I’m not going to lie, but onion salt vs onion powder is very convenient, and they are the must-have seasoning mixes in your kitchen. Not only are they timely and full of flavor, but a small pinch of onion salt or powder can also enhance the flavor of your dishes.
Both of them are affordable and easy to find in any grocery store. Besides many similarities, they have several differences and notes that you need to notice if you want to use them.
But do you understand and distinguish them? I will answer your questions in this article. Let’s scroll down!
Onion Salt Vs Onion Powder – Just The Same Or Different?
Onion salt and onion powder are all made from grinding onion after the drying or dehydrating process. But onion powder doesn’t contain any other spices, just 100% ground onion.
Onion salt does contain spice, salt, and they are usually mixed with a 1:5 ratio (salt over onion powder).
Therefore, onion salt and onion powder are partly the same but also different. Together with that, you also need to watch the amount when using it for your dishes.
What Is Onion Powder?
First comes onion powder is a culinary condiment made from dehydrated onions and ground into a fine powder. It has a sharp onion-like aroma, a hint of sweetness, sulfur, and even a hint of garlic.
Due to its sulfuric and garlicky flavor, more often than not, onion powder is utilized as a stand-in ingredient for garlic powder. Their similar texture and somewhat alike flavors allow onion powder and garlic powder to be used interchangeably in many cases.
Onion powder is used to bring the attractive taste of onion without causing unpleasant problems such as stinging eyes, mushy onions when cooked for a long time, and so on, like fresh onions.
Onion powder can distribute the onion flavor evenly all over the dish. You can use onion powder in various types of soups, stews, salad dressings, or marinades.
Due to the thorough dehydration, onion powder can be stored longer and are more difficult to perish than fresh onions. Because of that, it is often used in the food processing industry, cassava food processing, or commercial production in large quantities.
Making Onion Powder At Home Is Easier Than You Think
I’m not going to fool you but making onion powder at home is honestly easy and not time-consuming. Even if you’re a beginner, it’s still possible to succeed on the first try.
First, you need to prepare the following:
- A dehydrator (or oven)
- A dehydrator tray (or baking tray)
- A parchment paper
- Onion (the amount is up to you)
Then let’s get on to work!
- Peel off the outer skin and parts of onions that have become mushy or soft.
- Make sure your onions are completely clean and dry before cutting them into thin pieces.
Slicing uniformly will help them be dehydrated more evenly. A sharp chopper for veggies will do the trick if you want your cuts to be as uniform as possible. If you’re opting for this option, you should choose manual models with replaceable blades.
- Place the parchment paper on the tray (or a wax paper is also acceptable as a stand-in for parchment paper) and spread the chopped onions evenly on it.You should spread a single layer and should not let the onion pieces overlap.
- Put your tray in the dehydrator and set the automatic drying mode for vegetables. But if you are going to use an oven, preheat it to 150 degrees F first before putting it in.
If your oven limits the lowest heat to 170 degrees F, you’ll have to turn on and off your oven several times so it doesn’t get too hot to burn the onions.
- It will take about 6 hours to be entirely dried in the dehydrator, relatively similar to the oven.
- When the onions are properly dried, they will be crunchy and can crisply break them in half.
Try several pieces from different corners of the tray or pieces that appear thicker to ensure none of the pieces have moisture inside.
- Then put them in whatever grinder you have: a good grinder for salt, an efficient coffee bean grinder or a food processor. Then, blend them until your onions are entirely finely powdered.
- With 1 medium-sized onion, you can make about 1/2 cup of onion powder.
Notes
- Powdered onions are still onions, so they have a powerful smell. The process of drying onions should be done with parchment paper as a guide. If you use reusable towels or else, the onion smell will “haunt” your following dishes.
- Rinse your grinder thoroughly after chopping onions. I don’t recommend using a coffee grinder unless it’s unavoidable because you’re likely to taste onion coffee for the first time in your life.
- To minimize the loss of smell over time, you can store the whole piece of unground onions in an airtight container and grind them part by part after.
Making onion powder at home will save you a lot of money and control the ingredients you use. It’s not too tricky, but it’s still fun, isn’t it?
Making homemade onion powder has never been this easy. Check this out!
Best Ways To Use Onion Powder
You can basically use onion powder in almost all dishes that use the fresh one. You just need to watch the amount since the onion is highly concentrated. I suggest you replace 1 cup of fresh onion with half of a teaspoon (1,2g) of onion powder.
Besides those dishes that need to caramelize fresh onions or diced fresh onions for salads that powder one can not replace, onion powder is perfect for dips, dressings, or dishes that need smooth and consistent texture.
The best friend of onion powder is potatoes. Onion powder enhances the flavor of various potato dishes. Either a sprinkle of onion powder onto a baked potato or just a pinch of it inside the mashed potato mixture will also make sense.
Roasted or grilled meats are also getting well with the attractive taste of onion powder. Mixing with other spices like cumin, paprika, or garlic powder, your dishes will be very delicious and won’t be scorched by the burned fresh onions.
