ONION PATTIES – AMISH RECIPE
Why You’ll Love These Onion Patties
These are so easy to make and absolutely delicious! They come from the Amish and we found them in a wonderful cookbook and have been making them for years. If you love a blooming onion then you must make these delicious onion patties. They are super versatile and many great ways to enjoy them. We love them dipped in ketchup or ranch dressing. They are great on a burger, and many people enjoy them that way in the summertime.
How Small Do You Chop The Onions?
This is a question we get a few times each time we post this recipe on social media. We dont chop them with a chopper or make them extra small. You can watch the video in the recipe card to see exactly the size. I always say we chop them the size you would if you were adding onion to soup, etc.
What Do You Serve Them With?
Most people make these as an appetizer or a side dish. Many people compare them to a blooming onion or onion rings, so serve them with whatever you would serve with those. We like these as an appetizer, and they go great with ketchup or ranch dressing.
Tips
If you have questions about what you can add, or what you can use, you should take a moment and read all the comments below. Many people have made substitutions, tried to make them gluten free, etc and have left comments. So check those out!
Other Delicious Recipes:
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Onion Patties – Amish Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal self-rising or regular
- 2 1/2 cups chopped onions I used 1 1/2 large white onions, chopped
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cooking oil I used Canola
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cornmeal in a large bowl. Mix in chopped onions. Pour in milk and mix well with spoon.
- Heat oil in skillet on top of the stove. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. Cook on one side until brown and flip to cook on other side. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup full of batter for each pattie. You can add more oil to the skillet if you need to do so while frying. Makes 10 to 12 onion patties.
Notes
© The Southern Lady Cooks photos and text – All rights reserved. No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.
This just a comment about making the dough and frying later. You are supposed to cook anything with baking powder in it right away because it starts activating and loses its strength. If you leave it overnight in the refrigerator or whatever.
Has anyone tried making it gf?!
Can these be cooked on a blackstone griddle?
I have never tried it but I’m sure it would work.
Okay..I saw this recipe on your FB page and decided to give it a try..now I know why it has such great reviews!! These are amazing! We had them on burgers..so good!
So glad you tried these Jesse! On a burger.. so good!!
Would this work in an air fryer?
I’m sure it would, I don’t have one so I can’t say but see no reason why it wouldnt.
How big a chop for the onions?
Margie, there is a video of us making these in the recipe card. You can see how big we chop them.
Please tell me how small you chop the onions. I can’t get your video to play!
We don’t put them in a chopper since it makes them too small, just what you would chop up for say a soup.
I want to save this recipe
I suggest having it emailed to you, like it says right after the first photo and saving it in your email.
I found this recipe on Facebook and started following you ladies! I made these last night and now the whole family wants them for New Years! I’m so glad I found your page and website.
Oh my.. this is just wonderful! We are thrilled you are here!!!
These are so delicious and so much easier than making onion rings, yet taste very similar (maybe even better)!
Well I have to say this Central Ky boy and his guest were impressed. They pair so well with fried Catfish. I make my own Tarter Sauce that was wonderful on these patties
So glad it was a hit!!
What can I use if I dont have cornmeal? Is jiffy cornbread mix something i could use?
You can always try it 🙂
Greetings from New Zealand.
Love the recipe. Does need a bit more flavour so I take the hint to add some garlic powder, not sure how much, or what other flavourings would you recommend?
I’m having to cook for myself as my wife has dementia and is a home now.
I would think maybe 1/2 teaspoon to a 1 teaspoon would work. You can always add more pepper, some parmesan cheese too.
We live in Amish country but never heard of these before. They are absolutely delicious! I used our homegrown sweet onions, oat milk & added some garlic powder. Perfect
Do you think these could be made in an air fryer?
Im sure they could, but we don’t have one so no way to advise.
Can these be mixed up a day ahead before frying?
I think you could easily do that.
Just looking at recipe made my mouth water / can’t wait to try it
Made these yesterday..they are amazing!! New favorite! Love this website!
