How to Make Crispy Fried Shallots at Home
Fried shallots is an ingredient that is essential to many Vietnamese dishes. While it may be convenient to buy them at the store, it is so much more satisfying to make them at home. In this recipe, learn all the tips and tricks on how to make fried shallots consistently every single time.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 shallots (medium size, thinly sliced, ~¼ cup)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil (see note 1)
Instructions
- 1
Prepping the shallots for frying
- 2
Thinly slice shallots into even 1/16 inch pieces.
- 3
Cover a baking sheet or plate with paper towels and spread the shallots out in an even layer. Sprinkle salt over the shallots and let it sit for 10 minutes. This will draw out any excess water. After 10 minutes, pat the shallots down with a paper towel.
- 4
Transfer the shallots onto a plate and throw away the wet paper towels. Replace them with a double layer of paper towels.
- 5
Frying the shallots
- 6
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat.
- 7
After 3-5 minutes, test the oil by adding a piece of the shallots to the oil. If there are consistent bubbles around the test piece, lower the heat to medium low and add the rest of the shallots.
- 8
Stir the shallots continuously to ensure even browning. Not every part of the pan will be the same temperature. Some places will be hotter than others (aka hot spots), and shallots in those areas will brown more quickly.
- 9
Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Once the shallots reach a light golden brown color, pour the shallots into the sieve. You want to take the shallots out when they are a shade slightly lighter than the color you want them to be. They will brown further as they cool.
- 10
Transfer the shallots into the towel-lined baking sheet from step 3. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.