This Baked Blooming Onion is a healthier version of a favorite restaurant appetizer. A Superbowl spread wouldn’t be complete with this Bloomin’ Onion recipe! Make this Blooming Onion Recipe healthier by baking it instead of frying it. It’s just as delicious!

picture of baked blooming onion with dipping sauces

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Baked Blooming Onion Recipe

This baked blooming onion recipe is my take on a popular restaurant appetizer that everybody loves. Baked instead of fried makes it a whole lot healthier!

This Baked Blooming Onion is my idea of a classic dish. Growing up in Missouri, the fine dining options were…slim. Don’t get me wrong, there is some delicious food here (hello BBQ!!!), but the options are definitely limited.

As a kid, I seriously LOVED Outback Steakhouse (I know, I know). It felt like such a treat every time we went there, and my favorite thing to get was the Bloomin’ Onion!

Kids don’t have to worry about consuming thousands of calories for an appetizer, but my 32 year old body DOES have to worry about it. I still want my blooming onion, but I really don’t want that to be the only thing I can afford to eat for days!

That’s why this Baked Blooming Onion recipe is perfect! It’s easily just as tasty, but just a fraction of the calories and fat.

Now that I know how to make a blooming onion at home (just a little bit healthier), I can make this tasty appetizer any time I want!

This Baked Blooming Onion Recipe is a healthier version of a restaurant favorite!

overhead shot of baked blooming onion with dipping sauces
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How to Make a Blooming Onion

It was a real game-changer when I realized I could make this Blooming Onion Recipe at home. I no longer needed to use any special occasion as an excuse to go out to eat and spend a bunch of money on this epic appetizer.

Now I can make it myself any time I please! And the fact that this Baked Blooming Onion is much healthier the way I make it is even better.

I always wondered how to make a blooming onion when I saw it at the restaurant. It’s almost like a work of art. I was surprised by how easy it actually is to make though. Just follow a few steps and you’ve got this delicious baked appetizer to share.

how to make blooming onion step by step photos
how to make blooming onion step by step photos

Step by Step Instructions:

  1. Cut the onion to create that awesome bloomin’ onion shape
  2. Combine Panko breadcrumbs, paprika, & Cajun seasoning in a bowl
  3. Whisk the egg whites together in a separate bowl
  4. Coat each onion petal with egg white and then sprinkle with panko mixture
  5. Work from bottom top top, then add a final layer over the whole thing
  6. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 5 minutes
  7. Bake another 10-15 minutes uncovered

Now the Baked Blooming Onion is crisp and ready to serve!

baked blooming onion with ranch and ketchup
overhead shot up close of bake blooming onion

Easy Super Bowl Appetizer

You can make your man (or woman!) super happy by making this Bloomin’ Onion Recipe for the Superbowl. This crispy, flavorful appetizer is so great for sharing and it will be gone in no time! It makes the perfect addition to any game day menu. And even though it tastes fried, it’s not!

I know that Pat will be propped in front of the TV for the day, only getting up to get more food. I’ll be sure to have healthier options like this for him while he watches the last of the season’s football (hallelujah), and I watch the commercials. It should be a good time.

Copycat Bloomin’ Onion Sauce

I adapted this recipe from one of my VERY favorite blogs, Gimme Some Oven. I’ve talked about Ali before…she is just so good. I got to meet her at a conference earlier this year and she is just as sweet as she is talented. Her photography is some of my favorite on the web, I hope you check her out!

Her recipe includes an easy and delicious dipping sauce to pair with this delish Baked Blooming Onion…get some!

dipping a piece of baked bloomin onion appetizer recipe in ranch

This Baked Blooming Onion Recipe is just too good. I’m craving it right now! And since it’s baked instead of fried, I feel a little bit better about serving it up whenever I feel like it. Make this Bloomin’ Onion Recipe and see for yourself!

See the recipe card below for details on how to make this Baked Blooming Onion Recipe. Enjoy!

