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    Home > Breads > Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onion Fans

    Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onion Fans

    Published: Jul 30, 2021 · Modified: Mar 5, 2025 by Kathleen · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See full disclosure

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    Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onion Fans sounds fancy but it's actually a shortcut recipe that starts with your favorite cornbread mix. Thin slices of sweet onions are arranged on the bottom of the cast iron skillet. When the cornbread is turned out, the Vidalia onion slices have caramelized and make an impressive design on top!

    vidalia onion cornbread wedge on blue plate with cornbread in background on wooden cutting board

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    This post was updated on July 30, 2021 with helpful information.

    Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onion looks impressive, simple to make, and tastes amazing! The shortcut here is using your favorite bag of cornmeal mix. To gild the lily, there's also chopped sweet onion inside the cornbread.

    Yellow vs. white cornmeal

    We eat with our eyes, ya know, so I prefer a yellow cornmeal mix for this recipe because I think the caramelized onion fans are so pretty contrasted with the yellow cornbread in this Martha White bag. White Lily uses white cornmeal.  Both work perfectly in this recipe.

    bag of martha white cornmeal mix, eggs, vidalia onion, butter in cast iron skillet

    You can use melted butter or vegetable oil in this recipe.

    How to make Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onion Fans

    For complete, detailed directions scroll down for the printable recipe. The following pictures and text give an overview of the recipe.

    Follow the package directions of your favorite cornmeal mix and add the technique of adding the onion and using a hot skillet. If White Lily white cornmeal is what you have in your pantry (and I always have it in mine), I wouldn't run out and buy more. This is the frugal girl in me speaking. 

    When I use this Martha White yellow cornmeal mix, I omit the flour and just use 2 cups of just the mix. I love the texture it gives me without the flour. It may look like I left out an ingredient, but I like the texture like this.

    When I make it with White Lily buttermilk cornmeal mix, I make the batter according to package directions and just add the onion.

    Basically, to make this shortcut recipe, you can take your favorite cornbread mix directions and prepare the batter according to the package directions. Just stir in the chopped onions and arrange the onion fans on the bottom of the skillet.  

    half an onion on a wooden cutting board on a red checked table cloth. The other half of onion is chopped and sliced

    Slice the onion vertically to give you the fanned-out shape instead of slicing horizontally which will give you round slices or rings. Don't cut off the bottom of the onion because that is what will hold the fans together.

    The smaller Vidalia or sweet onions work best for this recipe so the fans will fit in the smaller skillet.

    Can I make this cornbread in a 12-inch skillet for a crowd?

    Yes. You can double the cornbread ingredients, use larger onion fans, and use a 12-inch skillet. Everything else can remain the same.

    vidalia onion fans in bottom of cast iron skillet on a wooden cutting board on a red checked cloth

    Arrange the onion slices/fans in the bottom of the cast iron or oven-proof skillet.

    I use an 8-inch cast iron skillet that's 25+ years old and I had to season it myself. It was a wedding gift but you can buy 8 inch Lodge cast iron skillets, now pre-seasoned here.

    The skillet will be hot, so make sure to place it on a cutting board, trivet, or stovetop. Work quickly, so the skillet doesn't cool down.

    The hot skillet will give the cornbread that sought after brown crust and help caramelize the onions.

    Ta dah! Be sure and wait the 5 minutes after removing the cornbread from the oven before turning it out onto a cutting board or trivet. Otherwise, the cornbread may stick to the bottom of the skillet. 

    What are Vidalia Onions?

    Vidalia onions are only grown in 20 south Georgia counties and have a short peak season from April to August. All Vidalia onions are sweet but not all sweet onions are Vidalias. They are known by their unique flat shape and have a much higher water content than regular onions making them sweeter but more susceptible to bruising.

    Can I use another kind of sweet onion?

    Although I'm partial to the Southern Vidalia sweet onions, yes, other kinds of sweet onions can be used. Actually, any onion white or yellow can be used if you can't find sweet onions.

    What can I serve with Vidalia Onion Cornbread?

    Eat it all year round with almost any meal but my two favorite ways to serve it is with ANY soup and on New Years Day with Instant Pot Collard Greens and Navy Beans (or blackeyed peas) or Shortcut Turnip Greens Soup.

    How I came up with this special cornbread recipe idea

    When my husband bought a 10 pound bag of Vidalia onions from Vidalia, Georgia as part of a Civitan fundraiser this summer.

