Cronion (crispy/crunchy onion)

“Cronions” are “crispy”/“crunchy” french fried “onions.” Crunions are usually served on an Icelandic hot dog. “Pulsa” is the Icelandic word for “hot dog,” and “pulsur” means the plural “hot dogs.”
 
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (literally translating to “the best hot dog in town”) has served Icelandic hot dogs in Reykjavik since 1937. The everything hot dog contains a lamb hot dog, Icelandic mustard, Icelandic-style ketchup, remolaði sauce, raw onions, and fried onions (“cronions”) in a bun. “An Icelandic hot dog is made from lamb and is slathered with fried onions and remuladi (mild mustard with vegetables)” was printed in the Chicago (IL) Tribune on September 18, 1994.
 
“CRONIONS! I love these things for two reasons: They’re delicious fried-to-a-crisp bits of onion, and they’re called CRONIONS. This is what contributed to the awesomeness of Icelandic hot dogs” was posted on The Girl Who Ate Everything on June 29, 2009. The name “cronion” possibly originated with this packaged “Cronions” product (that is pictured). “The sausages are steamed, but no soggy, and the bun is warm and soft with a satisfying crunch. Toppings include raw onions, fried onions (cronions? funions?), ketchup (a thinner and sweeter variety), remoladi (a funny local relish), and savoury brown mustard—we recommend one with everything” was posted on The Reykjavik Grapevine (October 9-November 5, 2009. “Also the fried onions you need are called Cronions and they are what gave the sandwich the crunch” was posted on Soph Stuff on September 18, 2011.
 
“Tubs of fried onion bits are sold under the name Cronions. They will put French’s out of business during green bean casserole season, should they ever make it to America” was printed in the book The Wurst of Lucky Peach: A Treasury of Encased Meat (2016). A similar product sold online by Topiceland is called “Fried Onion.” However, in discussions of Icelandic hot dogs, the term “cronions” has become generic.
 
 
Wake Up Reykjavik
The Icelandic Hot Dog
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This is how locals order the Icelandic hot dog at Bæjarins Beztu:
 
Lamb Hot Dog
Icelandic Mustard
Remolaði sauce
Fried Onions
Raw Onions
Iceland Style Ketchup (with apples instead of sugar to sweeten the flavor)
 
Newspapers.com
18 September 1994, Chicago (IL) Tribune, “The true meaning of Uff Da” by Paula Lauer, sec. 18, pg. 10, col. 2:
As for the answers to those questions: An Icelandic hot dog is made from lamb and is slathered with fried onions and remuladi (mild mustard with vegetables); ...
 
Google Groups: rec.food.cooking
Hot Dogs and Ketchup
A Ferszt
Jul 18, 2000, 3:00:00 AM
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Quite like Icelandic hot dogs….sweet mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, chopped raw onions and crisp-fried onions…some places use a type of pickle relish as well.
     
The Girl Who Ate Everything
Iceland, Day 7: Last Bits of Iceland, Penguins, and Boiled Sheep’s Head
By Robyn Lee Jun 29, 2009
(...) 
CRONIONS! I love these things for two reasons: They’re delicious fried-to-a-crisp bits of onion, and they’re called CRONIONS. This is what contributed to the awesomeness of Icelandic hot dogs. I brought a pack back home and sprinkled it on pretty much anything I cooked, which mostly entailed “rice” and “vegetables.” It made everything taste 500% better—maybe even 550%. Thankfully, my local Whole Foods sells it (not under the name Cronions though; it’s a Danish brand) so now I will NEVER BE WITHOUT MY CRONIONY GOODNESS.
 
The Reykjavik Grapevine (October 9-November 5, 2009
Grapevine Airwaves, pg. 2, col. 1:
Cheap Eats!
Pylsur
Fast, unhealthy and delicious, Iceland’s standard off-the-paw is a snack in a league of its own. The sausages are steamed, but no soggy, and the bun is warm and soft with a satisfying crunch. Toppings include raw onions, fried onions (cronions? funions?), ketchup (a thinner and sweeter variety), remoladi (a funny local relish), and savoury brown mustard—we recommend one with everything.
   
