Here's everything worth knowing about french fried onions and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 35 recipes to cook tonight.

What are french fried onions?

French fried onions are thin onion slivers battered, fried until golden and crisp, and dried so they stay shatteringly crunchy in the can. They are a finished product, not raw onion: a ready-made topping you scatter on, not a vegetable you cook down.

Most home cooks know them from one place, the holiday green bean casserole, where they go in the mix and crown the top. But they earn a spot far beyond it as an instant crunchy, savory finish.

The flavor is mild and toasty with a little sweetness, the deep-fried richness doing most of the work while the onion itself stays gentle.

How to Use French Fried Onions

Treat them like a crouton or a crunchy garnish. They are at their best added at the very end or in the last few minutes of baking, so they crisp rather than steam.

Scatter them over casseroles and baked chicken, pile them on burgers and salads, or fold a handful into the filling of a savory pie like this Triple Cheese Pie. They top the classic bean bake in dishes such as this Green Bean & Turkey Casserole.

Crushed, they make a fast coating. Press them onto chicken or fish before baking for an onion-crumb crust, or stir them into a Spam Vegetable Casserole for body and crunch.

The mistake almost everyone makes is adding them too early. Stirred in at the start of a long bake, they soak up moisture and go soggy, which loses the entire reason you bought them. Hold them back, or re-crisp the topping uncovered for the final 5 minutes.

Homemade Versus the Can

You can fry your own. Toss thin onion slices in seasoned flour or a light buttermilk batter and fry at 350°F (175°C) until golden, then drain well.

Homemade tastes fresher and lets you control salt and seasoning, but it is fiddly and does not keep.

The canned product wins on shelf life and convenience, which is why it has held a spot in the pantry for generations. For a quick weeknight topping, the can is honest and good.

Substitutes

If the onion flavor is secondary, crushed plain potato chips or buttered toasted panko deliver the same crunch, and so do crushed crackers.

Store-bought fried shallots are the closest match in taste and texture. For a from-scratch onion note, thinly sliced onions fried crisp at home stand in directly, just made fresh that day.

Buying and Storing

Find them canned or in resealable tubs near the casserole and baking aisle, sold plain or lightly seasoned. They keep unopened for many months; check the date and choose pale-golden, not dark, pieces.

Once opened, the enemy is humidity. Reseal tightly and keep them in a dry cupboard, where they hold their crunch for a few weeks. If they have gone soft, spread them on a sheet and toast at 350°F (175°C) for a few minutes to bring back the snap.

For everything about fresh onions and the varieties behind them, see the onions hub.

Quick facts

Where to find french fried onions: French fried onions are usually found in the condiments section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

法式炸洋葱

British (UK) term

French fried onions

en français

oignons frites

en español

cebollas fritas francesas

Recipes using french fried onions

There are 35 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 35 recipes