Fried onions or French fried onions are a popular snack food

Snack food

A snack is a portion of food oftentimes smaller than that of a regular meal, that is generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged and processed foods and items made from fresh ingredients at home....

 or garnish accompaniment to various recipes, made from pan frying

Pan frying

Pan frying is a form of frying characterized by the use of minimal cooking oil or fat ; typically using just enough oil to lubricate the pan...

 or deep frying

Deep frying

Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil or fat. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used....

 onion

Onion

The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...

s thus preparing them in a manner similar to that of French fried potatoes.

Smaller and irregularly shaped (from being deep-fried until they are hard and crunchy) onions are an integral part of Green bean casserole

Green bean casserole

Green bean casserole is a casserole consisting of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and french fried onions. The recipe may also call for ground black pepper and soy sauce. It is a popular Thanksgiving side dish in the United States.-History of recipe:...

. They are sold pre-prepared by some companies, for example Durkee and French's

French's

French's is an American manufacturer of prepared mustard condiment. Created by Robert Timothy French, French's mustard debuted to the world at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. By 1921, French's Mustard had adopted its trademark pennant and begun advertising to the general public.-History:Brothers...

 French Fried Onions are brands sold in a paper canister. Large, often ring shaped batter

Batter (cooking)

Batter is a semi-liquid mixture of one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or eggs used to prepare various foods. Often a leavening agent such as baking powder is included to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks, or the mixture may be naturally fermented for this purpose...

 coated deep-fried onions are often associated with fast food and casual dining

Casual dining

This is a list of casual dining restaurant chains around the world, arranged in alphabetical order. A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere...

. Examples include: onion rings and Blooming onion

Blooming onion

A blooming onion, onion bloom, onion blossom, or onion 'mum is a dish consisting of one large onion which is cut to resemble a flower, battered and deep fried. It is served as an appetizer at some restaurants....

.

See also

• Onion ring
• Sautéing
  Sautéing
  Sautéing is a method of cooking food, that uses a small amount of fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Ingredients are usually cut into pieces or thinly sliced to facilitate fast cooking. The primary mode of heat transfer during sautéing is conduction between the pan and the food being...
  
  
• Liver and onions
  Liver and onions
  Liver and onions is a traditional dish. Its main ingredients are slices of liver and onions. The liver and the onions are usually fried or cooked together, but sometimes they may be fried separated and mixed together afterwards...
  
  
• Lomo a lo Pobre
  Lomo a lo Pobre
  Lomo a lo Pobre is a typical Chilean dish consisting of a loin cut of meat topped with one or more fried eggs and generally served with French fries and fried onions....
  
  
• Fry up