Blooming onion, like the one from Outback Steakhouse, can be delicious when warm, but when cold, you can bring it back to taste by reheating. But, how can you reheat blooming onion without getting it burnt or soggy?
Preheat the oven to 425°F for 10-15 minutes and reheat your bloomin’ onion for 8-10 minutes then set the oven to broil for 3 minutes. You will get crispy and non-soggy blooming onion since no oil is needed during reheating.
Having in mind that some blooming onions are packed with lots of calories depending on how they’ve been prepared, you want to avoid any addition of more calories as much as possible during the reheating process.
Can you reheat blooming onion?
You can easily reheat blooming onion (Outback Steakhouse) and still retain its initial crispness. However, it will depend on whether you had originally deep-fried or air-fried them.
For deep-fried blooming onions, you can use either the oven, air fryer, deep fryer, or a pan, whereas air-fried onions can only be reheated either in the oven, air fryer, or in a pan since deep frying tends to get them soggy.
Although some people consider microwaving blooming onions which is actually faster, it leaves them all soggy and mushy, and therefore wouldn’t recommend it unless you are out of options.
Here are four methods on how you can safely reheat blooming onions:
1. In the oven
The oven is an excellent way to reheat blooming onions without getting them soggy.
To reheat blooming onion in the oven;
- Preheat the oven to 425°F for 10-15 minutes
- Place your blooming onion on a wire rack. The wire rack allows excess oil to drip off, hence preventing sogginess.
- Put the wire rack in a baking tray to trap the oil hence preventing your oven from getting messy.
- Put them in the oven for 8-10 minutes
- Set the oven to broil for about 3 minutes
- You can allow your blooming onion to cool slightly or better yet serve while sizzling hot, depending on how you like them.
2. Air frying
Reheating blooming onions in an air fryer leaves them with a nice crispy texture if done correctly.
To reheat blooming onions in an air fryer;
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
- Spray the onions with little cooking oil
- Put them in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes or until they regain their crispness
- serve
3. Pan-frying
When using a pan to reheat blooming onions, you will need to detach the petals first for them to warm evenly.
Here’s what to do;
- Depetal your onion to individual segments
- Place them on the pan in a single layer
- Put them on medium heat
- Warm for 2 minutes or until they start to sizzle
- Turn them over and warm for another 2 minutes or until they crispy on both sides
- Serve.
4. Deep Frying
You can deep fry blooming onions to reheat, although you should consider it as the last option since it tends to live them a little soggy.
Here’s how to go about it:
- Heat your oil to 350F
- Dip in the onions for 2-3 minute
- Put them in a lined colander to get rid of excess oil. You can also use a paper towel to pat them dry if need be.
- serve
How long is Outback blooming Onion Good For?
Outback blooming onion can remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days if stored well. Simply put your blooming onion in a glass container well-lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Seal the container tightly with its lid and put it in the fridge.
How to Prepare Bloomin Onion
- Peel the onion and rinse under running water
- Cut the top of the onion
- Cut into four quarters from top to bottom leaving like an inch to keep the petals together.
- Make two more cuts in between each quarter
- Open the petals
- Put egg and milk in a bowl
- In another bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, black pepper, and salt
- Dip the onion in the egg and milk mixture, making sure you coat all the petals
- Put them in the dry flour mixture and use your hands to coat in between the petals
- Dip again in the egg and milk mixture, then in the dry flour mixture, ensuring the second coating is well done
- Heat cooking oil on medium heat. As the oil heats up you can place the onion in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Using tongs, put the onion in the oil and keep turning until brown and crispy.
- If you are using an air fryer, sprinkle the onion with little oil preferably olive oil for a nice flavor, and air fry at 400°F until nicely cooked and crispy.
- Put the onion on a colander lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Use a paper towel to pat dry excess oil in between the petals
- Serve with a sauce
READ MORE: Can You Fry Frozen Chicken Wings?
Why is deep-fried Blooming Onion Considered unhealthy?
Deep-fried onion is enormous and fully loaded with calories and fats, making it a one-way heart disease ticket. Restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse in America serve their blooming onions, topped with fries, drenched in two types of melted cheese, bacon, and ranch sauce.
A single blooming onion contains between 1954- 2310 calories and 134 grams of fat. The dipping sauce carries calories and fats too.
You can however make healthy blooming onions in the comfort of your home. Although it may be costly, it’s worth trying.
How to prepare a Healthy Gluten-Free Baked Bloomin Onion
You can enjoy a healthy packed blooming onion without having to think about excess calorie intake. Using the keto recipe below, you are sure to eat an excellent, tasty, and healthy blooming onion.
- Follow the above procedure from 1-5
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Mix eggs and water in a bowl
- In another bowl, mix gluten-free flour preferably almond, and herbs together
- Dip the onions into the egg mixture until well coated
- Put them into the flour mixture and use your hands to sprinkle the flour between the petals.
- Repeat procedures 5 and 6
- Place the onion on a baking sheet and cover with foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes, uncover, and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown
- Allow cooling.
- Serve with a healthy horseradish dip
Keto bloomin’ onions contain 141 calories and 81 grams of fat, making them healthier than regular deep-fried bloomin’ onions.