These Perfectly Grilled Onions are a great addition to any dinner and are perfect for burgers, steak, or salad. Cut an onion into wide rings, then cover in oil and grill them up. An easy recipe (that’s gluten free, paleo, and Whole30-compliant) with how-to photos guiding you every step of the way!
If you’ve never been a fan of onions, you must not have tried them on the grill! Believe me, I did NOT like onions growing up – they tasted bitter and made me pucker. But once you cook them their natural sugars come out and the bite goes away, leading to sweet and savory perfection.
Grilling onions helps highlight those natural sugars and creates a light char as well. Great for fajitas, salad – anything you’d like onions with! Now let’s talk about exactly how to grill onions.
HOW TO MAKE GRILLED ONIONS
STEP 1: PREP THE ONIONS
Remove the ends of the onion using a large sharp knife and cutting board. Peel off the thin outer layers (the darker colored ones). Slice the onion into between 1/2 to 3/4 inch rings. For a large onion this will result in about 4 rings per onion. Place the rings in a single layer on the cutting board.
Measure out the oil and gently pour a little of the oil on top of each onion slice, portioning it out as equally as you can. Rub the oil into both sides of the onion, making sure the surface is fully covered.
STEP 2: GRILL THE ONIONS
Heat the grill to 400 degrees F. Once it’s reached temperature, place the oiled onions on the grill. You’ll need to place them carefully to make sure the rings of onion don’t come apart.
Close the grill lid and cook for 5 minutes on the first side, then use a spatula to flip the onion rings and cook them for 4 to 7 minutes on the second side. Be sure and check the smaller and/or thinner onion slices first as they are likely to cook more quickly – you want the onion to be tender but not completely soft. *Be careful when flipping the onions as they may start to fall apart a bit – you want a swift but careful motion when flipping!
Remove the onions slices from the grill with a spatula and place in a single layer on a plate or platter. Sprinkle salt lightly on top of each onion, garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro if desired, then serve immediately.
You may have a couple of questions about grilled onions – let’s get to those now.
What onions are best for grilling?
Sweeter onions are best, in my opinion. Looks for onions like Vidalia or Walla Walla, or if you can’t find those use a general yellow onion.
How do you cut onions for grilling?
You want to cut onion slices so they’re thick enough that they don’t fall apart, but thin enough so they cook well. I find somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch to be ideal.
What’s the difference between grilled and caramelized onions?
Caramelized onions are cooked low and slow until the onion is completely cooked and browned. Grilling an onion is a faster process that cooks the onion until it’s soft, but the onion is not browned all over.
What do you eat grilled onions with?
There are lots of great ways to eat grilled onions! Try them:
- with grilled flank steak and some grilled bell peppers,
- in a burrito bowl,
- with some grilled dijon chicken,
- chopped up in a salad, or
- on a burger or sweet potato slider.
GRILLING TIPS
- Err on the side of cutting the onion slices too thick rather than too thin. Thinner slices of onion are likely to fall apart and won’t hold up well on the grill.
- If you do end up cutting your onions too thin, or are just worried about them coming apart, stick a toothpick in one side of the onion slice all the way to the center to prevent the onion rings from coming apart.
- Get to know the hot spots on your grill. Most grills have certain spots that are hotter than others, meaning some onions may be done before others. Likely hot spots are directly over flames and likely cooler spots are at the front of the grill (closer to the opening of the lid).
PIN THESE EASY GRILLED ONIONS FOR LATER!
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR MORE GRILLING IDEAS, CHECK THESE OUT!
- Grilled Bell Peppers (Whole30, Paleo, GF)
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (Whole30, Paleo, GF)
- Carne Asada (Whole30, Paleo, GF)
- Greek Lamb Skewers (Whole30, Paleo, GF)
- Asian Steak Marinade (GF)
- Grilled Dijon Chicken (Whole30, Paleo, GF)
OR IF YOU NEED SOME EASY GLUTEN FREE & WHOLE30 DINNER IDEAS, TAKE A LOOK AT THESE!
- Mexican Ground Beef Skillet
- Paleo Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Greek Chicken
- Paleo Ground Beef & Broccoli
- Paleo Meatloaf Muffins
If you make these Perfectly Grilled Onions (or any other recipe) then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below!
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AND PINTEREST TO SEE MORE GOOD TO EAT, GLUTEN FREE AND WHOLE30 FOOD.
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RECIPE FOR GRILLED ONIONS
Perfectly Grilled Onions
Equipment
- A spatula (for the grill)
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet onions
- 1 tbsp oil avocado or olive
- 1 tsp kosher salt Diamond Krystal brand
- parsley or cilantro for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Remove the ends of the onion using a large sharp knife and cutting board. Peel off the thin outer layers (the darker colored ones). Slice the onion into between 1/2 to 3/4 inch rings. For a large onion this will result in about 4 rings per onion. place the rings in a single layer on the cutting board.
- Measure out the oil and gently pour a little of the oil on top of each onion slice, portioning it out as equally as you can. Rub the oil into both sides of the onion, making sure the surface is fully covered.
- Heat the grill to 400 degrees F. Once it's reached temperature, place the oiled onions on the grill. You'll need to place them carefully to make sure the rings of onion don't come apart.
- Close the grill lid and cook for 5 minutes on the first side, then use a spatula to flip the onion rings and cook them for 4 to 7 minutes on the second side. Be sure and check the smaller and/or thinner onion slices first as they are likely to cook more quickly - you want the onion to be tender but not completely soft. *Be careful when flipping the onions as they may start to fall apart a bit - you want a swift but careful motion when flipping!
- Remove the onions slices from the grill with a spatula and place in a single layer on a plate or platter. Sprinkle salt lightly on top of each onion, garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro if desired, then serve immediately.
Notes
* If you do end up cutting your onions too thin, or or just worried about them falling apart, stick a toothpick in one side of the onion slice all the way to the center to prevent the onion rings from coming apart.
* Get to know the hot spots on your grill. Most grills have certain spots that are hotter than others, meaning some onions may be done before others. Likely hot spots are directly over flames and likely cooler spots are at the front of the grill (closer to the opening of the lid).
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