Preparation Steps

• Cut off the top 1 inch of the onion. Stand the onion on its cut side and cut off the bottom about 0.5 inch. Do not cut into the core.
• Make cuts into the onion starting from 0.5 inch from the root, going about 0.75 inch deep. Make 16-20 cuts evenly spaced around the onion. Rotate the onion and make another set of cuts, creating a grid pattern.
• Gently spread the onion petals apart to create the bloomin' effect. If the onion starts to fall apart, you can tie the base with kitchen twine.
• In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
• In another shallow dish, whisk together the milk and eggs.
• Dip the onion into the milk mixture, ensuring all parts are coated. Lift and let excess drip off.
• Place the onion in the flour mixture and coat thoroughly, pressing the flour into all the crevices. Shake off excess flour.
• Carefully place the coated onion, cut-side down, into a large pot or Dutch oven filled with about 2-3 inches of preheated vegetable oil (around 350°F or 175°C). Fry for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Carefully flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the bloomin' onion from the oil and drain on paper towels.
• For the dipping sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.
• Serve the bloomin' onion hot with the dipping sauce.