The Latest TikTok Trend Involves Eating Entire Onions — and They Actually Look Good

TikTok has a knack for making recipes go viral. Sometimes, these breakout trends are dishes that already existed and were enjoyed by cultures around the world, like the frothy, whipped Dalgona coffees or a heartwarming, brothy bowl of Italian pastina. Other times, the internet introduces entirely new creations that are so delicious they quickly become favorites, such as the infamous baked feta pasta, pickles wrapped in crispy cheddar cheese, and now — the side dish of the summer — onion boils.

If you’re craving a seafood boil but lacking a seafood budget (or a backyard cooking setup), onion boils might be the answer you need. At the very least, they’ll deliver your desired dose of Cajun seasoning and butter.

What is an onion boil? 

An onion boil is a whole onion that has been stuffed with butter, coated with seasonings like garlic powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper, covered with more melted butter, and then wrapped in foil and baked at a medium-low temperature until tender. Any kind of yellow or white onion, ranging from Spanish to Vidalia, can be used to make the dish, and the only variety that wouldn’t be ideal is a red onion.

Although it’s not actually boiled, the name of this trend references the more traditional seafood boil, a popular communal meal in the South that involves a generously seasoned variety of seafood simmered in a large pot and often served with plenty of butter for dipping.

Although onion boils are a side dish primed for summer, the usual season for seafood boils, they’ve been trending since the fall of 2024. In one November video with 1.8 million views, content creator Alivia Donai (@alividdonai) demonstrates how to cut off both ends of an onion, carve out the middle, and stuff the cavity with Kerrygold unsalted butter. She then melts additional butter, stirs Cajun seasonings into the liquid gold, and pours the mixture over the onion. Finally, Donai tops the allium with even more seasoning, wraps the whole thing in tinfoil, bakes it, and sprinkles the finished dish with fresh parsley.

Other creators have developed their own renditions of the onion boil to suit personal tastes. Creator Caroline Hadley (@carebearsbite) adds a chicken bouillon cube to the onion’s center for even more savory flavor. 

TikToker Steph Pappas (@stephpappas) cuts four vertical slices down the sides of the onion and fills each slot with thin slices of butter. (Don’t worry, there’s still more butter in the center of the onion too.) Some recipes even include the seemingly redundant onion powder, much to the horror of a few viewers.

While a few commenters can’t seem to get past the idea of eating an entire onion — one poses the question, “Onion boil, are we Shrek now?” — the one thing all these recipes share is that the finished product appears meltingly tender and almost caramelized from its slow, butter-coated roasting.

Who invented the onion boil?

Although it’s difficult to pinpoint the definitive origin, the onion boil trend can likely be attributed to TikToker Mimi Baretela (@doll_mimi), who posted a series of videos about how she prepares baked onions last summer. For her version, the creator bakes an onion with butter, vegetable oil, and spices including garlic salt, paprika, turmeric, pepper, and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning (a blend that contains various dried herbs). 

“I know everyone’s heard of an egg boil, a seafood boil, but an onion boil?” she points out in one video. As Baretela notes, the onion boil isn’t the only unconventional “boil” to take off on TikTok. Last spring, the egg boil became popular on the platform. This is exactly what it sounds like: boiled and peeled eggs, coated in melted butter and Cajun-style seasonings.

What is a seafood boil?

These super savory onions offer a more accessible way to taste some of the core flavors of a seafood boil with less effort and expense. Although seafood boils are popular in various regions of the Southern United States, their specific ingredients may vary based on regional differences and the preferences of those preparing them.

Many seafood boils feature a mix of seafood proteins such as crab legs, lobster, clams, and shrimp, often combined with vegetables like corn on the cob, potatoes, and onions. However, not every version includes a seafood medley. If you’re in Louisiana, you’re likely attending a crawfish boil, where smaller freshwater crustaceans are the stars of the meal. In other regions, shrimp might be the only seafood included. 

Not every seafood boil is served with butter for dipping, but many are. Regardless, everything is boiled together with an abundance of spices, including garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and paprika.

Besides spices and butter, there’s one other commonality that most seafood boils share: This is a meal that’s usually enjoyed with friends — ideally at a table outside in the summer — and seafood boils tend to be so large that it’s necessary to cook the food on an outdoor burner.

But if you want to capture the flavors of this seasonal dish on a budget and from the comfort of your own kitchen, or if you simply enjoy the taste of a subtly sweet, slow-cooked onion, then following a TikToker’s recipe to create an easy onion boil is an excellent option.