch above the root (take care not to cut through the root). Slice the rest of the onion like a pie.
- Soak the onion in ice-cold water for about 30 minutes until the onion’s petals open up and bloom.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees.
- Drain the onion and dip in flour mixture and dust the onion to cover the onion thoroughly.
- Dip onion in buttermilk and back in flour mixture.
- Place the onion in the hot oil and fry until golden. Oil should cover onion.
- When done, drain well and place the fried onion on a plate.
- Cut the center out of the onion.
Sauce Directions
- Mix all sauce ingredients together. Serve the sauce in a small ramekin in the middle of the onion blossom.
- Garnish with paprika and just a dash of red pepper.
Andrea
I love how simple you have made this recipe. I am going to try this tonight.
Kim
Stephanie, thank you for this awesome copycat creation. It looks super tasty and the presentation is restaurant quality. I also appreciate all your tips and tricks!
Michael G McKinney
i worked for Outback Steakhouse and i think it’s bullshit that Outback has a claim on a fried onion…Chili’s deserves the rite to sell Awesome Blossoms…
Deb
This is THE best copykat of the Chili’s Blossom so far!!!! Super easy and super delicious!!
Bun
chilis bloomin onion and sauce