Be sure to try these other delicious appetizers too:

Recipe Card

Baked Blooming Onion

4.42 from 113 votes
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Becky Hardin
baked blooming onion on parchment
This Baked Blooming Onion is a healthier version of a favorite restaurant appetizer. A Superbowl spread wouldn’t be complete with this Bloomin’ Onion recipe! Make this Blooming Onion Recipe healthier by baking it instead of frying it. It’s just as delicious!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 2/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 egg whites

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a large knife to cut off the top about 1/4-inch of the onion until a few of the inside layers are exposed. Be careful to cut the top side, not the root side. Peel the outermost layer of the onion down to the root, leaving the root as is.
  • Lay the onion cut side down on the cutting board. Then use a knife to section the onion into 16ths, beginning with your knife 1/8-inch away from the root and cutting straight down. You can cut more sections if you have an especially large onion. Once all cuts are complete, turn the onion over and set on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. The onion will fall open, but you’ ll also want to use your fingers to separate the onion petals and open it completely.
  • In a small bowl, combine panko, paprika, Cajun seasoning, and salt. Whisk the egg whites together in a separate bowl.
  • To coat the onion, I started in sections. I would coat each onion petal with egg whites and then sprinkle liberally with the panko mixture. I worked from the bottom to the top in each section, and then turned the onion to work on the next section. I brushed the entire onion with one more layer of egg white and sprinkled the mixture over the entire onion once done with the sections.
  • Bake covered with aluminum foil for 5 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the onion is tender and the edges are browned.
  • This recipe was adapted from one of my favorite blogs, Gimme Some Oven. She also includes an awesome sauce that tastes great with this onion!

Video

Calories: 127kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 7gFat: 1gSodium: 491mgPotassium: 248mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1970IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.42 from 113 votes (102 ratings without comment)
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57 Comments
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Steve
Steve
January 21, 2017 3:34 am

I wish someone who actually made this would post how it came out instead of all the oh can’t wait to try it cause it looks so good!

David
David
July 31, 2021 10:55 am
Reply to  Steve

I made the bloomin onion and it was bloom in good. Deep fried would be better.5 stars

Mike
Mike
January 5, 2017 11:41 am

Doyou know how many calories this has?

Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
January 23, 2016 8:12 pm

I’m snowed in and am going to make this Right. Now! (There’s nothing to do but cook when there’s over a foot of snow outside right??!) Thanks!5 stars

Maria
Maria
October 7, 2015 6:04 pm

I thought it would be hard to make.After looking over your recipe,it looks easy and so good. I’ll be trying it soon. I love that it’s baked.5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
October 7, 2015 6:07 pm
Reply to  Maria

I hope you love it Maria!!! It’s a little time consuming but not difficult at all. Thanks for saying hi!!

Rebecca Healy
Rebecca Healy
July 10, 2015 2:36 pm

I love your page layout ! I can’t wait to try this recipe! I will surly tag you on my blog.

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
July 14, 2015 4:53 pm
Reply to  Rebecca Healy

Thanks so much Rebecca!!

Kelsey
Kelsey
June 10, 2015 3:02 pm

Thank you for this recipe! I made it tonight for my fiance who loves the blooming onion from Outback Steakhouse. Saving up for the wedding has out us on a tight budget, so this is a great alternative and only cost 97 cents in total! Thanks again!5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
June 11, 2015 10:54 pm
Reply to  Kelsey

I’m so glad to hear that!!! Thanks for making my day :) Happy Wedding!!

pam brown
pam brown
January 31, 2015 1:14 am

Looks so good, will be trying it for sure this weekend. TY so much for sharing.

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
January 31, 2015 12:40 pm
Reply to  pam brown

Yay! Hope you love it!

Nancy Scott
Nancy Scott
January 31, 2015 12:39 am

Please send this bloomin’ onion recipe to me via my e-mail.5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
January 31, 2015 12:41 pm
Reply to  Nancy Scott

Hey Nancy, the recipe is at the bottom of the post. Are you able to see it on your computer? Please let me know if not. Hope you love the recipe!

Ali Marston
Ali Marston
January 30, 2015 9:07 pm

So glad to have seen this – it looks absolutely delicious! I think I’m going to have to shake up my Super Bowl menu!

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
January 30, 2015 9:50 pm
Reply to  Ali Marston

Aw thank you so much!

Hannah Brunia
Hannah Brunia
January 29, 2015 9:40 pm

This looks totally awesome!! Absolutely going to try this.
I too looooove the bloomin’ onion from the Outback – but not the amount of calories. . . .what the the sauce that she served it with?

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
January 29, 2015 10:48 pm
Reply to  Hannah Brunia

It’s a yogurt based sauce…if you click on the gimmesomeoven.com link in the post she gives the recipe. Super easy!