Why The Bloomin' Onion At Outback Steakhouse Is A Must-Try
You just know a food is fan-worthy when people are willing to dress up in costume as that favorite dish. The Bloomin' Onion at Outback Steakhouse is one of those foods. While this hearty-food restaurant may have an Aussie theme, the Bloomin' Onion hits all the classic notes of an American food favorite – it's salty, crispy, slightly sweet, savory battered, deep-fried, and comes with a zesty dipping sauce. Described by the restaurateurs themselves, this filling appetizer features a hand-carved onion that's fried until golden and served with spicy signature bloom sauce (via Outback Steakhouse).
If that description didn't get you interested, just check out how coveted this signature treat is. Chrissy Teigen herself noted in 2017 how much she wanted the Outback's recipe for this one on Twitter – and the restaurant chain themselves replied to the model and cookbook super-influencer, "We'd love to teach you our special Bloomin' Onion tricks. Send us a DM and we'll hook you up," (via Twitter). And hook her up they did as you can see John Legend himself show off this mouth-watering treat in a custom chef's jacket racking up over 185,000 "Likes" (via Instagram) created from a private cooking lesson by Outback restaurant chefs (via People).
Bloomin' Onions are best enjoyed with friends
But while this indulgent comfort food can be enjoyed on your own, we highly recommend trying it with friends. Part of the fun is grabbing one of the 200 onion petals and dipping it in sauce over conversation (via Foodbeast). This food is such a popular starter that the deep-fried dish accounts for one in every four appetizers ordered at Outback restaurants, accounting for a total of 40 million blooms served from 2012 through 2015. Millions of people have got to be on to something when it comes to a steakhouse being known for a vegetarian dish, right?
But there's another, less fun reason that you should enjoy the Bloomin' Onion with friends. As we mentioned, it's an indulgence. A traditional Bloom will rack up just under 2,000 calories while a "Loaded" onion treat can go as high as 3,800 calories (via HuffPost). That's probably why the restaurant recommends splitting this treat between 6 people. Think of it like eating your dessert first – you don't need the whole cake but just a slice.
Whether already a convert, or new to the fried onion club, this dish is one you won't want to miss. So grab a friend and pull up that online takeout menu, or head on down to a local spot for some fried goodness. If you aren't lucky enough to be near an Outback, you can also try this Onion Bloom recipe at home.