Crispy, aromatic, sweet and flavorful. With only two ingredients and less than 20 minutes, you can make your own crispy fried shallot and shallot oil at home that can instantly add a deliciously savory aroma to elevate just about any dish.
Fried shallot is an essential ingredient to many Taiwanese dishes such as minced pork sauce (肉燥), chicken rice and sticky rice (油飯). It brings a special savory aroma to the dish that can't be replaced by any other thing. Its fragrance is like a concentrated version of the best part of that smell of onions browning on the skillet.
I know you can buy this from Asian grocery stores, but trust me, the homemade one taste so much better! They tastes so good that I always can't help but to snack on some. Plus, you will end up with some shallot oil for making stir-fries, like stir fry mung bean noodles , butternut squash mei fun, which will easily add another dimension to the dish.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- You can easily get fresh shallot in any of your local grocery store.
- Homemade crispy fried shallot taste better!
- You get the aromatic shallot oil after frying shallot, which can be used to many stir fried dishes.
Ingredients You'll Need
Notes
- Shallot - I prefer the pink shallots from typical grocery stores rather than the smaller ones from Asian grocery stores, as it's easier to prepare.
- Vegetable oil - I usually use avocado oil, but any kind of vegetable oil will work.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 - Peel and slice shallots even and thin, about ⅛ inch (3mm).
Step 2 - Put shallot slices and vegetable oil in a small saucepan, cook it over medium heat.
Step 3 - Meanwhile, get the drainer, a plate lined with paper towel and a container for the drained the oil ready
Step 4 - Adjust the heat to medium low and stir occasionally. Cook just until most of the shallots turn golden like what's shown in the picture below and drain immediately.
Step 5 - Lay the shallots on a paper towel over a plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt if using.
Tips and Tricks
- Try your best to cut the shallots even and thin, so the shallots can be cooked through at the similar time. A mandoline slicer would be helpful.
- Depending on what shape you prefer, you can cut it along the grain or against the grain. Cutting along the grain takes almost double the cooking time when compared to cutting it against the grain.
- The amount of oil depends on the actual amount of shallots you have, just make sure the shallots are all covered by the oil.
- Don't leave the kitchen when you are frying shallots, it can turn brown very suddenly and if you are not paying attention to it, it will easily become too dark.
- The shallots might not seem completely crispy when you drain, but the heat of the oil will continue to fry the shallots for a bit, turning the final product golden brown and crispy.
- If you would like to make more, reuse the same oil to continue frying the next batch. If the oil runs low and no longer covers the shallots, then just add more.
Recipe FAQs
It's probably undercooked or you didn't slice them thin enough, so the center didn't cook through.
Any kind of stir fried dish! Just replace your regular cooking oil with it. I like to use it when stir frying noodles, vegetables, or pan fried tofu. You can also make a quick and easy shallot oil noodle (recipe can be found in the my easy homemade noodles video) with it along with crispy fried shallots.
Store them in the fridge in an air tight container for one week.
I like to store it in the fridge in a glass jar, and try to finish it within a month.
Related Recipes
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How to Make Crispy Fried Shallots and Shallot Oil
Ingredients
- 2-3 large shallots
- 1 cup vegetable oil, or enough to cover the shallots.
- pinch of salt, optional
Instructions
- Peel and slice shallots even and thin, about ⅛ inch (3mm), you will get about 1 to 1½ cup of sliced shallots.
- Put shallot slices in a small pot, pour cold oil in the pot and cook it over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, get the drainer, a plate lined with paper towel and a heat proof container for the drained oil ready.
- Once it starts boiling, adjust the heat to medium low to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. Cook just until most of the shallots turn golden (see the picture in the post), then immediately remove the pot from the heat and drain the oil (save it for other usage).
- Lay the shallots on a paper towel over a plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt if using. Once it cools completely, it will become golden brown and crispy.
- Put the crispy shallot in an airtight container and the shallot oil in a glass jar and store them in the fridge.
Notes
- Try your best to cut the shallots even and thin, so the shallots can be cooked through at the similar time. A mandoline slicer would be helpful.
- Depending on what shape you prefer, you can cut it along the grain or against the grain. Cutting along the grain takes almost double the cooking time when compared to cutting it against the grain.
- The amount of oil depends on the actual amount of shallots you have, just make sure the shallots are all covered by the oil.
- Don't leave the kitchen when you are frying shallots, it can turn brown very suddenly and if you are not paying attention to it, it will easily become too dark.
- The shallots might not seem completely crispy when you drain, but the heat of the oil will continue to fry the shallots for a bit, turning the final product golden brown and crispy.
- If you would like to make more, reuse the same oil to continue frying the next batch. If the oil runs low and no longer covers the shallots, then just add more.
So delicious and so easy! Thanks you for sharing!!
Thank you Kimberly!