Crispy Onion Strings

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Crispy onion strings, which are also known as tobacco onions or onion straws, have a crunchy golden coating that cracks as soon as you bite into it. The paper-thin onion curls have a little chew and natural sweetness, along with a subtle heat. They’re wonderful piled on top of a burger, perhaps with cheese, lettuce, tomato, burger sauce or your favorite burger toppings. They also work well as a topping for steak, casseroles, hot dogs and salads.

Crispy onion strings are served on parchment, accompanied by ketchup and a creamy dipping sauce in small bowls.

Why You’ll Love It

Smiling woman in a brown sweater holding a mug, sitting in a cozy kitchen.

The craggy golden coating on these crispy fried onions cracks easily, followed by sweet onion and mild smoky heat. They’re a versatile snack or topping.

Satisfying crunch: The fine curls crack easily and leave tiny crisp crumbs. It’s all about the crunch!
Mild heat: These onion have just a little heat which pairs well with the gentle sweetness.
A little chew: Texture-wise, these crispy onion strings are a winner too, with their crisp batter and chewy, soft insides.

Crispy onion strings are piled high on a tray, served alongside a small green bowl filled with vibrant red dipping sauce.

You might also like French onion chicken, air fryer onion rings, homemade cocktail onions and French onion baked potatoes.

Crispy onion strings are piled high on a tray, served with ketchup, dipping sauce, and a small bowl of seasoning for the perfect snack.

Crispy Fried Onions Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Sweet onions: Sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, are ideal. Very thin slices crisp up and develop sweetness fast during the fry.
Buttermilk: Its light coating helps the seasoned flour cling to the onion strands plus it adds a light tang.
Flour and cornstarch: Flour gives the tobacco onions their rough coating and cornstarch gives it a drier crunch.
Garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika: I love this trio of seasonings! They give the coating plenty of savory flavor and gentle smokiness.
Cayenne and black pepper: Both provide mild warmth.
Vegetable oil: Its neutral flavor is ideal for deep frying.

Sliced onions, flour, spices, broth, buttermilk, and cornstarch are arranged in bowls on a white wooden surface—perfect ingredients for making crispy onion strings.

How to Make Burger Onions

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Slice the onions: Cut the onions very thinly and separate the strands.
Soak in buttermilk: Coat the onion strands and leave them to soak.
Prepare the coating: Whisk the dry ingredients together.
Coat the onions: Let excess buttermilk drip away. Toss a small handful of onions in the seasoned flour and shake off loose coating.
Fry in batches: Cook handfuls of battered onions in hot oil until deeply golden.
Drain and season: Drain excess oil on paper towels, salt and serve.

Crispy onion strings rest on parchment paper alongside a small bowl of ketchup for dipping.

Substitutions and Variations

Use yellow onions: They can replace sweet onions. The flavor is a bit stronger.
Try red onions: Their flavor is more sharp and I find they tend to darken quickly in hot oil.
Another oil: Canola oil can replace vegetable oil for frying.
Milder coating: Reduce the cayenne to ¼ teaspoon or leave it out altogether.
Gluten-free option: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Check that the cornstarch and seasonings are certified gluten-free.

Cheeseburger with crispy onion strings, pickles, and fries on a plate.

Serving Suggestions

As a topping for burgers: Add some to a cheddar bacon stuffed burger or one of these copycat burgers.
As a salad topping: They’re the perfect topping if you want to add some crunch to a Big Mac salad or Mediterranean salad.
More ideas: Sprinkle crispy onion strings over your next shrimp omelet or chicken spaghetti casserole just before serving. I love them on mac and cheese!

Crispy onion strings are piled high next to a small green bowl of dipping sauce.

How to Store

Store: Store completely cooled onions in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Avoid refrigerating, as moisture will soften the coating.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing these, as they’ll get soggy.
Reheat: To restore their crispness, bake in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

A a handful of crispy onion strings being dipped into a bowl of sauce.

Top Tips

Thin slices: Slice the onions as thinly as possible. Uniform strands cook at the same rate and crisp evenly.
Mandoline safety: If using a mandoline instead of a sharp knife, always use the hand guard.
Oil temperature: Keep the oil close to 350°F and let it return to temperature between batches.
Cook in small batches: Crowding makes the onions absorb more oil and delays crisping.
Shake off flour: Excess flour can form clumps in the oil.
Salt immediately: Season the crispy onions immediately after frying so the salt sticks.

Crispy onion strings are piled high on a tray, served alongside a small bowl of ketchup for dipping.

Fried Onion Strings FAQs

Why are they called tobacco onions?

The name refers to the resemblance between the fried curls and shredded tobacco. There’s no tobacco in the recipe.

What’s the difference between onion strings and onion rings?

Onion strings use fine onion strands with a dry flour coating. Onion rings are usually larger rings with batter or breadcrumbs.

Why won’t the coating stick?

Excess buttermilk can make the flour clump and slide away. Let the liquid drip off. Toss the damp onions thoroughly in the flour mixture.

Can I air fry these?

I did try it but didn’t have much luck with this cooking method. Mine came out powdery and kind of dry, so I recommend frying them in oil for a better result.

Crispy onion strings are piled high on parchment paper, served alongside a bowl of ketchup for dipping.

Crispy Fried Onions Recipe

Sliced onions, flour, spices, broth, cream, and cornstarch are arranged in bowls on a white wooden surface—perfect ingredients for making crispy onion strings.

A bowl filled with thinly sliced white onions, perfect for making crispy onion strings, sits on a white wooden surface.

Paper-thin onion strands give crispy onion strings the slender, tangled shape they’re known for. The flour and cornstarch coating comes out really crispy and the onion pieces inside are tender. This recipe is great if you want something crunchy to top burgers, hot dogs, casseroles, onions or even soup. After tasting these, you’ll never want store-bought French fried onions again!

Other Recipes to Try

A tray of crispy onion strings with ketchup and a creamy dip, topped with text “How to Make Crispy Onion Strings”, perfectly showcases these golden, crunchy treats ready for dipping.

Crispy onion strings served with ketchup, alongside a burger topped with crispy onion strings, gooey cheese, spicy jalapenos, and a side of golden fries.

Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.