This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please read my disclosure policy.
Last Updated on September 20, 2021 by Aimee Stock
This is my copycat version of Chili’s Awesome Blossom Petals and of course I could not forget the Chili’s Awesome Blossom Dipping Sauce. You’ll find recipes for both at the bottom of this post.
Who doesn’t love fried onions as an appetizer and Chili’s does it right! I love these little petals and I can assure you, there wasn’t one left after this shoot took place. Really delicious. Let me show you how to make them!
How to make Chili’s Awesome Blossom Petals {Copycat Recipe}
The first and most important ingredient is the onion and you will need an onion labeled as “sweet” or “Vidalia” for this recipe. I trim the ends and then cut the onion into wedges, separating them into “petals”.
The petals first need to go into the dry mixture which is nothing more than flour and seasoning. This allows the batter to stick to and coat the petals more fully. If you were to skip this step, the batter would likely slide right off.
For the liquid part of our breading station, add buttermilk, seasonings and just a bit of cornstarch to thicken. Give it a good whisk to combine.
Fully submerge and coat the onion petals making sure all of the floured portions are now covered in this wet mixture.
We’ll be using the same dry mix again. So it’s: dry, wet, dry and then into the hot oil.
Things tend to get a bit sticky, so it’s best to work in small batches and wash your hands in between.
You could certainly deep fry these onion petals, but as you can see, I get the exact same result from a shallow fry in a skillet. I use less oil and have a bit more control. I would just add that you should handle these as little as possible to avoid losing any of the breading, flipping only once if possible. Gently shaking the pan a bit helps the oil coat the petals. Gently though, we are working with hot oil here so be careful.
I love the ones that get a bit too much breading on them and have that crunch exterior. Those are my favorite and dipped in that sauce…SO good!
How to make Chili’s Awesome Blossom Sauce {Copycat Recipe}
For the sauce, you’ll need:
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 1/2 c Mayonnaise (or Sour Cream)
- 1 tsp tsp Paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
Did you make my copycat version of Chili’s Awesome Blossom Petals? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought! You can also tag me with your creations on Instagram @aimee_stock I love seeing what you come up with 🙂
Chili’s Awesome Blossom Petals
Equipment
- Non-Stick Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 large Sweet or Vidalia Onion peeled, ends trimmed and cut into wedges. Separate the layers of each wedge
FOR THE AWESOME BLOSSOM SAUCE:
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 1/2 c Mayonnaise or Sour Cream
- 1 tsp tsp Paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
FOR THE SEASONED BREADING:
- 1 1/2 c All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Seasoned Salt more or less to taste
- 1/2 tsp Pepper more or less to taste
- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder more or less to taste
- 1/4 tsp Paprika more or less to taste
- 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder more or less to taste
FOR THE LIQUID MIXTURE:
- 1 c Buttermilk
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Paprika
Instructions
- Prep the onion by peeling, trimming the ends off and cut into wedges. Separate the layers of each wedge to create the petals.
- In one bowl, mix together the buttermilk mixture.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour mixture.
- Heat a non stick skillet over medium high heat and add oil.
- It's best to work in small batches to shallow fry the petals. Dip into the flour mixture, then the wet mixture, then back into the flour mixture.
- Try to flip just once to assure the batter sticks. Once golden, flip and repeat. Remove to paper towels to drain. Continue this process until all of the petals are pan fried.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and serve with the fried petals.