Description
This Onion Boil is a delightful dish featuring sweet onions packed with flavor from butter and Cajun spices. Perfect for a quick dinner, this recipe is simple to prepare yet irresistibly tasty, making it a go-to comfort food for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large sweet onions, preferably vidalia, about 8–10 ounces each
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika, for deeper flavor
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust if your cajun seasoning is salty
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, optional but recommended for depth
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, optional but highly recommended
- fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (204ºC).
- Peel the onions and trim just enough off the root end so they sit flat, keeping the base intact. Core out the top center of each onion about 1 inch deep, leaving at least ½ inch intact at the bottom.
- Lightly score the top of each onion in a crosshatch pattern to help the seasoning soak into the layers.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and thyme until a thick paste forms.
- Place each onion on its own piece of foil. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the onions, letting it run into the cuts. Push ½ tablespoon of butter into the center cavity of each onion and spoon the seasoning paste into the center, allowing it to overflow down the sides. Coat the outside of each onion with any remaining seasoning paste and top each with another ½ tablespoon of butter.
- Wrap each onion tightly in foil, sealing well so the butter and seasoning stay inside. Place them on a baking sheet for easy handling.
- Bake for 45 minutes fully sealed.
- Carefully open the tops of the foil packets to expose the onions and return them to the oven for an additional 15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and the onions are very tender.
- Transfer the onions to a serving dish. Spoon the buttery Cajun sauce from the foil over the top, add a small squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
Feel free to add more spices to cater to your taste preferences.
Fresh herbs can enhance the flavor, so consider adding rosemary or thyme if you like.
Ensure to seal the foil tightly to keep the moisture in while baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 onion
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg