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What is an onion boil? The viral TikTok trend has several levels

Every few months there's a new favorite ingredient online – mustard, cottage cheese, feta, beans. Suddenly it's everywhere and it's great fun, but there are also disadvantages.

I really enjoyed eating a whole cucumber from this viral shaken salad, but the trend got so hot that Iceland ran out of them, and when people discovered cauliflower things went a little crazy – it started showing up in everything from Mashed potatoes to the pizza base. So what hip new thing is literally on everyone’s lips?

Onions – more specifically, a whole one, seasoned, baked and eaten in a single sitting. The seemingly allium-crazy instigator is TikToker @doll_mimi, who posted her unusual snack for the first time in the summer.

Her version is simple but effective: a whole onion with no ends or outer skin, coated in oil and spices.

“You can season this however you like,” she says, “there's no right or wrong,” but her version includes a little oil, garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, black pepper and Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute, garnished with a Piece of butter. She then bakes it in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. She says you know it's done when you can move the onion in the middle, but you don't want it to be so soft that it falls apart. She removes the outermost, dried-out layer before eating and suggests adding an additional pinch of salt to each layer you peel off. And yes, she says, she eats the whole thing as a snack.

It took a while for this sharp pick to catch on, but there are now many followers.

“It's starting to smell so good that I already regret not making two,” TikToker Soogia says of her gochujang-infused version.

“I’m in my Shrek era, too,” quips one commenter on another baked onion chowdown from @doll_mimi.

There are a lot of guesses on the Internet about why it's called “onion cooking” when you don't cook anything at all. Some believe it was a typo that it should have read “Broil.” Others think it's because of the intense spice, reminiscent of cooking crawfish.

The latter makes sense considering how many versions use the popular Old Bay seasoning for cooking seafood, like TikToker @hannahsfruity's, which also adds Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, smoked paprika, and lots of butter. She partially cores the onion, wraps it in foil and bakes it hotter and longer, at 370 for an hour. I like her version because it keeps the outer layer from drying out, and partially de-seeding the onion allows the spices to stay in, but it also keeps the middle from undercooking. And it really gets the onion cooking – you can see it bubbling when she unwraps it.

There is a long tradition in Tex-Mex cuisine of grilling whole onions in foil. What's new is the idea of ​​eating a whole piece yourself as a snack. On the one hand it sounds crazy, but on the other hand, haven't we all had the experience of destroying a Bloomin' Onion in one go? Is it possible I'm missing out on a spectacular, healthier home version? Let's try it!

I have three onions – sweet, red and yellow – ready for non-cooking.

Here is the sweet yellow onion that I air fried following @doll_mimi's cooking instructions with her cooking oil, garlic salt, and paprika-laden spices:

What is an onion boil? The viral TikTok trend has several levels
The original onion cooker is not cooked, but it is definitely an onion.Heather Martin

She mentioned that she likes it a little crispy in the middle, and this one is actually tender-crisp. Your suggestion of adding salt to the layers when peeling is a good one – not much of it has seeped into the middle and it's under-seasoned. I'm glad so many people are enjoying this because these eye-watering, breath-taking connections, um, fragrant, are associated with significant health benefits, such as a lower risk of cancer and heart disease. But even though I would like a few slices on a burger or with a pho, would I eat the whole thing? I didn't even think about it. @doll_mimi's skin may be glowing, but I'll just double my Clearasil order, thanks.

However, I'm not ready to give up on this experiment, so I wrapped two more in foil and baked them in the oven, @hannahsfruity's style.

Cook onion
When de-seeding your onions, use a cut-resistant glove or a less sharp tool like a potato peeler.Heather Martin

The yellow was seasoned like hers, but I went off script with the red and topped it with a chaat masala-inspired blend of mango powder, cumin, coriander, ginger, garam masala, fresh coriander and ghee. I also decided to remind myself of my Bloomin' Onion dreams by cutting the center in half a few times and fluffing it up before pouring it over the spices. I left the foil open at the top, hoping for one of my greatest joys in culinary life: crispy bits.

Cook onion
De-seeding or scoring your onions will help distribute the spices more effectively.Heather Martin

Both are much smoother and have a deeper, more pronounced flavor that I really like. Additionally, because butter and spices are added to the center and held in place by the foil, each layer is more evenly seasoned. @doll_mimi mentioned that you can just use a single seasoned salt that you love instead of mixing so many, and I agree that just butter and Old Bay or chaat masala would go a long way.

The red one Was A blooming onion as it looked a bit like a lotus flower from Stranger Things and the taste was out of this world too.

Cook onion
If you slice the onion, cook it halfway through before baking to create a blooming effect.Heather Martin

I actually ate about a quarter of it, but since it didn't get crispy even with the foil open, I topped it with one of my favorite tricks for getting close to a fried crunch quickly, easily, and easily – some panko toasted in a dry skillet. It's stunning that way, because it's more of a crunchy, toasted appetizer for four than a rather outrageous snack for one.

Cook onion
Braised onions may be a bit overkill, but they make a delicious appetizer.Heather Martin

So will Iceland soon run out of onions? Perhaps. The trend is to clearly emphasize their traditional background flavor, and they're packed with prebiotics that could have a positive impact on gut health. If you are prone to indigestion when using onions and garlic, this cooked version may be more tolerable, especially if you split the portion with your dinner.

Might as well spread that Shrek breath! But please, I beg you, Iceland begs you… don't make it a pizza crust.

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