easy shallot tarts (tik tok recipe!) - kylie's kitchenette (2024)

inspiration

If you spend any time on the internet, you’ve probably seen some version of these easy shallot tarts. It was first started by Lily Ghodrati and now the food side of the internet is full of videos of green olive oil and golden pastry, ripe peaches and nearly-translucent onions. I don’t usually try Tik Tok recipes, but I was intrigued by this one. There were so many versions that it was hard to choose just one. I chose shallots because I wanted to try one of Ghodrati’s original recipes rather than one of the offshoots. After all, if her recipe went viral, there had to be a reason, right?

why i love this recipe

I don’t often try viral recipes because I’m skeptical that they’re actually as good as everybody says. Like I’m sure they’re edible and even good, but are they really that good?

These absolutely are.

The return is so much more than the work you put in. Delicate, crisp, golden puff pastry layers, soft, flavorful onions, fragrant thyme, sweet maple, lots of salt and pepper. The flavor of the shallots really shines here.

I ate so many of these so fast—they didn’t even make it to the spaghetti dinner I had planned. They’re addictive. They taste sort of cozy and rustic, like you made them in a cottage kitchen overlooking rolling green fields. They make a lovely snack or appetizer, or a side that’ll make your weekday pasta dinner feel a little more elevated (if you have more self-control than me). They also reheat beautifully!

Lily Ghodrati’s recipe also includes balsamic vinegar, but I decided to leave it out (ahem, I forgot). You can add a bit if you want, but I thought they were perfect without it.

I actually like these best reheated. The puff pastry collapses a bit and becomes softer and less crumbly, so I highly recommend letting them sit for a bit and reheating them.

details

Making easy shallot tarts is, well, easy! First, you’ll cut the thawed pastry sheets into six squares. You’ll know it’s thawed properly when you can unfold them but they’re still cold. The folds make cutting them super easy—just unfold the sheets and cut along the vertical fold lines so you have three long pastry strips from each sheet (twelve total). Cut each of those in half. Peel the shallots, cut off the root end and discard, and slice thinly.

Using a puff pastry rectangle to measure, drizzle six spots of your prepared baking sheet with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of thyme. Arrange the sliced onions in the oil (make sure all the onions are covered with oil) and then cover with puff pastry. Use a fork to seal the edges of the pastry to the baking sheet and brush with egg wash (or whatever you’re using instead—see notes for details).

Bake the tarts for 20-25 minutes, cool for 5 minutes, and then remove from the pan. Sprinkle with more thyme and serve. Or, more realistically, eat half the pan standing over the stove.

Keep them in a sealed Ziploc bag for 4-5 days. To reheat, microwave tarts on a plate or paper towel for 20-30 seconds, or until warm.

notes

Here are some notes on making the best recipe possible. That being said, I believe in using what’s accessible to you, so don’t worry too much!

Olive oil: This is my oil of choice for most things, but you can use any mild-tasting oil.

Maple syrup: I happen to have pure maple syrup (thank you, Costco) but the cheap stuff should work just fine here, too.

Thyme: Fresh thyme makes these super fragrant, but dried will work too—but have a very light hand, because dried thyme is much stronger than fresh.

notes, continued

Puff pastry: Can be found in the frozen dessert section of the store, often near the bottom shelves. Don’t be tempted to make it yourself. Nobody has the time for that unless you’re being paid to do it.

Egg wash: If you don’t have or use eggs, you can also brush the pastry with a little bit of milk or melted butter—but keep in mind that the melted butter will seep into the pastry so it might be a little less crisp.

Print

easy shallot tarts (Tik Tok recipe!)

Delicate, crisp, golden puff pastry layers, soft,flavorful onions, fragrant thyme, sweet maple—it’s easy to see why these easy shallot tarts went viral! (Original by Lily Ghodrati.)

Servings 12 tarts