The Reykjavik Grapevine
Bæjarins Beztu, Seriously
Jul 7, 2010
Words by Alexandra Young
Bæjarins Beztu
Hafnarstræti 17, 101
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A typical hot dog, or ‘ein með öllu’ (“one with everything,” as it is affectionately known by the locals), will usually be covered in an assortment of condiments, namely ketchup, mustard, fried onion, raw onion and remoulade.  The contrast between the ambrosially sweet remoulade and the slightly bitter mustard, finalised by the crunch of the cronions, may just be what gets the joint through its thousands a day.
   
Soph Stuff
May 14, 2011 | 1 Comment
HLÖLLA for the Lambwich
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COMMENTS
A former employee of Hlöllabátar
September 18, 2011 at 6:15 pm
This is a very nice try and I can imagine it quite tasty. The souce you made is indeed the staple of Icelandic fast food and it’s known here as Kokteilsósa (eng. Coctail sauce) but it is not what you finde at Hlölli. The sauce you find at Hlölli is called Hlöllasósa and is indeed the cornerstone of that sandwich place. I don’t know the full list of ingredients but I do know that the sauce is mayo based and includes Aromat (a Knorr “spice” mostly made up of MSG), canned sweet corn and some of the juice from the can, propably some pickled cucumber and something else. Also the fried onions you need are called Cronions and they are what gave the sandwich the crunch.
 
Miss Travelosopher
Icelandic Food: The delicious, weird and downright cute
August 18, 2013 · by misstravelosopher · in Iceland, Travel 101.
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8. Pylsur – Icelandic Hot Dog
Icelanders love their hot dogs. Hot dogs are ubiquitous and can be easily found everywhere from gas stations, convenience stalls, stands etc. The hot dog is usually made with a combination of lamb, beef and pork, and served with sweet mustard, crispy fried onions (cronions), ketchup and remoulade (a mayonnaise-like sauce). The best hot dog stand in town can be found at Reykjavik’s Bæjarins beztu pylsur.
   
The London Review of Sandwiches
LROS on Tour: Hot Dog at Baejarins Beztu Pylsir, Reykjavik
December 8, 2013
LOCATION: Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, Reykjavik, by the harbour. You’ll find it.
PRICE: 380 ISK (£1.96).
BREAD: Hot dog bun.
FILLING: Hot dog, diced raw onion, crispy fried onions (CRONIONS), ketchup, remoulade, sweet mustard.
PROS: This is a tale of 5 hot dogs, truth be told, because that’s how many different combinations of condiments I tried before I was satisfied. This doesn’t really fit into a pros and cons format either, so I’m just going to pretend it isn’t happening and shoe horn some text in regardless.
 
I started with ‘the works’ which, admirably, includes two types of onion. The first is finely chopped raw onion, of which I am a huge fan; I love how the Dutch put it on chips, and I loved that the Icelandic put it on this hot dog. It was, however, a little lost under the slightly acrid but nevertheless pleasing powerhouse that is CRONIONS. These are deep fried onions which the Icelandic seem to use like salt.
 
X/Twitter
Lisa B
@Swamper60
@TinyIceland @RachelRoams @how2travelers Loved plylsurs, even smuggled home the Cronions (fried onions) 2 have w/my US hot dogs-not the same
9:36 PM · Mar 8, 2015 from Marlborough, MA
 
The Reykjavik Grapevine
Every Icelandic Hotdog Condiment Combination, Rated — Part 1
Apr 21, 2015
Words by Jón Benediktsson and York Underwood
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Cronions
YU: It’s got the snap of the plain hotdog, with the aroma of onions – but the after effect of eating glass.
JB: First bites are okay as you feel the sweetness of the cronions but towards the end it gets way too dry.
 
cooklookfood
Icelandic hotdog
29 May 2015
Posted by cooklookfood in Fast food, Iceland, Restaurant≈
Whatfood: Hotdogs are Icelanders’ favorite fast food. Not only for late night snacks, stands are located also next to every spa in Reykjavik.  We went and ate at the Bæjarins Beztu, the most famous hotdog stand in Reykjavik. We ordered the “eina með öllu” which means with everything – mustard, cronions, remoulade, ketchup and raw onion.
 
