Outback Steakhouse Bloomin Onion

The Outback Steakhouse Blooming Onion is a treat the restaurant has been serving up since it opened. You can make this appetizer menu item just like they do, and you don’t need any fancy tools to prepare this Bloomin Onion.

Copycat Outback Steakhouse bloomin onion and dipping sauce.


This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Outback Steakhouse Blooming Onion

I think this is one of my first copycat recipes. I can remember the first time I tried this popular appetizer, the bloomin onion. An onion is sliced so that it opens up, some might even say it “blooms”.

The petals are battered, and the onion is deep-fried, and then this creation is served with a wonderful sauce. I know you will be blown away, just like I was the first time I tried this creation.

What Makes The Outback Steakhouse Blooming Onion So Good

You can impress anyone by serving this bloomin’ onion, whether for close family or a large party! Not only does this bloomin’ onion have a fascinating and mouthwatering look, but it tastes even better than it looks!

Of course, the onion flavor is prominent, but you can also taste hints of paprika, garlic, and cayenne. It is the perfect appetizer to awaken your taste buds! The bloom sauce with a touch of horseradish has the ideal flavor to pair with the onion.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Once you make this blooming onion Outback Steakhouse recipe, you will wonder why it took so long to try.

Although it might seem intimidating because of its elegant presentation, it’s quite simple. With this recipe, you can indulge in one of your favorite Outback Steakhouse menu items without stepping outside your home!

Ingredients

Click on the recipe card to get the full instructions and quantities you will need for this recipe.

What you’ll need for making a blooming onion:

  • Cornstarch
  • Minced garlic
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour
  • Paprika
  • Pepper
  • Beer
  • Garlic powder
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Vidalia onions or other large sweet onions
  • Oil for frying
  • Bloomin Onion Sauce for serving
Copycat Outback bloomin onion recipe ingredients.

Ingredient Notes

A large sweet onion will give the perfect flavor. Use a Vidalia or 1015 onion.

My preference for cooking oil is peanut oil, followed by vegetable oil. Any liquid oil will do, but peanut makes the onion crispier.

How to Prepare a Bloomin Onion

Preparing this onion isn’t too difficult. You’ll make a seasoned beer batter and flour mixture, cut and batter the onion, then deep fry it. Here are the step-by-step instructions:

  1. Whisk cornstarch, minced garlic, flour, paprika, and pepper until well blended.
  2. Add the beer and mix well until the batter is well combined.
Collage of making bloomin onion batter.
  1. Combine flour with garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and pepper in a separate bowl. Mix until well blended.
  2. Peel the onions and place the root side on the cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice the first 3/4 inches off the top of the onion. Then you will make 10 to 12 verticle cuts, but don’t go all of the way to the root.
  3. Separate the onion petals slightly, but do not do this too much or you will destroy the onion.
Collage of making seasoned flour and cutting an onion to make a bloomin onion.
  1. Dip the onions into the bowl of flour and shake off the excess flour.
  2. Dip the onions into the batter and separate the petals to ensure they are thoroughly coated.
  3. Then dip the onion into the seasoned flour again.
Collage of battering a sliced onion to make a bloomin onion.
  1. Heat the oil in a deep fryer until the oil temperature is 375 to 400°F. Place the onion in the fryer basket and deep-fry for 1½ minutes on one side. Flip the onion and fry for 1½ minutes, until golden brown.
  2. Lift the fried onion out of the hot oil with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels.
Collage of deep frying a blooming onion.
  1. Place the onion on a plate and serve it hot with Bloomin Onion Sauce.
Copycat Outback bloomin onion and a bowl of dipping sauce.

Recipe Tips

You may want to make sure your cutting board has a damp cloth under it so it doesn’t move.

If desired, you can cut out the center of the fried blooming onion and put a small cup of dipping sauce in it.

If you feel cutting the blooming onion is too much, try cutting it into petals, strings, or onion rings.

