Yellow onions vs. white onions – which to use when

A few weeks ago I saw a video by Rick Bayless where he said something to the effect of “friends don’t let friend use yellow onions.” He was adamant that white onions were better for most Mexican dishes. Bayless did allow that red onions could work in a few applications, but warned viewers to steer clear of yellow onions when making Mexican food. He didn’t go in depth about why white onions were better so I wasn’t sure of the exact reasons for this. A recent article from Serious Eats explains the differences between between the two types of onions, and provides information about what you should consider before swapping out one for the other in recipes.

When it comes to flavor white onions are the sharper of the two, with a bright, clean flavor that offers little aftertaste, making them well suited for raw applications. White onions break down more easily than their yellow counterparts, nearly disappearing in long cooking applications. Yellow onions offer a more complex flavor with an undertone of sweetness, but they have an “aftertaste that can wake up the dead.” They have more structural integrity than white onions, holding their shape even when cooked for a long time, making them the choice for caramelized onions.

Consumers in the US are far more likely to encounter yellow onions at the supermarket, as they account for about 87% of onion production in the country. However, it is usually easy to find white onions even if the shelf space is dominated by their yellow brethren. Sweet onions like Vidalia are a subtype of yellow onions, and don’t keep as well as either regular yellow or white onions. White onions (at least where I shop) tend to be more expensive than yellow or red onions, although the price difference isn’t enough to break the budget. If you’re an allium lover, it makes sense to have both types on hand for difference applications, especially since they keep fairly well.