How To Make Onion Powder

Ever wonder how to make onion powder? It’s easier than you think Here’s a guide to homemade onion powder and how to make it in your own kitchen.

Onion powder makes cooking easier and adds a rich and smoky taste. Here’s a guide to making it in your own kitchen.

A clear, glass, spice jar sits on a wooden table, filled with homemade onion powder.

This recipe is easy, customizable to produce any yield you need. I have a few taste variations for you as well. It’s fast, cheap, and easy to make, and stores well in your pantry.

What Is Onion Powder Used For?

It’s used to season food. It’s a way to add the flavor of onions to a dish without chopping onions and cooking them. It’s an easy addition to any recipe that calls for onions. Using powder cuts down on the time required (and the tears), to chop a fresh onion.

Can You Make Onion Powder?

You can! And it’s super easy too. You have a few options for making it.

  1. A dehydrator
  2. An oven
  3. A microwave
  4. Sun-drying

How Do You Make Onion Powder?

The main part is getting the onions dehydrated. After that, you just need a good blender or food processor. You can also use a mortar and pestle if you don’t mind the arm workout.

How Long Does Homemade Onion Powder Last?

If stored properly (see below for more details), this will last for about 5 to 8 months. Longer, if you freeze it.

Is Onion Powder Healthy?

Barring any food allergies or sensitivities to onions, this is just as healthy as eating onions because that’s all it is. Onions!

An overhead view looking down into a spice jar filled with homemade onion powder.

Homemade Onion Powder

There are several ways to get the onions dehydrated properly.

How To Make Onion Powder In A Dehydrator

You will simply chop the onions as uniformly as possible, and then dehydrate the onion pieces until they are completely dry and crunchy. Then you’ll blend or grind until you have a nice, smooth powder.

How To Make Onion Powder In An Oven

Chop the onions into uniform pieces. Spread them out over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set them in a pre-heated oven at 140 F. Stir them about every half hour or so, until they are completely dry. It will take quite a few hours to reach that point.

How To Make Onion Powder In Microwave

Chop the onions into uniform pieces, then place them on a microwave-safe plate. Set them in the microwave and use the defrost setting to dehydrate the onions for about 30 minutes. Do not microwave normally. You must use the defrost setting or your onions will burn. Once the 30 minutes is up, you may need to flip the onions and dehydrate them a little further. But you’ll need to play that by ear as each batch can vary based on how you cut them.

Sun-Drying

While this is an option, I’ve never personally done this. So I don’t want to advise you on something I’ve never done. I would imagine this would be best done during the summer. But if this is something you really want to do, I would google the specifics. I’m not sure what the safety specifics are.

How To Make Onion Salt From Onion Powder

Once you’ve made the powder, you can take this a step further and make onion salt (just like garlic salt). To do this, you’ll want 3 tablespoons of salt for every 1 tablespoon of powder. Or rather, 3 parts salt to 1 part powder.

A side view of a spice bottle sitting on a table, filled with homemade onion powder. The jar lid sits to the left side of the jar.

What Are The Ingredients In This DIY Onion Powder?

If you purchase it at the grocery store (as most people do), the ingredients can vary. Usually onions and some sort of preservative to extend its shelf life. But if you make your own, the only thing in it is onions. For this recipe, you want:

  • 3 small yellow onions

How To Make Onion Powder

A knife and chopped onions rest on a wooden cutting board.

Step 1: Prepare The Onions

Peel and dice onions, then place each diced piece of onion on a dehydrator tray. Fill each tray. If you are doing a bigger batch, it can be easier to cut the onions with a mandolin.

Chopped, raw onion pieces placed on a white, round, dehydrator tray.

Step 2: Dehydrate The Onions

Set dehydrator to 125°f and let dehydrate for 18-24 hours until completely dry. Time to dry may vary depending on the humidity level in your home.

Ground onion powder sitting in a food processor.

Step 3: Grinding The Onions Into Onion Powder

Once dried, place the dehydrated onion in a food processor, spice mill, or mortar. Grind onion using a pestle or food processor until onion is powder. Note, mortar and pestle will achieve the best powder-like results.

The finished onion powder in a spice jar.

Step 4: Store The Onion Powder Properly

Place powder in an airtight container and use it to spice up your favorite dishes.

Other options for grinding are a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or blender that tolerates dry blending.

Storage

IMPORTANT:

No matter how you store this, shake it once a day for the first 7 days to make sure it doesn’t clump. After the first 7 days, it should keep from clumping pretty well all on its own.

Keep this in an airtight container. You can use mason jars or spice jars if you wish. However, unlike the store-bought variety, you’ll want to store this in the fridge. Not in your pantry. Keep in mind that it’s critical to keep moisture out of your powder. So make very sure that the container is airtight.

Shelf Life

If kept in the fridge consistently, it will last about 5 to 8 months.

If you store it in the freezer, you can get a little closer to a full year.

How Do I Know If My Onion Powder Has Gone Bad?

You’ll know it’s bad if:

  • The powder is moist.
  • It has bugs in it.
  • It has lost all it’s scent/smell/flavor.
  • It has mold in it.

Recipe Supplies

Recipes To Use Up A Big Batch

Generally speaking, onion powder is great in homemade salad dressing, dips, pizza sauce, casseroles, soups, and stews.

If you have a big batch of onion powder and want to make some seasoning mixes, here are some options for you to try.

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A clear, glass, spice jar sits on a wooden table, filled with homemade onion powder.

How To Make Onion Powder

Simple, easy directions for making your own onion powder at home.
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Course: Seasoning
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings (about 1/2 a cup)
Calories: 11kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Dehydrator

Ingredients

  • 3 small yellow onions

Instructions

  • Peel and dice onions, then place each diced piece of onion on a dehydrator tray. Fill each tray.
    A knife and chopped onions rest on a wooden cutting board.
  • Set dehydrator to 125°f and let dehydrate for 18-24 hours until completely dry. Time to dry may vary depending on the humidity level in your home.
    Dehydrated onions on a white, round dehydrator tray.
  • Once dried, place dried onion in a food processor or mortar. Grind onion using a pestle or food processor until onion is powder. Note, mortar and pestle will achieve the best powder-like results.
    Ground onion powder sitting in a food processor.
  • Place powder in an airtight container and use to spice up your favorite dishes.
    The finished onion powder in a spice jar.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbsp. | Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

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