Welcome to The Cooking Dish blog! This is quickly becoming one of the highest read articles online about onions, and I hope you find the answer you’re looking for. If not, please leave a comment below and I’m more than happy to answer your question.
If you’ve ever been in the grocery store buying onions and couldn’t figure out which color of onion to buy, you’re not alone. Or perhaps you’re cooking and realize your recipe calls for a white onion and all you have are yellow onions… dont’ worry. There are many onions out there, each with their different purposes, but typically they fit into two categories, green and dry onions. This post discusses the dry onions (red onions, yellow onions, and white onions). Although there are many types of each of these dry onions, the general rules for them are as follows.
Yellow Onions
Yellow onions are the most popular cooking onions because they add excellent flavor to most stews, soups, and meat dishes. In fact, typically when a cooked recipe calls for onion, yellow onion is a safe way to go. Yellow onions have a yellow-brown papery skin on the outside and a white flesh.
I always know when someone is cooking with yellow onion because my eyes start to water (an effect of higher sulfur content). Because the yellow onion has such high sulfur content, it has a more pungent flavor and smell, which typically makes it too strong to eat raw unless there are other ingredients to counter-balance the flavor. In my own cooking, I use yellow onions in stews, soups, sautéed dishes, and shish kabobs. They have excellent flavor when cooked, and I rarely cook without them.
Yellow Onions
White Onions
White onions have an all-white skin (I’ve seen them with an off-white tint before) and an all-white flesh. They have a slightly milder flavor than the yellow onion and are a great substitute if you’re in need of an onion flavor, but don’t want it to be too powerful. White onions are commonly used in Mexican cuisines.
White Onions
Red Onions
You’re most likely to see red onions in non-cooked dishes, such as salads and sandwiches. Of the different colored onions, the red onion is the most mild, sweet onion. Red onions have the purplish-red skin which color is layered though it’s white flesh. I personally don’t like to cook heated dishes with red onion because it doesn’t produce enough onion flavor to enhance my meal. (Cooking an onion diminishes its flavor, but increases the flavor of the food around it).
Red Onions
How to Pick a Good Onion
In general, when you’re choosing onions in the store, the best ones will be firm, have a crackly outer skin, and have a mild scent. If their scent is overwhelming it’s a good sign the onion is starting to spoil. Avoid onions with dark spots or mold as well, though every once in a while I’ll still purchase those if I’m going to use them right away (I guess that’s my altruistic side coming out–take one for the team, you know). On another note, onions tend to store better in a slightly cooler, darker area, although the fridge is not recommended. The onion smell has a tendency to spoil the flavor of other foods in the fridge.
Onion Nutrition Data
Click image to enlarge.
More detailed nutrion information can be found at: NutritionData.com.
Did you have a question about onions that were not answered in this post? Leave a comment and I’ll do my best to respond a.s.a.p., or update my post to include the answer to your question. Thanks! Also, read my earlier post on freezing onions.
Thanks for the info on the onions! I’ve only ever bought yellow onions because I didn’t know how to use the other ones. In fact, just the other day my sister was asking me how anyone knew what onions to buy. This was very helpful. I would like to know different ways that green onions can be used. I’ve sprinkled them on enchiladas before, but that’s it. What else can I do with them?
I have an intolerance to red onions. They give me headaches, stomach pain, and that thing that happens when a soda goes in the nose. However, I can have any other kind of onion and garlic. Additionally, I love the taste of red onions even though I can’t have them. As you said before, red onions are meant for raw foods. I am currently on a raw diet; therefore, I was wondering what a good substitute for them is. Also, do you have any idea why I might be allergic to only the red ones. Do you think cooking them might help?
Ahoy Sami,
There are lots of things you can do with onions… each one probably deserving of its own post. But in general, keep in mind that onions are extremely versatile when it comes to cooking and can be added to flavor gads of dishes. Some of my favorites are soups, pot roasts, salads, and sandwiches. Earlier I wrote a post about some tips when freezing onions, I’d recommend giving it a read: http://www.thecookingdish.com/onions-on-the-go-instructions-for-freezing-onions/. In time I’ll have a lot more recipes on here that call for onion, so check back soon.
thanks for the info! Do you happen to know if one onion is healthier than the other?
Hi Alison,
I’ve updated the post to include the onion nutritional information, and thanks for the feedback. :)
It would appear that all onions are fairly similar in health value. From the many places I looked, most of them consider the yellow onion nutrition data to be the standard nutrition data for the yellow, white, and red onions. Even the nutritional information I found at http://www.livestrong.com seemed to be missing the full sugar values, etc. from the white and yellow onions nutrition charts.
If you have any other questions, please let me know. Happy cooking!
I love to make beef stew in my crock pot, however, it seems that the outer skins of my yellow medium size onins never get tender even after 8 hours of low heat. I cut them in half before I put them in. What am I doing wrong? Freddy
@Freddy. Three different things come to mind that you can try.
1. Quarter your onion instead of only halving it. I usually quarter my onions and when they’re large I also break the quarters into halves between the middle layers so that I end up with 8 pieces. Being a tight vegetable, onions don’t let most liquids easily penetrate through its layers.
2. If you wan’t to keep it in halves, (or cook a whole one) cut 7 or 8 slits into the onion to help let the stew’s juices penetrate the different layers.
3. If you want to play hardball, after cutting your onion in halves, you can put it in the oven with a small dish of water at 350 degrees F for 15-30 minutes (until it’s softening up) and then add it to your stew.
Hope that helps, let me know.
This information was extremely helpful, thank you! Is there a post on green onions as well?
Hi Amber,
Sorry, no post on green onions yet. I’ve been pretty busy with stuff lately, but I’ll add into my list of requests and hopefully can get to it soon. Thanks for reading :).
