Low Sodium French Fried Onions - baked or fried versions are crispy with lots of onion flavor and seasonings. Perfect for low sodium green bean casserole!
For oil frying - (Makes the best results. Trust me this whole process goes very quickly.)
Mix the milk and vinegar in medium container to make buttermilk, set aside while cutting onions. Add sliced onions and mix into buttermilk and set aside for 15 minutes or longer. I've even done them overnight.
Meanwhile, mix flour, bread crumbs and seasonings in a large Tupperware bowl with tight cover.
Drain the onions and place in the Tupperware bowl with the flour and seasonings, cover the bowl and shake until onions are well coated.
Shake off any excess flour. I like to use a large screen (see photo) as it seems to work very well at removing little bits and extra flour. You could use a large colander too.
Heat the olive oil on medium high heat (375°F) or till just hot without smoking. Use a small cooking surface pan, I recommend an 8” cast iron skillet or I have also used my flat bottom Wok. This contains the oil but adds depth without having to use more oil.
Fry a few at a time, until golden brown and crisp. For one onion I usually do about five (5) batches. The usual time till they start crisping up and I start removing is just about a minute. I recommend using a metal skimmer. All in all it is a fast process.
Place fried onions on a plate with lined paper towels.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
To Bake onions
Follow instructions for preparing the onions above.
Line a medium baking (cookie) sheet with parchment paper.
Place the coated onions in a single layer, spread out well on the baking sheet.
Spray well with olive oil cooking spray.
Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes then turn and mix and lightly spraying again. Cook for another 15 minutes watch carefully after 10 minutes until crispy outside. Remove onions from oven and let oven cool to no more than 200°F. Bake for another 15 minutes, again keeping an eye on them. This helps remove any excess moisture without burning.
Notes
The trick is to slice the onions consistently thin so the moisture in the onion will cook out evenly helping to make them crisp.If you don't have buttermilk you can use regular milk.