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Cebollitas asadas are cambray onions (aka Mexican green onions) charred on a grill or hot comal until they’re soft, sweet, and tender. They’re the side you always see next to the carne asada and are ready in about 10 minutes!
Cebollitas Asadas Are a Must-Have at Every Mexican Cookout!
If my family is grilling carne asada, you can be sure there’s a row of cebollitas asadas right next to all the delicious grilled meats.
These grilled cambray onions are almost fool-proof and show up at just about every cookout in my family. Just toss them in some oil and throw them on the grill or cast-iron skillet for a few minutes until they’re soft in the middle and blistered on the outside.
If you wanna get fancy, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a few dashes of Jugo Maggi seasoning or soy sauce, then pile them on a plate next to some pollo asado or chop them into carne asada tacos.
What Are Cebollitas Asadas?
Cebollitas asadas means grilled little onions in Spanish. They’re made with cambray onions, or cebollas cambray, the Mexican green onions you’ll find at any carnicería or Mexican market.
They look like regular green onions but have a bigger, rounder white bulb (about one to two inches across) and a milder, sweeter taste. That bulb is why they’re so good grilled: it turns tender and caramelized where a skinny scallion would just wilt.
Once they char, the natural sugars come out and they get soft and sweet. That’s why they’re a staple at any Mexican cookout, whether you serve them whole as a side or chopped into tacos.
Recipe Tips
- Finding cambray onions. You can find cambray onions in most Mexican supermarkets or some international supermarkets. If you can’t find them, use regular green onions instead, just double the amount and grab the ones with the biggest bulbs you can find.
- Color = flavor! The more color and caramelization your onions have, the sweeter and more delicious flavor it has, so I recommend letting the grill or pan do all the work and flip minimally to allow that color to develop.
- Resist overcrowding. Give the onions room so they char instead of steam. Cook them in batches if you need to.
- Change up the finish with soy sauce or Worcestershire (salsa inglesa) instead of Jugo Maggi seasoning, or just use salt and lime if you want to keep it clean.
FAQs
Not quite. Cambray onions are a Mexican variety with a bigger, rounder bulb and a milder, sweeter flavor, especially once they’re grilled. Regular green onions are thinner and sharper, but they’ll work in a pinch.
Both. The whole onion is good to eat once it’s charred. A lot of people toss the green tops, but that’s where a ton of the flavor is, so keep them on.
Plan on about 2 to 4 onions per person, but honestly make extra. They disappear fast and everyone always wants more.
Yes. A comal, cast-iron skillet, or grill pan on the stove chars them just as well. That’s how I make them most of the time.
What To Serve With Cebollitas Asadas
Cebollitas asadas belong next to anything off the grill. They’re a classic with carne asada and other grilled meats like tequila lime chicken or chimichurri chicken.
You can also chop them up and pile them into tacos. They’re so good in chicken tacos, flank steak tacos, or spooned over a plate of Mexican rice and refried beans.
Cebollitas Asadas (Grilled Cambray Onions)
Ingredients
- 8 cambray onions
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, avocado oil, or cooking spray
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice of 2 limes
- Jugo Maggi Seasoning, soy sauce, or Worcestershire, optional
Instructions
- Rinse the onions under cold water and pat them dry. Trim off the root ends and about 4 inches off the tops of the green stems, then discard any wilted pieces. Coat the onions evenly with olive oil or lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Heat a comal, cast-iron skillet, or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, lightly charred, and the bulbs feel tender when pressed, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Try not to flip them too often so they have time to caramelize and develop color.
- Remove from the heat and season with kosher salt. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top, then add a few dashes of Jugo Maggi seasoning, soy sauce, or Worcestershire, if desired.
- Serve immediately with carne asada or other grilled meats. You can serve them whole as a side or chop them up and add them to tacos.
Notes
- Finding cambray onions. Cambray onions are commonly sold at Mexican grocery stores and many international markets. If you can’t find them, grab regular green onions, double the amount, and pick the ones with the biggest bulbs.
- Knowing when they’re done. The bulbs should feel tender when you press them and look blistered and browned. That’s when the sweetness has come out.
- How to store. Let the onions cool, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave for a minute or two.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