What To Serve With The Outback Blooming Onion

Be sure to serve it with plenty of blooming onion sauce! If you want other sauce ideas, pair it with honey BBQ sauce, ranch, sriracha, honey mustard, ketchup, and more. The crispy onion tastes amazing with virtually any sauce you can think of.

To use it as part of a meal, you can always serve it with Outback Steakhouse Mac and Cheese or Outback Steakhouse Queensland Chicken and Shrimp Pasta. It tastes fantastic with pasta because the crispy onion offsets the tender noodles and creamy sauce.

How To Store The Outback Steakhouse Onion

Keep the bloomin’ in an airtight container to retain its freshness until you plan to reheat it. Although it will last 4-5 days, the sooner you use it, the better.

What is the best way to Heal the leftover Bloomin Onion?

The best way to reheat the bloomin onion appetizer is to use the oven or air fryer. Unfortunately, with the microwave, the onion loses all of its crispiness (which is the best part!).

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake it for approximately 10 minutes. If your onion is already a dark golden color, you might want to wrap it with foil so it doesn’t burn loosely.

You can set your air fryer to the same temperature and keep in mind it heats much faster this way, and it will take about half the time.

Dipping a blooming onion petal into sauce.

Love Outback Steakhouse? Try these recipes

Tasty Onion Rings and Petals Recipes

Be sure to check out more copycat appetizers and game day food recipes.

Copycat Outback Steakhouse bloomin onion and dipping sauce.

Outback Steakhouse Bloomin Onion

You can make some magic in your kitchen when you make this blooming onion at home.
4.98 from 39 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Outback Steakhouse Recipes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 600kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour divided use
  • 2 tablespoons paprika divided use
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper divided use
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 Vidalia onions or other large sweet onions
  • Bloomin’ Onion Sauce or Creamy Chili Sauce to serve

Instructions

  • To make the batter, combine the cornstarch, minced garlic, and salt with 1 1/2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of paprika, and 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper. Mix well. Add the beer and mix to combine.
  • To make the seasoned flour, combine the garlic powder and cayenne pepper with 2 cups of flour, 4 teaspoons of paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix well.
  • Cut about 3/4 inch off the top of the onions and peel them. Cut each onion into 12 to 16 vertical wedges, but do not cut through the bottom root end. Remove about 1 inch of petals from the center of the onion. You may want to separate the onion petals slightly, but do not do this too much or you will destroy the onion.
  • Dip the onions into the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Dip the onions into the batter, separating the petals to ensure they are thoroughly coated. Then dip the onions into the seasoned flour again.
  • Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375°F to 400°F. Gently place the onions into the fryer basket and deep-fry for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove the onions from the fryer and drain on paper towels.
  • To serve, place the onion upright in a shallow bowl and remove the center core with a circular cutter or apple corer. Serve hot with Bloomin’ Onion Sauce or Creamy Chili Sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 125g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 633mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1580IU | Vitamin C: 16.3mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 6.8mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

REVEALED: Copycat Secrets for 2023

free email bonus

Yes, you CAN make it at home! I'll show you how.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Teresa Ventimiglia

    5 stars
    Can’t have a steak without the Blooming Onion! I use this recipe with Outstanding Results Every time. A family fave. Ty for this great CopyCat recipe.

  2. Polly

    5 stars
    I used this recipe not only for onion rings (I didn’t have enough oil for the whole onion). They were fantastic. I used my leftover batter and breading to make fried pickles. Excellent! Next time I fry chicken, I am going to use this. Oh- and the sauce is good on everything (except maybe dessert).

  3. Pat

    Just curious… Have you changed the recipe for the sauce? Mine is different. (I have the identical onion recipe tho). My recipes say “Source: Outback Steak House, Miami, FL. ” …can’t remember where I found it.
    I like the cold water hint – thanks people!

  4. Dennis

    We can try to get close to their recipes. The main thing they do is all of the seasonings for everything is shipped in. They are locked up. There isn’t beer in this dish at all. There is a machine that is used to cut the onions. Then they have to be soaked in water ton get them to open.