    I immediately started thinking of all the recipes I could make with Vidalia onions- Caramelized Onion Baked Dip, Fajitas, Onion Jam, Grilled Onion Salad, Onion Rings, Onion and Cucumber Salad, Sweet Heat Pickles and Onions, Heirloom Tomato, French Onion Soup, and Tomato and Vidalia Onion Pie.

    I made Vidalia Onion Rings the first night he brought them home. Next on the list was this recipe Vidalia Onion Cornbread Caramelized Onion Fans.

    I developed a similar recipe for Christmas with Southern Living 1999 cookbook when I was the test kitchen director at Oxmoor House. It was called Sage and Onion Cornbread.

    Other Vidalia onion recipes you will love

    Tomato and Vidalia Onion Pie with Bacon

    Vidalia Onion and Grape Tomato Salad

    Sweet Heat Shortcut Pickles and Vidalia Onions

    Vidalia Onion Rings

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    Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or want to tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to give the recipe a rating of 5 stars if you love it!

    Pinterest pin for Vidalia onion cornbread
    vidalia onion cornbread wedge on blue plate with cornbread in background on wooden cutting board

    Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onions

    Kathleen Phillips: GritsAndGouda.com
    Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onion Fans sounds fancy but it's actually a shortcut recipe that starts with your favorite cornbread mix. Thin slices of sweet onions are arranged on the bottom of the cast iron skillet and when the cornbread is turned out, the Vidalia onion slices have caramelized and make an impressive design on top!
    4.89 from 9 votes
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    Prep Time 8 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 33 minutes mins
    Servings 8 servings

    Equipment

    • 8-inch cast iron skillet
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • ¼ cup vegetable oil or melted butter, plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for greasing skillet
    • 1 small to medium Vidalia onion (or other sweet onion)
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 ¼ cups milk whole or 2%
    • ¼ cup butter melted
    • 2 cups white or yellow self-rising cornmeal Mix

    Instructions
     

    • Brush 2 tablespoons vegetable oil on the bottom and sides of an 8- or 9-inch cast iron skillet and place in a cold oven. (Oil is better here. Butter can be used in the batter)
      Set the oven to 425 degrees with the skillet in the oven. Set a timer for 8 minutes. This should be enough time to preheat it plus a few minutes. It should take about 8 minutes to prepare onions and batter.
    • Meanwhile, remove papery outside skin from onion. Do not cut off the bottom of the onion yet. Slice the onion in half vertically. On one of the halves, slicing from top to bottom, cut 6 or 7 thin slices (about ¼-inch thick).
      Cut off the bottom of the remaining onion half and chop it (about ¾ cup).
    • Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl with a fork. Add milk, butter, and vegetable oil and stir with a fork. Add cornmeal mix and ¾ cup chopped onion. Stir just until all ingredients are combined. (Or prepare just the batter according to your own package directions). Let stand about 3 minutes to thicken slightly. This will help prevent the onions from sliding when you add the batter.
      When the timer goes off, remove the hot skillet from the oven and place on the stovetop. Quickly arrange the onion slices on the bottom of the skillet around the outside edges of the pan.
    • With a large spoon, dollop batter over the onion slices and spread it to the edges of the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Let cool on the stovetop for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cutting board or wire rack.

    Notes

    Pouring the batter tends to make the onion slices move around. Spooning dollops of batter first, then spreading it helps keep the onion fans in place.
    Additional Shortcut: The shortcut for this recipe is using cornmeal mix. You can also use ¾ cup frozen, chopped and thawed onion and omit the onion slices on the bottom.
    Any yellow or white cornmeal mix will work for this recipe using 2 cups of the mix and the directions on the back of the bag.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sliceCalories: 200kcal
    Did you make this recipe?If you love it, share it! Comment below before you go!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melinda

      July 07, 2024 at 12:53 am

      5 stars
      This was absolutely amazing with homemade vegetables soup. Definitely a keeper on this recipe as part of my rotation.

      Reply
      • Kathleen

        July 07, 2024 at 12:27 pm

        Homemade vegetable soup does sound like a winning combination! So glad you loved the Cornbread recipe!

        Reply
    2. Karen Mazzocchi

      July 30, 2021 at 6:52 am

      This sounds delicious! Was wondering if you use the 3/4 cup of chopped onions. Do you add it to the batter?

      Reply
      • Wendy

        April 02, 2022 at 1:40 pm

        Yes, absolutely add those onions to your batter! I also use homemade buttermilk in place of whole milk. It is delicious!

        Reply
        • gritsandgouda

          April 03, 2022 at 7:17 am

          Yes, I love how tender and flavorful the onions make the cornbread! I bet your homemade buttermilk makes it taste even better! Thanks for sharing!

          Reply
    4.89 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

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