- July 27, 2023
- Grilling
Smoked Onions
Enjoy the incredible flavor of whole smoked onions! This recipe infuses sweet and savory notes into ordinary onions, transforming them into a deliciously smoky and tender treat. Perfect as a side dish or a flavorful addition to your favorite recipes, these onions are sure to impress. So, fire up your smoker and get ready to elevate your culinary game!
Why This Recipe Works:
Flavor-Infused Onions: Smoked onions are onions taken to a whole new level with the infusion of smoky flavor! They are tender and perfectly caramelized thanks to the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and have a slightly smoky flavor that you just can’t get without the smoker.
Versatile: These smoked onions are super versatile and can be used in many of your culinary creations! Try using them as toppings on burgers, tacos, burritos, or in any dish that calls for onions! Make it into French onion soup, or use them in enchiladas or French onion dip! They will add a lot of extra flavor to anything that you make.
Supplies Needed:
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Smoker
Ingredients:
- Onions: You can use any variety of onions! I used a combination of yellow and red onions.
- Olive Oil: A bit of olive oil is added for flavor and to get these onions nice and crispy.
- Balsamic Vinegar: The vinegar caramelizes in the smoker and creates a nice depth of flavor!
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper: All you need to season the onions is some sea salt and black pepper!
How To Make Smoked Onions:
Preparation:
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat the smoker to 225F and set it for indirect heat. Prep the onions by removing the outside skin and trimming a small amount off the front. Leave the root of the onion intact so that it stays together.
- Slice Onions: With a sharp knife, cut the onion in half, not slicing all the way through to the root. Rotate the onion and cut it in half the opposite way (giving you 4 divided pieces of the onion still attached to the root). Do this two more times so you have a total of 8 sections of the onion.
- Rinse: Carefully rinse the onion under cold water to help slightly separate the layers (this is better for smoking) and then pat them dry.
- Prepare Seasoning: In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
- Season Onions: Place the onions into a cast iron or aluminum foil pan, root side down. Carefully brush or coat each onion and the layers with the olive oil mixture.
Smoking Instructions:
- Smoke: Place the onions onto the smoker to smoke for about 1-1.5 hours. When the onions take on color, cover them with foil to finish cooking until tender, about another hour.
- Remove: Remove the smoked onions from the grill and serve as a side dish, on burgers, or to use in other recipes!
Ways To Eat Smoked Onions:
This smoked onions recipe is amazing to make to accompany lots of different meals. You can simply use them as a topping on burgers, sandwiches, and tacos, or you can incorporate them into recipes that use onions like French onion soup or even dips! Try pairing them with any of these recipes for a slightly smoky and savory flavor.
- Rustic Egg Salad Cups
- Brisket Enchiladas
- Smoked Salmon Burgers
- BBQ Pulled Pork Burgers
- Florida Smoked Fish Dip Recipe
- Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Steak Sauce
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can truly use any kind of onion that you have on hand! Yellow onions, sweet Vidalia onions, red onions, or even white onions would all work well in this recipe!
You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can keep them as they are and attached them to the root, or cut them off the root to have slices. Add straight from the fridge into new recipes or use them as toppings on sandwiches and tacos throughout the week!
More Recipes To Try:
- Garlic Dip Recipe
- Small Batch Cowboy Candy
- Crispy Artichoke Salad
- Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
- Grilled Garden Veggie Salad
Smoked Onions
Ingredients
- 6 medium Onions any kind works or use a variety
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225 F. and set it for indirect heat.
- Prep the onions by removing the outside skin and trimming a small amount off the front. Leave the root of the onion intact so it stays together.
- With a sharp knife, cut the onion in half, not slicing all the way through to the root. Rotate the onion and cut it in half the opposite way (giving you 4 divided pieces of the onion still attached to the root). Do this two more times so you have a total of 8 sections of the onion.
- Carefully rinse the onion under cold water to help slightly sperate the layers (this is better for smoking) and then pat them dry.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
- Place the onions into a cast iron or aluminum foil pan, root side down.
- Carefully brush or coat each onion and the layers with the olive oil mixture.
- Place the onions onto the smoker to smoke for about 1-1.5 hours. When the onions take on color, cover with foil to finish cooking until tender, about another hour.
- Remove the smoked onions from the grill and serve as as side dish, on burgers, or to use in other recipes.