This is our quick and easy method for making fried shallots! They turn out so crispy and delicious. Sprinkle them on salads, mashed potatoes, soup, and more!
You’ll be hooked once you try our fried shallots recipe. You can add them to just about any dish. I add them to holiday sides like green bean casserole, but they are also incredible sprinkled over scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and salads like our green bean salad or potato salad.
Like crispy fried garlic or fried onions, fried shallots are easy to make at home. We’ll be pan-frying our shallots, keeping this recipe as simple as possible. As a bonus, when cooled, the frying oil is excellent for homemade dressings since it takes on some of the shallot flavor. Homemade shallot oil for the win!
Key Ingredients
- Shallots: I always buy more than I think I need. Fried shallots last for a week or more, so don’t be afraid to make more than you need. I slice them into thin rings using a sharp knife or mandoline slicer.
- Oil: I use neutral oils like safflower or avocado since they have a higher heat rating than olive oil. And remember, you can save the oil used to fry the shallots. It tastes incredible!
- Salt: This is optional but really makes the shallots taste incredible. I add a pinch right as the shallots come out of the oil.
How to Make Fried Shallots
To make fried shallots, peel and slice them into thin rings. Do this with a chef’s knife or use a mandoline slicer. Then, add them to a frying pan with a generous amount of oil.
I like to think of frying the shallots more like slow roasting them. We’re trying to fry them slowly in the hot oil so they become sweet and tender before turning golden and crunchy.
When the shallots are a shade or two off your desired color, use a slotted spoon and transfer them to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Like when frying garlic, they continue to cook for a few seconds.
Ways to Use Fried Shallots
If you’re like me, you’ll go through a good amount of your fried shallots like popcorn (they are so good!). For the shallots you have left, here are some of my favorite ways to use them:
- Soups: Add crunch to roasted cauliflower soup, creamy butternut squash soup, or homemade potato soup.
- Salads and sandwiches: Toss on top of Caesar salad, this cold green bean salad, or add to tuna salad or egg salad.
- Sides: Sprinkle over mashed potatoes or top your favorite casseroles like green bean casserole.
Easy Fried Shallots
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Crispy fried shallots can be added to just about any dish. Think salads, soup, stir-fries, casseroles, and more. When frying the shallots, allow them to slowly cook in the oil before browning so they become sweet. They take about 10 minutes.
For the best crispy fried shallots, slice your shallots thinly and evenly. Use a sharp chef’s knife or mandoline slicer.
You Will Need
6 medium shallots, thinly sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds, the thickness of a coin
1 ½ cups (355ml) safflower, avocado or vegetable oil
Fine sea salt
Directions
1Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat, and line a plate with paper towels.
2Test the hot oil by adding one shallot. If you see tiny bubbles around the shallot, the oil is ready. Add the shallots and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until light brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. You are pan frying, but treat it as slow roasting the shallots in oil – we want them to bubble gently in the oil. If the shallots are browning at the 5-minute mark, reduce the heat.
3When they are a shade lighter than you’d like, use a slotted spoon to remove the shallots from the oil and drain on the paper towel-lined plate to cool completely. As they cool, the shallots darken and crisp. Lightly season with salt.
4Allow the oil to cool completely, stain, and then store it in an airtight container in a cool place for up to one month.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store fried shallots in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week, possibly longer. Save and refrigerate the fried shallot oil in an airtight container for up to one month. It’s delicious! Use it for dressings, fry more shallots, or cook with it to add a shallot flavor to your dish.
- The facts below are estimates.
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