Even roasted vegetable dishes are fit with onion powder as well. Maybe you might want to try adding a pinch of onion powder in any of your vegetable dishes; the taste will blow your mind! Don’t be surprised if your kids ask for more on their plates.
Soups, stews, and dry rubs have onion powder as an essential seasoning. Not only lifting the taste but also avoiding changes in the texture of the dishes.
What About Onion Salt?
Onion salt is made from onion powder and any kind of salt you like. However, both ingredients must be dehydrated to lengthen the shelf life. Onion salt also provides many health benefits, besides those are the same with fresh or powdered onions.
Like onion powder, onion salt adds onion flavor to a dish and the salty taste. Its flavor is not as strong as onion powder or fresh onion but still retains the sweetness and milder pungency.
Homemade Onion Salt Is Ready In 5 Minutes!
My proportion for this recipe needs few extremely simple ingredients below:
- 1 cup of onion powder
- 3 tablespoons of sea salt
Then you will:
- Put your ingredients in a blender and wait until well blended.
- Pour the spice mixture into an airtight jar or container and keep it in the fridge.
Note: If you add a few other ingredients like garlic powder, dried chopped chives or oregano, and thyme, you’ll have a French onion salt recipe to go very well with soda bread.
Although making homemade and buying onion salt at the store is easy, I prefer making it at home. Many types of onion salt at the store have harmful sodium compounds that affect your kidneys, making your own at home to ensure healthier.
Want to make your homemade onion salt? This video can help!
Best Ways To Use Onion Salt
Onion salt is the combination between the pungency and sweetness of onions and the saltiness of salt. And just like onion powder, onion salt can be added in almost all dishes that require fresh onions.
To onion salt distinctively, you can both add onion and salt all-in-one. I recommend using 2 teaspoons of onion salt to replace 1 small to the medium fresh onion.
Onion salt is used in various dishes. You can use it to season hamburger meat, meatloaf, spaghetti sauces, or so on. They also use onion salt to sprinkle on top of grilled and roasted meats and vegetables.
It is so convenient since it has a milder taste than fresh onions and also helps to avoid chunks in thick and smooth sauces or stews. Your kids and “picky customers” can not detect the changes and enjoy the meals happily.
A pinch of onion salt can also enhance the taste of toast, pizza, or pasta with a tangy flavor that can not be obtained from ordinary salt and pepper.
Comparing Onion Salt Vs Onion Powder
Onion powder and onion salt, as you can see, have a lot of similarities but are not the same. Therefore, the table below summarizes their characteristics.
1. Ingredient
Both onion powder and onion salt are from dehydrated onions. The only difference is that onion powder contains 100% onion, and onion salt includes the powder and salt.
2. Texture
You have to ground dehydrated onions into powder to make onion powder so that its texture is very smooth.
Meanwhile, onion salt is made by grounding the powder and salt mixture or mixing these ingredients. Therefore, onion salt is like crystal-like powder since it has salt in it.
3. Flavor
Onion powder has a sharp onion-like aroma, a hint of sweetness, sulfur, and even a hint of garlic. Meanwhile, onion salt’s taste is not as strong as onion powder or fresh onion but still retains the sweetness and milder pungency.
Although there’s a slight difference in flavor between onion powder and onion salt, it’s acceptable to use onion salt as an alternative ingredient to replace onion powder. Just remember to cut down on the amount of salt used for the recipe, and your dish will turn out fine.
4. Culinary Uses
Both onion salt and onion powder can be used in various savory dishes. You can use onion powder in stews, grilled meats, or vegetables like Meat-free Kebabs, dips, or dressings like French Onion Dip, marinades, and so on.
Besides, onion salt is also used in many dishes, lifts just as the powder listed here; some outstanding nominators are Onion & Chilli Roasted Potato, Crispy Salsa Chicken, and many more.
5. Control Level
Since it’s hard to know the ingredients in these store-bought onion products, making your own can help you better control your seasoning. In general, onion salt and onion powder are both very easy to spice up your dishes.
6. Nutrition Facts
Onion powder provides many nutrients such as vitamins C, potassium, manganese, myriads of antioxidants, just as fresh onions. Similar to that, onion salt also provides those vitamins and minerals with only a bit less.
(*) Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calories diet.
Since onion salt consists of salt, it has more sodium than onion powder. The amount of this mineral can be reduced if you use low-sodium salt. (1)
7. Health Benefits
Onion powder provides many nutrients such as vitamins B, C, potassium, manganese, myriads of antioxidants, and so on, which can help treat cancer, heart problems, headaches.
This humble vegetable powder can also provide many other immense health benefits like treating cold, managing diabetes, promoting bone health, and being good for hair.(2)
Onion salt provides similar health benefits to your body, just like onion powder. It also doesn’t contain cholesterol and is low in calories, so that if you either use low-sodium to make it, it will benefit your heart health and help with your obesity.
Can I Substitute Onion Powder With Onion Salt And Vice Versa?
Yes, you can. Onion salt is originally made from onion powder and salt. Therefore, it has an almost similar taste and texture to onion powder.