      • justin

        No there is not its a milk and egg wash pre dip and a straight seasoning mix there are only 2 items with beer in them at outback the beer batter for coconut shrimp has budweiser in it and the chicken breading batter has fosters in it. I don’t get the incentive to lying or maybe your a know it all waitress?

    • Katt

      What about an alcohol free beer like O’Doule’s ? If gluten is the issue instead of alcohol, there are now some gf friendly varieties available that would work. Without that beer-y flavor, the batter is just not right.

    • Becky

      5 stars
      I used 6 oz. of carbonated water (for the bubbles) and 6 oz. of apple cider vinegar (for the bitterness) and it worked out great! Added a subtle vinegary flavor to the batter that really complements the onion.

  5. ldawg

    There is no beer in the outback bloomin onion… the flour comes in a large box already seasoned and is a bright orange color.. soak onion in ice water squeeze excess out (don’t need to completely dry it) flour it lightly, dip in egg and milk wash, reflour and fry.. that’s it. No beer… only thing they use beer in is coconut shrimp

  6. MM91

    Tastes just like outback! If you have no taste buds…. Followed the recipe to a “T” without any problems, just tasted awful. Rather whoever wrote this had no taste buds, or has never had a bloomin onion at outback!

  7. Guest

    Anyone asking for the Creamy Chili Dip or Sauce:

    Outback Steakhouse Dipping Sauce for the Bloomin Onion

    Author: Spicycp

    Recipe Type: Copycat Restaurant Recipes, CopyKat Recieps, Dips/Sauces

    Prep time: 10 minutes

    Cook time: 10 minutes

    Serves: 4

    You can make your own version of the Outback Steakhouse Dipping Sauce at hom.

    Ingredients

    1/2 cup mayonnaise

    2 teaspoons ketchup

    2 tablespoons horseradish (little less)

    1/4 teaspoon paprika

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

    1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

    dash ground pepper

    dash cayenne pepper

    InstructionsCombine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

  8. kevinh1

    The onion will come out better if, after slicing the petals, you float the onion upside down in ice water for fifteen minutes. The water must be as cold as possible. It will spread more easily, and lose fewer petals. This is how Outback gets it to bloom so nicely.

  9. Brandi Rae

    Tried the Hooters fried pickles recipe the other night and it turned out great..I tried this recipe (Bloomin Onion) tonight and what a disaster..lol..The batter was so thick that I couldn’t get the onion into it without the onion breaking into pieces, plus after dipping it into the flour mixture, the batter wouldn’t stick to the onion. I ended up adding some bear to the batter to thin it out a bit but it didnt help. After dipping it into the flour mixture, it just wouldn’t stay on the onion..Any suggestions??

  10. Brandi Rae

    Tried the Hooters fried pickles recipe the other night and it turned out great..I tried this recipe (Bloomin Onion) tonight and what a disaster..lol..The batter was so thick that I couldn’t get the onion into it without the onion breaking into pieces, plus after dipping it into the flour mixture, the batter wouldn’t stick to the onion. I ended up adding some bear to the batter to thin it out a bit but it didnt help. After dipping it into the flour mixture, it just wouldn’t stay on the onion..Any suggestions??

    • jay

      Make sure the onion is dry, and coat it with starch first. Usually it’s easier if you also place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill down. Then do the batter dip after.

      Once you did the batter, put it on a rack for a minute before you do a second coat of flour.

    • Guest

      when you added the bear to the batter… did he get upset?

      and i also think a bear in the batter would be worthy of a spot on the evening news

      so was it?

4.98 from 39 votes (34 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




homemade Olive Garden Asiago Torgelloni Alfredo with chicken on a plate

Copycat Recipe Secrets for 2024

REVEALED:

Yes, you CAN make it at home! 
I'll show you how.

FREE EMAIL BONUS