Natural form

Whole shallots showing the elongated bulb clusters and papery copper-bronze skin.

Teaches the reader to identify the shallot's distinctive clustered, elongated shape and copper skin before any preparation.

Produce

Shallot

Delicate, sweet allium for dressings and refined sautés

Milder and sweeter than onion with a hint of garlic, shallots melt into a pan sauce and crisp into golden garnish. A favorite in French cooking. Keep them dark and dry.

Shallots are small, copper-skinned alliums that grow in clustered cloves like garlic but taste like a refined, sweeter onion with a faint garlicky edge. Their fine texture and gentle flavor melt away without the aggressive bite of a raw onion, which is why French cooking leans on them for vinaigrettes, pan sauces, and mignonette. Fried, they crisp into the golden, savory garnish that crowns dishes across Southeast Asia.

Measured in: piece
Storage: Dark Cool
Shelf life: 30 days

Find it in

Produce

Types & varieties

French gray shallot

Smaller, intense, prized; harder to peel

Echalion (banana shallot)

Long, large, easy to peel; milder

Asian red shallot

Small and pungent; the classic for fried shallots

How to choose

Pick bulbs that are firm and heavy with dry, intact skin and no sprouting, soft patches, or mold. Larger banana shallots are far less fiddly to peel and dice when you need volume.

How to store

Keep shallots in a cool, dark, dry, airy place like onions — not the fridge, where they can go soft. Properly stored they last a month or more. Once peeled or cut, refrigerate and use within a few days.

How to prep

Trim, halve through the root, peel, and slice or mince with the root left on to hold the layers. For vinaigrettes, mince finely and let sit in the acid a few minutes to soften the bite. For frying, slice into even thin rings so they crisp uniformly.

Macerate raw shallot in vinegar to mellow it
Even slices = even frying
Leave root on while cutting

Common uses

Classic vinaigretteRed wine pan sauceMignonette for oystersFried shallots (bawang goreng)Beurre blancQuick pickled shallotsCurry pastesRoasted whole with chicken

Tips & pitfalls

Soak minced raw shallot in vinegar or lemon to bloom flavor and tame sharpness
Fry slices low and slow until golden, then drain — they keep crisping as they cool
Save the shallot-infused frying oil; it's liquid gold
Use as the aromatic in any pan sauce — they melt and don't dominate
One large banana shallot roughly equals a small onion in many recipes

Nutrition

72kcal

Energy

301 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 13%Carbs 86%Fat 1%

Protein

2.5g

5% DV

Carbs

16.8g

6% DV

Fat

0.1g

0% DV

Fiber

3.2g

11% DV

Sugars

7.9g

of which

Sodium

12mg

1% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin B620% DV

Vitamin C9% DV

Folate9% DV

Iron7% DV

Potassium7% DV

Thiamin (B1)5% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Shallots, raw

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In the shops

Matched grocery products

Shallots
250 g · Mercadona
€1.75
Shallots in Mesh Bag 250 g
kg · Bonpreu
€1.59

Good to know

Peak season: Year-round; harvested late summer
Flavor: Mild, sweet, delicate; subtle garlic undertone
Origin: Central or Southwest Asia; long associated with French cuisine
Nutrition: ~72 kcal/100g; more concentrated than onion
How to buy: Firm, heavy bulbs; dry papery skin; no green shoots or soft spots

Substitutes