Google Books
The Wurst of Lucky Peach:
A Treasury of Encased Meat
By Chris Ying, and the editors of Lucky Peach
New York, NY: Clarkson Potter Publishers
2016
Pg. 30
Icelandic hot dogs are called pylsa (plural: pylsur), and they’re made from lamb mixed with pork and / or beef fat, which, as one vendor puts it, “Helps ‘em float.” (...) Tubs of fried onion bits are sold under the name Cronions. They will put French’s out of business during green bean casserole season, should they ever make it to America.
 
Serious Eats
An Intro to Icelandic Food
By Erin Zimmer Updated on August 10, 2018
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The most famous pylsur kiosk is in downtown Reykjavik across from the harbor. It’s called Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, which translates to “the best hot dogs in town.” Order it “eina með öllu” (one with everything) for the works: a sweeter brown mustard (“pylsusinnep”), ketchup, raw onions, crunchy deep-fried onions (see “Cronions” in the slideshow), and a mildly tangy remoulade. You could also order it “Clinton” style with just mustard, as the former U.S. president did on his visit in 2004, but they made fun of him in newspaper cartoons later for such a plain order. (How could you say no to fried onions?)
   
Explorers Kitchen
Homemade “Cronions” – a tasty condiment for pylsur
By Patrick Jaszewski
October 23, 2018
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What we’re making here is a crunchy deep fried onion topping to go with our pylsa or just about anywhere else you want crunchy onions (burgers, casseroles, french fries, salads, everywhere!).  To start off with, let’s talk about the real Cronions. You can see what they look like here on Flickr (photo by Robyn Lee).  Cronions are Iceland’s French’s Fried Onions – those crispy delicious morsels of onion that you usually only have on top of green bean casserole once a year at Thanksgiving. 
(The recipe follows.—ed.)
 
X/Twitter
Ólafur Waage
@olafurw
“One with everything”
Ketchup, remoulade, sweet mustard, raw onions and crispy onions (cronions). The onions are underneath, like they should be, so they don’t spill everywhere.
The hot dogs are cooked in water that has a little bit of beer in it also.
2:21 PM · Oct 29, 2018
   
Monkeys Ventures
Reykjavik — The Chill Capital of Iceland (Part 2)
February 1, 2019
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We had to order the iconic Icelandic pylsa (lamb hot dog), and Skal! didn’t disappoint! This hot dog prepared with remoulade, cronions (dry fried onions), ketchup, mustard and pickles, was the perfect treat for a quick bite.
 
Reddit—Hotdogs
Darth_Quaider—July 13, 2024
Icelandic “pylsa” from a food truck on a roof deck.
My first time experiencing anything like it. It’s a dog made of lamb, pork and beef. The natural sheep casing is snappier than a regular hotdog and even produces a “squeak” or two when chewing. Layered under the dog are raw onions, apple ketchup, and an Icelandic remoulade. On top of the dog is “Plysusinnep” which is some sort of Icelandic brown mustard, and cronions which are just crispy fried onions.
   
Huckberry—The Journal
Iceland’s Famous Pylsur Hot Dog Recipe
Once you’ve had the Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur in Reykjavik, you’ll want the recipe at home
Words by Miranda Smith
Updated on April 9, 2026
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Fried Onion Recipe
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
Vegetable oil
Salt
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
     
Food & Wine
Why the Icelandic Hot Dog Is One of Europe’s Most Beloved Street Foods
This one-of-a-kind frank can be found everywhere from airports to gas stations in Iceland. Here’s what makes it worth the trip — and a couple places to try it in the U.S.
By Adam H. Callaghan Published on August 8, 2026
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An Icelandic hot dog’s uniqueness begins with its frank, called a pylsa (or pylsur, if you grab more than one). It blends locally sourced beef, pork, and lamb in a natural casing, so each bite is snappy.
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Pylsusinnep has been described as a sweet mustard with hints of peanut butter. “Round these sauces out with a combination of raw and crispy onions called cronions, and there you have it…the best hot dog in the world,” he says.