Thank you Katy!! So glad you loved this one! It’s one of our favorites!
Have you ever served the onion patties cold? Wanted for party but can’t fry there any ideas?
Yes, I think they are wonderful cold!
I just found you two ladies, and I’m tickled to death to see that y’all are Tennesseeans like myself, originally.
I’m having A wonderful time looking at your recipes they bring back memories of my Mom and all the other great women in my life and their fantastic recipes.
I married a Yankee and moved away very young, so I’ve always had to cook things myself if I wanted anything that I was used to.
(To give you an idea of my situation, my Yankee Norwegian wife put smoked mackerel in cherry jello!)
Thank You!
Welcome! So glad you found us! We are actually in Kentucky, but close enough! I have to say I laughed at your comment about the smoked mackerel in jello. Look around, enjoy the recipes and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
The whole family liked these. I tried to make them thinner but they still puffed up more than I was hoping. But I took another commenter’s advice and air fried them to give extra crisp (!!) as I finished up the rest of the dinner. I like these. And will make them again. I may try and add some seasoning of some sort next time to add a bit more flavor. Or corn… which could add a little sweetness and more texture. I fed want to play with this one. Thanks for the recipe!
Onion patties what a perfect replacement for hash browns, but they are great on their own too, I made them thinner more crispy.
I made this with added ingredients,red & green peppers. They were delicious. Next time I want to try garlic & pepper flakes. They were truly amazing.
Made this tonight to side with Black Angus London Broil and a simple garden salad. This is a great recipe and very adaptable. I used what I had in my pantry. For the flour, I subbed Carbnada flour (cassava flour). For the milk, I subbed 1/2 can Belgian White Beer & 2 eggs. I used 2 giant vidalia onions, cut in half and then sliced very thin. I added 1/2 cup plain panko breadcrumbs and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. They came out delicious! Tasted like beer battered onion rings without all the extra steps and mess. Once I fried them all, I made my steak and salad. Then put the onion cakes in my air fryer and recooked them for about 8 minutes on 380°F. They were crispy on the outside and tender inside almost like a potato pancake. This recipe is a keeper and will be a frequent dish in my family’s meals. Thanks!
I have no cornmeal can I use jiffy cornbread mix and leave out the sugar
I’ve only made it the way the recipe is written. You’re welcome to try it!
Do you think these would freeze okay?
They probably would, but I have never tried to freeze them.
These are lovely! And so easy too! Thankyou x
I made these for dinner tonight and omg am I glad I did!! Family loved them. I fried mine in sunflower oil and used my iron skillet. I’ll definitely be making these more often. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.
You’re very welcome! So glad this recipe was a hit!
What is cornmeal, l am in Australia, we have cornflour or is it maize
Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) ground from dried maize (corn). It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour.
Hi Kay, Polenta is basically Cornmeal. I’ve used both…. Cornmeal when I lived in America, and now that I’ve moved back home (New Zealand), I use Polenta. Hope this helps. ☺️
I lived in Australia for 7 years bf I realized I could use fine polenta like grits
Made these for dinner tonight with our smoked salmon. They were amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Yummy!
How hot for the oil, 350?
Yes, that should work, Peggy.
We enjoyed these very much. Had them with a birthday supper of hamburgers and fries. Yum!
So glad these were a hit!
Great recipe! Made smaller for appetizer. Everyone enjoyed them.
Thank you! We’re so glad you enjoyed them!
Air Fryer or using your oven broiler works great.
These sound delicious but I was wondering if they could be made without the cornmeal (allergic) or use a substitution?
Sorry, Susan, I have only made them by the recipe.
I’m also allergic to corn. We just omitted it and they were great!
What can i use in place of milk? I’m trying to go vegan. These sound delish!
I’m just lazy and hate the clean up associated with pan frying – do you think I could cook these on an electric griddle – like a pancake?
I have not tried them on a griddle but feel like you could do them that way, Margaret.
Just wondering, what makes these Amish?