Onion salt is a mixture usually mixed in a 1:5 ratio (salt: onion powder), so the aroma will naturally be less intense than powder. It means 1 tablespoon of onion salt equals a bit less than a tablespoon of onion powder.
You can use onion salt for all dishes where you use powdered onions. Yet, you want a completely smooth texture; then the salt will be a bit more crystal-like.
What you need to remember is that onion salt is both onion and salt. When you have already added onion salt, you should reduce using other salty seasoning mixes or spices, or your dish will be briny.
Do Your Onion Salt And Onion Powder Go Bad?
Because onion salt is made from a mixture of onion powder and salt, their properties are similar, including storage time. And onion powder can last for a limited time.
The maximum shelf life of commercial onion products is 5 years ( they have the best quality in 3 to 4 years) if they are kept in an airtight container and away from sunlight. Room temperature helps to prevent your powders from caking.
And they still can be used after the expiry dates; they just might have lumps or lose their original flavor.
Your homemade onion powder and salt have a much shorter shelf life than commercial ones – they only last a maximum of 6 to 8 months in cooler places such as the cool compartment of your refrigerator.
Signs That Your Onion Salt And Onion Powder Go Bad
Even if you store your onion products properly, like the suggestion, they can still go wrong. Then, how to signify that they are getting wrong? Below are some signs that you might need to notice.
An Absence In Smell And Taste
First, you should gently rub a pinch of your onion salt or onion powder between your fingers. If you cannot smell anything or taste much flavor, it is time to toss them.
This is because your body heat can make strong-smelling spices like onions give off a more pungent smell. When you can not detect such a strong smell from them, they are already expired.
A Noticeable Change In Color
Dry powder products will change color when oxidized, similar to your onion powder and onion salt. When you see your onion products darker, it means your containers have been exposed to air, and it is time for them to discard your onion things.
Your Onion Salt/Onion Powder Cakes
When you see clumps appear in your containers and they can not fall off into powder again with a gentle knock, your onion salt and powder have gone wrong already.
Your dried products absorb the moisture leaking into the containers. “When your onion salt or powder cakes into lumps, it means your spices are bacteria-affected.
Need a tip to keep your onion powder from hardening? This will help you!
Insect Appearing In Your Onion Salt/Onion Powder
When storing anything, the last thing you want to see is insects. Once you see any nasty weevil or insect crawling in your container, you should stop using those onion things in it.
Onion Salt And Onion Recipe You Should Not Miss
If you are thinking about a new dish to refresh your taste, I will introduce some upcoming recipes below!
1. Southern Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is always a perfect comfort food, and I can eat it every day. But if you are finding a new recipe to fry your chicken, you should never miss this Southern Fried Chicken recipe.
Crispy in the crust and the juiciness inside can never be wrong. The taste of onion and garlic powder does enhance the taste of the whole dish. You can also share this yummy recipe with your family.
2. Veggie Frittata
This veggie recipe is phenomenal! Try this once, and you can not stop making it because it is super easy to make and very healthy for a no-meat day!
With Veggie Frittata, you can have a low carbohydrate breakfast or brunch but still full and energized to start a day. You can also make a gluten-free variation of it for an extra healthy meal.
3. Garlic & Onion Cashews
Are you getting bored buying flavored cashews at stores and wanting to make some of your own? This easy-peasy Garlic & Onion Cashews recipe is for you.
It only takes less than 5 minutes to make and is super healthy. Perfect for your Netflix night or a healthy-low-cholesterols snack any time in a day. Let’s try it!
4. Crunchy Fish Stick
If you are having difficulty adding more fish into your children’s diet, you should try this Crunchy Fish Stick recipe. Take a bite, and the juicy white fish flesh will be revealed, an irresistible flavor.
If you are concerned about the deep-frying method, you can also try it with an air-fryer. It’s effortless to prepare and doesn’t require any complicated dip; simple tomato sauce or mayonnaise will work perfectly! Try this and leave some comments!
Vegan crunchy fish stick? A new idea for “fish” dinner tonight; let’s try it!
FAQs
I will briefly answer your other questions about onion powder and salt here. Take your time and check it out; you won’t be disappointed!
Let’s Enhance Your Dishes’ Flavor With Onion Salt And Powder Today!
These onion salt vs onion powder, either commercially produced or homemade ones, bring tons of benefits to you, not only to add appealing flavor but also to support your health.
You can also try my suggested recipes with onion powder and salt to refresh your menu, and leave me a comment below. I hope that all the information I have provided helps you greatly in your and your family’s daily lives.
If you have any contributive ideas or other questions about onion salt and onion powder, just contact me, and I am always willing to help!
References:
1. Nutritionix.com. 2021. {{MetaTags.title || ‘Nutritionix’}}.
2. Netmeds. 2021. Onion powder: 7 Spectacular Health Benefits Of This Nutritious Vegetable.
3. En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gluten – Wikipedia.
4. Chart, F., 2021. FODMAP Diet Chart. [online] IBS Diets.
