Fried shallots are an Asian topping essential that packs a punch with a crispy texture, a strong aroma, and great flavor to many dishes. I’m going to show you all the quick tips I’ve learned to make frying shallots at home easy and quick. Making crispy shallots at home can be as fast as 15 minutes, and you even have a jar of shallot-infused oil at the end.
Recipes that use fried shallots
Fried shallots are definitely slept on in American dishes. They offer a crispy and slightly sweet and savory topping to any dish. You’ll often find them in many Asian dishes like:
- Bánh Cuốn (Vietnamese Rice Rolls)
- Vietnamese Bánh Canh Giò Heo Tôm (Thick Noodles w/ Pork & Shrimp)
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
- Pancit Palabok (Filipino Noodles with Pork & Shrimp)
- Thai khao soi
- Son-in-law eggs
Honestly, if you love fried garlic, then you’ll definitely need to try its slightly sweet cousin, crispy fried shallots.
How to select shallots at the grocery
The first step in making fried shallots is picking good-quality ones at the store. Keep these things in mind when shopping:
- Pick the shallots up and feel their weight. They should feel heavy and solid for their size. If the shallots are light and brittle, they are most likely dried out and older.
- Fresh shallots should be firm and solid without a mushy or moldy appearance on the skin. Mold on shallots looks gray with a slightly bluish, green tint near the cut-off roots.
- Stay away from shallots with sprouts coming out of their ends. They sprout similarly to onions, where green sprouts come out from the tips.
- Size matters for flavor. If you want a milder and sweeter taste, go for the smaller-sized shallots (about 2-2 ½ inches long). Larger shallots have a more intense flavor that is closer to traditional onions.
Slicing and prep tips
Prepping your shallots before frying them helps to ensure an even browning during cooking. Here are some tips on how to prep and slice your shallots:
- Use a mandolin to cut your shallots evenly. When shallots are the same thickness, they cook simultaneously and prevent burning. To prevent accidents, definitely wear a cut-proof glove. I cut the shallots about 4 cm (or ⅛ inches) per slice.
- Use paper towels to blot dry the shallots and remove excess water. The less water in the oil, the faster and more evenly they will cook.
How long it takes to fry shallots
How long it takes to fry the shallots depends on the batch size you are cooking. I’ve tested different amounts of shallots (½ cups to 2 cups of sliced shallots), and the timing ranges from 2 to 9 minutes.
How long fried shallots & shallot oil stays fresh
Fried shallots stay fresh for up to a week in an airtight container. I recommend eating them as soon as possible because they may get soggier throughout the week, but you can always freshen them up in the toaster oven for a minute or two. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning because they toast quickly. Shallot oil stays fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month.
Tips for frying crispy shallots:
- The longer you dry out the sliced shallots, the crispier and quicker they cook. Even just 30 minutes on paper towels creates crispy and even fried shallots.
- Before dropping shallots into the oil, use your fingers to break them apart. This helped evenly cook the shallots more because more surface area was touching the oil for frying.
- Use a wide saute pan to fry with a light-colored or stainless steel bottom. The width helps to give a bigger surface area to prevent crowding. The lighter-colored bottom helps you see the coloring on the shallots because they change color and fry very quickly.
- Add enough neutral oil so that it’s ¾-inch from the bottom. You don’t need to DEEP fry the oil, but you need enough so the shallots don’t touch the bottom.
- Use a thermometer to monitor the oil’s temperature. I like to fry when the oil is around 300°F because this temperature allows the shallots to brown evenly without burning them too quickly.
- Babysit the shallots as they cook and occasionally stir to prevent over-browning. You’ll know when they are ready to remove once most of the bubbles dissipate and 70% of the shallots are light brown. They will continue to cook once you remove them, so keep this in mind.
- Bring the oil back to temperature before starting a second batch to continue even cooking.
Lastly, save your cooking oil! That neutral oil is now infused with shallot flavors. I let the oil cool in the pan before straining out extra shallot bits and transferring them to a mason jar.
Homemade vs store bought fried shallots
If you’re like me and can’t be bothered with frying things anytime I’m running low on fried shallots, just know there is always a store-bought option. Fried shallots are a big part of Asian dishes, and I have previously bought premade fried shallots at my local H-Mart or 99 Ranch. They should come out of the package crispy, but if they are slightly soggy, you can always re-toast them in the oven for one or two minutes until they’re crispy.
Fried Shallots
Ingredients
- 3-4 shallots
- neutral oil preferably avocado oil or another high smoke point oil
- kosher salt optional
Equipment Used
- mandolin and cut-proof gloves or sharp knife and cutting board
- shallow saute pan
- Strainer
- paper towels
- cooling rack-lined sheet pan or plate
Instructions
- Use a mandolin to carefully slice the 3-4 shallots into 4 mm thick pieces (about ⅛ inch).
- Lay the sliced shallots on a paper towel in one even layer and blot them dry with another paper towel gently (try not to crush them). I like to use sheet pans because they have a larger surface area to cover. Air dry the sliced shallots for at least 30 minutes-1 hour. The longer you dry them out, the quicker and more evenly they cook.
- After air drying, blot the shallots again with a paper towel. Use your hands to break apart the shallots so there are no more rings and are separated.
- Add enough oil to your pan until it’s about ¾-inch high. Heat up the neutral oil to 300°F.
- Carefully lower the shallots into the oil, and do not crowd the pan. It’s best if there is only a single layer of shallots with none laying on top of the other. You may need to do multiple batches. Stir occasionally to prevent the shallots from burning.
- Fry for about 5-9 minutes (this can vary depending on how much oil or shallots you’re using), or until the bubbles subside and the shallots are slightly brown. Remove them before they turn dark brown, or they will taste bitter. Be aware that they will still cook and brown a bit after removing from the oil.
- Transfer fried shallots to paper towels on a cooling rack-lined sheet pan and sprinkle kosher salt if desired. Let them rest for about two minutes to finish cooking.
- NOTE: before repeating with another batch of shallots, bring the oil back to the original 300°F. Also, make sure to change out the paper towels between every batch to soak up excess fry oil.
- Serve immediately or place in an airtight container on the counter for up to one week. You can also cool the oil and store it in a container to use later for shallot-infused oil.
Like this recipe? Subscribe to my newsletter!