I am assuming just like Southern food originated in the South and different foods originate from different places that these originated from the Amish.
Actually these are a variation of potato pancakes aka Latkes and not hush puppies!
As Good as they are, these Onion Patties are primarily Hush Puppies without an egg. They are still YUMMY.
There are some differences between the two: https://thesouthernladycooks.com/2013/01/17/southern-cornmeal-hush-puppies/
I believe every recipe is a starting point. I made this recipe today, and it turned out very well. I did drain the. On a rack, and they did retain their crispness. I am going to make this recipe again. However, the only changes I will make is to omit the sugar, add some cayenne pepper and replace the milk with beer. My only regret is that it won’t be a truly Amish recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Could you put these in an air fryer?
I have no idea, I have never used an air fryer.
I made these tonight and they were delicious! Light and crisp! The whole family loved them! Thank you so much!
So glad to hear this! Thank you for letting me know. Have a wonderful week!
Made these for my honey and I. Just the two of us. There were no left overs. They may have made it to the fridge, but they did not last long. So delicious.
So happy you all enjoyed this recipe, Kristy, and thank you for letting us know. Happy to have you on our site and thanks for the wonderful rating. We appreciate it!
I was looking for new ways to use onions & this recipe sounds absolutely wonderful! I’ve always had an interest in the Amish and I’m glad I found this. I am going to make it with our chicken & corn on the cob dinner, only I’m substituting the dairy with broth & omitting the cornmeal as I never keep any in my pantry. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
You are very welcome Carmen. Enjoy!
I made these tonight, had all the ingredients prepped then say that someone drank all the milk. So I improvised and added and egg and a little chicken broth. They were delicious! So I guess this could be a solution to the dairy problem.
That is wonderful, thank you for sharing!
Can you make it without the cornmeal or substitute it for something else?
You can try leaving it out Danielle. I have not tried it without the cornmeal but I don’t think it would make a big difference.
Re the query about dairy free, I have not tried this with these patties but my wife is very dairy intolerant and I use nothing but OAT MILK as a milk substitute, it has never failed and I se no reason why it should work with this recipe.
Any suggestions for making it dairy free? Maybe almond milk?
You can definitely give it a try, but I have only made it the way the recipe is written.
MY PATTIES ARE VERY GREASY, I DRAIN THEM ON PAPER TOWEL
Make sure your oil is hot enough.
Drain on a cooling rack, rather than a paper towel, drying on a paper towel, will usually lead to them getting soggy.
For greaseless patties try using a waffle iron or a panini sandwich maker, I use my waffle iron for potato latkes, works great, no oil to use or waste = less mess. Make a large batch and freeze the rest for later……. Bon Appetito
Don’t put them on paper towels, it takes the crispness out of them. Put on a wire rack to drain.
What is the best way to reheat the Amish onion patties so they stay crisp?
You can reheat them in the microwave or oven but they won’t be as crisp as when you made them. I find with any fried food like salmon patties, onion patties or even fried potatoes, you can add a tiny bit of oil to a skillet and reheat for best crispiness. Hope this helps, Susie.
Use an air fryer to reheat if you want these to stay crisp. Otherwise use the oven with fan on.
These are wonderful and I sometimes switch from the chopped onion to frozen corn kernels with all else remaining the same.
Good idea! Happy you are enjoying the recipe.
I made these this week, they were delish. I did half the recipe and it was stil a bit much for my daughter and I. I plan to make them again this week!
Thanks for the great recipes
You are so welcome, Pat. Happy you are enjoying the recipe and happy to have you as a part of our community. Have a great weekend.
I haven’t seen these onion patties in years. I can’t wait to try out this recipe, thank you for sharing it.
You are so welcome, Steve. Hope you enjoy the recipe and have a great weekend. Thank you for being a part of our community.
Do you have recipes for KEFIR?
I sure don’t.
Looking forward to trying these with gluten free flour for my husband who is so sad he can’t have onion rings anymore. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome!