Onion Powder Vs Onion Salt: Which Is Better?

Onion powder and onion salt are the must-have mixes for seasoning in your kitchen. They are not only full of flavor, but they also enhance the quality and taste of the dish they are put into. 

Onion powder and salt are made up of grinding onion. However, onion powder doesn’t contain any other spice. Alternatively, onion salt contains other spices.

Both are quite affordable and can be easily found in any store or supermarket. They also have some similarities and differences. Also, there are some facts that you must know before you decide to use them for your food.

To understand the differences and similarities between the two, scroll down and read this article till the very end. Hopefully, all your doubts will be resolved by the end of the article!

What Is Onion Powder?

Onion powder is a seasoning that is made up of dehydrated/dried ground onions. It also retains the smell and flavor of the fresh onions. 

What Is Onion Salt?

Onion salt can be used as a substitute for chopped onions. It is made up of salt and dried onion powder. The ratio of salt to powdered onion is 3:1. 

Onion Powder Vs Onion Salt: What’s The Difference?

These two products share some similarities. However, they’re also very different. So, let’s take a closer look at their differences and similarities.

Ingredients

Ingredients used to make onion powder are ground onions. They are dehydrated or dried to make the onion powder.

Whereas, onion salt is prepared with a combination of salt and onion powder. So the major difference between them is that onion powder is full of 100% onion while as the name suggests, onion salt contains both salt and powder. 

Flavor

The flavor of onion powder is sweet and at times it tastes like garlic. However, the taste of onion salt isn’t as pungent as onion powder but it’s sweet and has a mild smell.

Note that there is a minor variation between the two in terms of flavor. However, it’s okay to use onion salt as a substitute for onion powder. You just have to ensure that you use less quantity of salt for the right taste.

Texture

Onion powder is believed to be of good quality if it turns out to be smooth. For that, you’ll have to ground the dehydrated onions into powder to make the process successful.

Onion salt is created by grounding the onion powder and salt or just by just mixing the two. The texture of onion salt is crystal-like because it contains salt in it. 

Nutrition

Onion powder and onion salt include the following nutrients.

• Vitamin C
• Potassium
• Antioxidants
• Manganese

The only difference between the two is that onion salt provides the same nutrients but in less quantity. Onion salt contains salt, which implies that it contains more sodium in it.

If you wish to intake a good quantity of nutrients then you should probably use onion powder as it is more efficient in doing the same. 

Onion Powder Vs Onion Salt: Comparison Table

The table below shows the difference between onion powder and onion salt based on some specific characteristics:

Can You Use Onion Powder In Place Of Onion Salt?

Yes, you can use onion powder in place of onion salt because the ingredients of onion salt are onion powder and salt. Hence, we know that both of these products almost have a similar flavor and smell.

The smell of onion salt is less pungent than the smell of onion powder. So, if 1 tablespoon of onion salt is compared with 1 tablespoon of onion powder, then it is likely to be unequal and the onion salt will remain a bit less.

When you use onion salt instead of onion powder, you should keep in mind that the salt’s texture is crystal-like unlike the texture of onion powder which is very smooth.

So, when you add onion salt instead of onion powder, it is likely that you will witness a change in texture as it won’t be as smooth as it is with onion powder. 

Can You Use Onion Salt In Place Of Onion Powder?

Now if we talk about the vice-versa of the above situation, then here are some points that we would have to consider for the same.

It is suggested by the public and chefs that there is no problem in using onion salt instead of onion powder. Only consider changing your mind if you want a smooth texture of your dish because onion powder allows you to have smoothness while onion salt includes crystals.

So, onion salt can replace onion powder. And it will not lead to much change in flavor, but the smoothness of the dish might get lost. 

How To Make Onion Salt From Onion Powder?

Onion salt’s ingredients include salt and onion powder. So, you can make onion salt easily in the comfort of your home.

You just need to take care of the ratio of the salt and powder in your head. Keep the ratio three to one. For instance, take three parts of salt and one part of onion powder.

This way you’ll be able to procure the perfect onion salt.  So, this is how you can make onion salt with onion powder and salt easily. 

Related Questions

Is onion powder better than onion salt?

Onion salt is a mix of onion powder and salt. It also has an anti-caking agent to avoid clumping. So, we can say that onion salt has the same flavor as onion powder.

The major difference between the two is that the onion salt contains a bit of salt.

Onion powder is the recommended option f you want a smoother texture of your dish because onion powder’s texture is smooth and it does not distort the dish’s texture.

Also, a benefit of using onion powder above onion salt is that you’ll be able to control the amount of spice in the dish.

Onion salt is better than onion powder if you wish to add different flavors to a dish. It depends on your preference which will determine whether onion salt or onion powder is better for you. 

What can substitute onion powder?

As far as the substitute for onion powder is concerned, you can use any onion you may have in hand like salted, chopped, or fresh. The best substitutes for onion powder include shallots, fennel bulbs, grated fresh onions, onion salt, and garlic salt.

They don’t differ much in their flavor, taste, and smell. Hence, they can work as substitutes for each other. So, we can say that there are enough food materials out there to substitute onion powder and you can try them out if you wish to.