Thank you for this information about onions. I have always only used yellow onions b/c, as stated by one other reader, I didn’t know how to use the other types. I recently ventured out into the unknown and tried red onion in a pot of red beans. Assumably a safe way. With so much going on in a pot of beans, it seemed that if there were issues, not that I thought there would be, it wouldn’t be too apparent. My results, first of all, they tasted wonderfully! But, and this is the reason for my search, it seemed to change something about the beans. This is funny, my household seemed less gassy after using the red onion. I cooked another pot a few weeks later, using again, yellow onion and went back to the gassier results. Does red onion produce or atleast, not leave your body producing as much gas as yellow onion? I realize everyone is different with their production but for me, this was a marked result and truly a good result. Thanks again for the info.
Hi Amanda,
Often times the yellow and white onions make people gassier because of their higher sulfur content. Sulfur breaks down as it travels through your small intestine and what isn’t absorbed along the way escapes… usually at a time and place that embarrasses us the most. Because everybody’s digestive system behaves a little differently, some people may hardly be affected by the increased sulfur content in some onion varieties while other people, and those poor unsuspecting guests around them, may not be. Hope that helps answer your question. I love that you’ve been conducting experiments with the onion, happy cooking!
Thanks for the info. I had been waiting to find out the distinction between different coloured onions since long. I am thankful to have read this writeup.
Hi Savitha,
I’m glad you found the article helpful. :)
FAMILY REUNION
A little help – not great detail: – In the family reunion of onions, where do scallions, leeks, green onions, garlic and shallots – where do they fit in for placing flavors in their proper directions?
10 words or fewer per:
Thanks -
This information is so helpful. I always wondered about which onions to use for cooking, what to use raw, etc. Thank you!
Great article! I’m working on a recipe that calls for onion and I want to define the three types of dried onions and why I’m using white onion in my recipe. So I’m going to link to this post, if you don’t mind. Will let you know as soon as I’ve posted the recipe.
Hi Cheryl,
I’m glad you enjoyed it, link away! I look forward to reading your recipe post.
Hi, Green onions can be used for Oriental stir-fries. Wonderful for topping for miso soup.
Can cut up the green onions and can also be frozen for use later. Very delicious on
tofu, together with grated fresh ginger and shoyu.
Awesome Nancy, thanks for the comment on using green onions. I agree, they go well with quite a few Asian dishes. I also use them in cabbage dishes and in a number of soups and salads. Very tasty.
Chris,
Thanks for breaking it down. Is a Spanish onion a yellow onion. Some recipes call for Spanish onions and they are hard to find, except maybe Whole Foods.
Ahoy Duane.
I meant to reply to your comment earlier but I just kinda’ spaced it :). Spanish onions are a larger, sweeter onion and look a lot like the yellow onions–though sometimes they can take on a white-ish outside color. When you hear of people eating onions raw, the Spanish onions are most likely what they’re eating. (Can you imagine taking a big ol’ bite out of a yellow onion? Blech!)… I agree, it doesn’t always seem like they’re as easy to find, though they’re fairly popular to cook with. Perhaps if you’ve got a local farmer’s market or a local grocery store chain you can try there. Hope that helps.
Thanks for this very helpful info. I’ve been trying to figure out the differences for years!
Hi Lisa, I’m glad you found the information helpful. Take care.
Thank you so much for the great info! This is so good to know. I started using red onion for everything because I like it’s flavor raw so I’m glad I stumbled upon this site. Now I know that I should use yellow onion in my pot roast. THANKS!! :)
Glad to know it helped :) Happy cooking!
Hi Chris – very usful article – thank you. I grow my own veggies and had lots of red onions and shallots this year so I’m using them in cooking before they start growing or going mouldy. I’m probably committing some culinary crime by doing so but … waste not want not. I am hoping to grow more yellow onions next year. Sod’s law – its usually the red onions that don’t grow well! My best red onion dish is red onion tarte tatin and then, of course, there is the lovely roasted mediterranean vegetables but you can’t eat thos every day. I’ve yet to try making onion soup out of the red onions.
Hi Teresa,
I agree with not wasting food. As long as it’s still edible, it’s fair game in my book; after all, we’re not serving 5-star courses every meal at home, right? ;) (If you are, I’ll be over soon, ha ha.) By the way, your dishes sound delicious! Feel free to share the recipes if you wish.
I work produce and this has been very helpful. I get a lot of questions about what the differences are so thank you!!!! And i just wondered where vidalia onions fit? We also have just sweet onions when vidalia onions are not in season, are they both mild as well like the red onion or stronger?
Ahoy Shawn! Great questions. Sweet onions have a lower sulfur content than even a red onion, and some people actually eat them like you would eat an apple. I’ve never done that myself, but I foresee it happening in the near future. Vadalia onions are a specific type of sweet onion that are unique to Georgia, U.S.A. Here in Utah we also have a Utah Sweet Onion. Hope that helps :).
yes very much so! I am also in Utah and that would explain where that sweet onion we sell comes from. thank you!!
Chris
This is a brilliant post and thanks for the info! Do you know what the relative water content is for each onion? I normally use yellow onions and wondering if other onions would cook faster. And what about cipollinis and pearl onions? I’m guessing they would be similar to sweet onions?
Thanks Veena! I’ve always considered cipollini onions as a midway between a sweet onion and red onion. I’ve only cooked with them a couple times, though. I don’t know much about peral onions, other than they’re considered relatively sweet. I’ve never cooked with them… in fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen them in a grocery store either. But now, you’ve peaked my curiosity and I’ll be looking for them.
As far as water content goes, I haven’t noticed a huge difference when cooking with them as far as time to sauté or caramelize is concerned. Typically the sweeter the onion, the higher the water content.
Thanks for stopping by :)