How to Dehydrate Onions (Without Making Your House Smell for Days)

To dehydrate onions without stinking up your house, use a garage, covered porch, or outdoor plug to keep the dehydrator outside. Slice evenly, dry at 125°F–135°F, and use parchment or mesh trays to catch crumbs. For powder, condition first, then grind.

If you’ve ever made the mistake of dehydrating onions inside the house, you probably remember it vividly. Within minutes, the sharp smell creeps into every corner of your kitchen—and your clothes—and doesn’t let go for days. But don’t give up on dehydrating onions just yet. With a few simple tricks, you can keep the smell out of your living space and still stock your pantry with one of the most versatile ingredients around.

Here’s how I dehydrate onions the right way, with as little nose burn and cleanup as possible.

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🧅 Best Type of Onion to Dehydrate

You can dehydrate any variety—yellow, white, red, or sweet—but here’s what to expect:

• Yellow onions are the best all-around choice for flavor and drying consistency.
• Red onions turn dark and lose color but are still fine for powder.
• Sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla) have more sugar, so they take longer and may brown slightly.

Pro tip: If you’re planning to powder the onions later, appearance doesn’t matter. Go with whatever’s cheapest or homegrown.

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🔪 Prep and Slice for Even Drying

• Peel and trim the onions, then slice into uniform 1/4″ rings or half-moons.
• Thinner slices dry faster but may break apart during handling.
• If using a mandoline, wear a glove or use a holder to protect your fingers.

Related reading: How to Tell When Dehydrated Food Is Fully Dry

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🌬️ Dehydrate Without Making the House Stink

Here’s the key section most people need:

🏡 Option 1: Move Your Dehydrator Outdoors

Plug your dehydrator into a covered porch, shed, or garage with good ventilation. Onions don’t need babysitting like jerky or fruit leather, so this is safe to do—even overnight.

🪟 Option 2: Window + Fan Combo

If you must keep the dehydrator indoors, place it near a kitchen window and use an exhaust fan to blow the smell outside. It won’t eliminate it, but it helps a lot.

🧺 Option 3: Contain the Smell

Line trays with parchment or mesh liners to catch drips and crumbs. Run your dishwasher or stove vent at the same time to dilute odors.

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🌡️ Drying Time and Temperature

• Temperature: Set to 125°F–135°F
• Time: 6–10 hours depending on slice thickness and humidity

You’ll know they’re done when they snap easily and feel dry all the way through—no bend or chewiness.

For best results, let them cool completely before testing for dryness. Then follow up with the conditioning process to prevent future spoilage.

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🫙 Storing Dehydrated Onions

Onions are best stored in:

• Vacuum-sealed mason jars (short- to mid-term)
• Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers (long-term)
• Food-grade buckets for large batches

Avoid plastic bags—they let in moisture and light. Also: Label everything. Onions look suspiciously like apples once dry, and you don’t want that surprise in your oatmeal.

Need more? Check out our full guide on How to Store Dehydrated Food for Maximum Shelf Life

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⚙️ Bonus: Making Onion Powder

• Grind only after conditioning and fully cooling.
• Use a spice grinder or high-powered blender.
• Let powder settle before opening the lid—trust me.
• Store in airtight containers with silica packs to avoid clumping.

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🚫 What Not to Do

• Don’t dry onions in the same batch as apples or herbs. They’ll all taste like onion.
• Don’t skip the conditioning step. Onions can reabsorb moisture from the air quickly.

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🎯 Final Tip

If you’re serious about your dehydrating game, consider making a few mug-of-soup jars using onion, carrots, celery, and a bouillon cube. They’re fast, shelf-stable, and way better than store-bought.

See how in Best Vegetables to Dehydrate for Soup Mixes

Let’s keep your pantry full and your house smelling like anything but onions.

Thanks for stoppin’ by!

Jelly Grandma

👉 Want more tips like this? Check out 8 Beginner Tips for Dehydrating Food – Avoid the Common Mistakes for everything from drying gear reviews to pantry storage hacks.