Trader Joe’s Onion Flowers
When you think about signature dishes at popular chain restaurants, Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits might come to mind. Or maybe TGI Friday’s Loaded Potato Skins, or rolls with cinnamon honey butter at Texas Steakhouse.
Another one that might pop into your head is the Bloomin’ Onion from Outback Steakhouse. This iconic appetizer features a large onion with the top sliced off, and then the sections are gently pulled apart so the whole thing resembles flower petals. The entire onion is dunked in batter and deep fried, resulting in a crispy, savory snack that’s perfect for sharing before your entrees come out.
But you don’t have to go to Outback Steakhouse to get a deep fried onion. You can, of course, make your own if you have a deep fryer. Or, Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi, sells its own take on a Bloomin’ Onion.
Trader Joe’s Onion Flowers cost $5.49 for a 10.58-ounce package in 2026. That’s around 52 cents per ounce. There are two servings, or two onions, per package. That comes out to about $2.75 per serving. We buy products for review with our own money.
These are a product of Thailand.
Nutrition Facts and Ingredients:
If you’re looking out for allergens, these contain wheat.
These are vegan.
The full ingredients list is onion, rice bran oil, water, wheat flour, modified cornstarch, rice flour, sea salt, garlic powder, baking powder (sodium bicarbonate, tapioca starch, disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), and ground white pepper.
One serving, or one onion, has 350 calories, 22 grams of total fat (28% DV), 5 grams of saturated fat (25% DV), 330 mg of sodium (14% DV), 34 grams of total carbohydrates (12% DV), 3 grams of dietary fiber (11% DV), 8 grams of total sugars, no added sugars, and 3 grams of protein.
Heating Instructions:
When you open the box, you’ll find each of the two onion flowers packed in cardboard trays and individually wrapped in plastic. You’ll need to remove all the packaging prior to cooking these.
The box has directions for heating these in a conventional oven or in an air fryer.
To bake in a conventional oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove desired number of onion flowers from the packaging. Place the onion flower(s) on a baking sheet on the center rack in the oven. Heat for 16-18 minutes or until crisp and heated through.
To air fry, preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove desired number of onion flowers from the packaging and place in the air fryer. Heat for 11-13 minutes or until crisp and heated through.
Our Thoughts:
I heated these both in my air fryer at the same time. I took them out after about 12 minutes, and they were nice and crispy. Parts of the bottoms were a bit soft, so in the future I might cook them for 13 or 14 minutes to see if that helps. Still, these were good.
I wasn’t sure how well these would hold up to cooking and being transferred from the air fryer to a serving plate. They stayed together just fine.
The batter is crispy and savory, with mild sweet notes. Meanwhile, the onions are tender and almost melt in your mouth. These types of battered onions go well with some kind of dipping sauce, and I served them with ranch dressing because that’s what we had on hand.
The Verdict:
Trader Joe’s Onion Flowers are a TJ’s take on the classic Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion. We recommend cooking these in an air fryer, but you can also bake them in a conventional oven. They come out crispy and flavorful, and for a fraction of the price you’d pay at a restaurant. Serve them with a dip of your choice, if desired. We recommend these.
