Taking its cue from a southern seafood boil, there’s actually no boiling involved in this Onion Boil recipe. Rather the whole onion is coated in melted butter, minced garlic, and seasonings, wrapped in foil, and baked! The end result is a buttery, perfectly seasoned onion that makes an excellent side dish for steaks, burgers, and more.
Even though onion boil recipes went viral on Instagram last year, it’s actually a dish that’s been around for a long time. And while the idea of eating a whole onion might sound a little strange, once you try this onion boil recipe, you’ll understand, especially if you’re an onion lover like me!
The butter, garlic, and seasonings really turn it into an irresistible side dish. You can tweak the seasonings to your preference, but the name is in reference to seafood boils popular in the South where spice blends are used, including Old Bay. The seasonings for this onion boil are pretty similar to my shrimp boil recipe, my riff on a classic Southern seafood boil.
What’s in this Onion Boil recipe?
If you love onions like I do, you’ll love this onion boil and you likely have all the ingredients needed already on hand. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Vidalia onion – Or another sweet onion of your preference. Yellow onions work too but won’t have the same sweet, mild flavor.
- Butter – You’ll need a cube of butter to fill the center of the onion as well as melted butter to mix with the seasonings.
- Garlic – For aromatics and awesome flavor.
- Spices – Salt, pepper, oregano, smoked paprika, and Old Bay seasoning are my go-to for this baked onion recipe.
- Brown sugar – A small amount of brown sugar helps to bring out the onion’s natural sweetness and balance the savory flavors.
Tips & Variations
- Play around with the seasonings. Feel free to adjust the seasonings used in this onion boil to your preferences. Old Bay is the most common seasoning used (and part of the reason it’s called a boil). Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, taco seasoning, steak seasoning, lemon pepper, or pretty much any dried herb can work. I’ve even seen versions where Worcestershire sauce is added for an extra savory touch.
- Don’t cut all the way through the onion. You want to remove the center of the onion but take care to not cut all the way through. You want a well, not two halves. A long straight apple corer works perfectly for this.
- Take care opening the foil. The steam inside the baked onion will be very hot, so take care when opening it, and make sure your hands and face are not directly over the opening.
- Multiply the recipe. This recipe makes one onion, which is great if you’re using it as a topping or serving halves of the onion. If you want everyone to have their own onion boil, simply multiple the ingredients by the number of onion boils you want to make.
Serving Suggestions
An onion boil works as a simple side dish for any protein. A classic way to serve it is with a steak and green beans. It would also be great with baked chicken breast, pork chops, honey glazed salmon, or a nice juicy burger (like my barbecue onion burgers or juicy lucy burgers!) Since you can customize the flavor, it’s very versatile! You can also opt to cut it into smaller pieces instead of enjoying it whole and use it as a topping on burgers and steaks.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
Onion boil is a side dish best enjoyed immediately while warm. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave. I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Onion Boil
Ingredients
- 1 large Vidalia onion (or other sweet onion)
- 1 tablespoon cubed butter
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 small garlic clove , minced
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon old bay
Instructions
- Slice off the ends of 1 large Vidalia onion, then remove the skin and the first layer.
- Using an apple corer or knife, remove the heart/center of the onion, creating a well (but don’t cut all the way through.)
- Transfer the onion to a large piece of foil and roughly crimp up the sides, to create a packet.
- Place a tablespoon of cubed butter inside the well of the onion.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 & 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon EACH coarse salt, black pepper, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and old bay seasoning; pour over the top of the onion.
- Wrap the onion up tightly in the foil, then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet or small casserole dish.
- Bake at 375F for 1 hour.
- Carefully unwrap the foil (the steam will be HOT!) – transfer onion to a serving plate and pour the juice from the foil over the top. Enjoy!
