Freezing Onions {How to Freeze Onions}
Learn all the tips and tricks for freezing onions to save a ton of time and money. Learning how to freeze onions (diced, green, sliced, rings, and whole) is a great way to preserve this delicious staple of so many recipes. A freezer stash of frozen onions opens the door to amazing and speedy meals.
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Imagine what your meal prep is going to look like if you don’t have to chop an onion for every recipe you’re making. My friend, that dream can come true if you take just a few minutes to freeze onions ahead of time!
Frozen onions are so versatile but I get it; you don’t have time for a complicated preservation method. So, just like freezing zucchini, freezing blackberries, and freezing peas, we’re preserving this crop in the freezer. No canning, nothing fancy, and no special equipment.
A bag or container of frozen onions ready to go makes your easy healthy meal prep a breeze. Tons of prepped frozen produce is a staple in our Freezer Essentials. With your mise en place ready to go, you’re about to CRUSH fast dinners.
I can’t tell you how awesome it was the other night when I was making a batch of Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings and could just grab a handful of onions and throw them in the soup. Freezing onions will change your dang life.
Do Onions Freeze Well?
Heck yes, they do! They’re the perfect staple to have in your freezer for fast weeknight meals and speedy soups and stews. They’re perfect in this Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup. Check out my complete guide on how to freeze fresh produce.
Can You Freeze Green Onions?
Yes! However, they won’t really hold their shape once defrosted. I would use them only for flavoring dishes and not as a garnish. Follow the directions below for freezing diced onions if you also want to preserve green onions,
How Long Do Onions Last in the Freezer?
Frozen onions will last in a conventional freezer for six months. If you have a deep freeze/stand-alone freezer, you’re safe to keep them in there for up to a year.
TOOLS FOR FREEZING Onions
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment or Silpat
- Reusable freezer bags or wide-mouth mason jars
- Straw (optional)
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Food processor if you have a butt ton of onions to process
How to Freeze Diced Onions
*A detailed and printable recipe card is available at the bottom of this post.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Chop or dice your onions to your preference.
Place the onions on the baking sheet, spreading them around so they’re not too clumped up, and place the tray in the freezer. Freeze for three hours. Pro tip: If you have a lot of onions to freeze at once, lay another piece of parchment on top of the onions and top with an additional layer.
Break apart any clumps that have formed on the baking sheet and transfer the onions to freezer-proof storage. Onions have a way of transferring their smell to other foods around them. Make sure you’re using sturdy freezer-safe storage to keep the onion smell contained.
I really like these silicone freezer bags because they stand upright on their own, making them easy to fill. If zero waste is your jam, check out this post on Zero Waste Food Storage on how to green your kitchen.
If you’re using Ziploc-style bags, removing additional air from the bag will keep your onions safe from freezer burn. Sure, there are expensive machines to remove air from freezer storage containers, but with a simple straw, you can achieve similar results.
Place a straw in the corner of a freezer bag and close the bag as tightly as possible. Suck the air out through the straw 1-2 times and quickly remove the straw and seal the bag.
You can also store them in canning jars for exact measurements that are ready to add to recipes (4 oz jars = 1/2 cup, 8 oz jars = 1 cup).
How to Freeze Onion Rings/Strips
If you want to prep onion rings or strips, you do need to blanch them first. Blanching is the act of quickly cooking fruit or veggies in boiling water and then stopping the cooking process with ice water.
Drop the sliced onions into boiling water for 15 seconds. Once the time is up, strain the onions through a colander and immediately add to a bowl of ice water for two minutes. Strain again and set aside to drain. Allow onions to dry on a clean towel.
Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for 3 hours. Use some frozen onion strips to make my homemade Crispy Fried Onions.
How to Freeze Whole Onions
You can freeze whole onions, but they will not hold their shape well when defrosted. They would work well for Paleo French Onion Soup or Pressure Cooker Caramelized Onions.
Blanch small onions for 3 minutes and large onions for 7 minutes. Once the time is up, strain the onions through a colander and immediately add to a bowl of ice water for five minutes. Strain again and set aside to drain. Allow onions to dry on a clean towel.
Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for 5 hours.
MORE “HOW TO” POSTS YOU’LL LOVE
- Check out all my tasty recipes that use onions.
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- Complete Guide to What to Preserve in Fall
- How to Freeze Celery
- Freezing Tomatoes the Easy Way
- How to Freeze Garlic
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- How to Freeze Pesto
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Freezing Onions {How to Freeze Onions}
Ingredients
- 1 onion
Equipment
Instructions
Freezing Diced Onions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.
- Chop or dice the onions to your preference.
- Place the onions on the baking sheet and move them around so they aren't too clumped up, and place the tray in the freezer. Freeze for 3 hours.
- Break apart any clumps that have formed on the baking sheet and transfer the onions to freezer-proof storage.
How to Freeze Onion Rings/Strips
- Drop the sliced onions into boiling water for 15 seconds. Once the time is up, strain the onions through a colander and immediately add to a bowl of ice water for two minutes.
- Strain again and set aside to drain. Allow onions to dry on a clean towel.
- Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for 3 hours. Transfer to freezer storage.
How to Freeze Whole Onions
- Blanch small onions for 3 minutes and large onions for 7 minutes.
- Once the time is up, strain the onions through a colander and immediately add to a bowl of ice water for five minutes. Strain again and set aside to drain. Allow onions to dry on a clean towel.
- Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for 5 hours. Transfer to freezer storage.
Notes
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I’ve found for us, if I freeze onions on a baking sheet first then put into a container, it makes my whole fridge/freezer smell like onions for days! So I just dump them all into a ziploc bag and freeze. I just whack the bag on the counter to get a loose chunk to use when I want some. I know it is not a measured amount and that I will eventually rip a hole in the bag, but those things are worth it to me to not smell the onions forever!
You gotta do what you got gotta do! 🙂
I accidentally left my onions overnight in the freezer before bagging them up and there was no smell. It’s a deep freezer so perhaps they froze more quickly?
I deleted the repeat comment for you. No problemo.