Air Fryer Blooming Onion

5 from 1 vote

This Air Fryer Blooming Onion is a delicious and healthier alternative to the classic deep-fried version! Crunchy, crispy, and flavorful onion served with a homemade zesty sauce, it’s perfect for game days, parties, or any other occasion. Enjoy this restaurant copycat at home in a few simple steps.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Justin Coit

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

For the Onion:

1 large yellow onion
2 large eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs you can use gluten-free if you wish
¼ cup flour you can use gluten-free if you wish
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
olive oil spray to taste

For the Sauce:

¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp ketchup
1 tsp horseradish
¼ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cayenne

Instructions

Cut off the top ¼” inch of the onion. Peel the outer skin and place the top side (cut side) of the onion faced down. Carefully, place the tip of the knife about ½” from the root and cut all the way throught the onion, making sure to not cut through the root. Cut the onion into 8 to 12 even sections.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Set aside.
In another small mixing bowl, add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, and thyme. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
Place the cut onion on a large plate and sprinkle the flour all over. Next, pour the egg mixture straight onto the onion using your hands to massage it in.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and spice mixture all over the onion, again making sure that it is coated as well as possible. Spray with a light coat of olive oil spray.
Place the prepared onion into the air fryer basket and cook at 380 F for 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through. Towards the end of the cooking time, you might want to add one more light coat of olive oil spray to the onion to help it brown more.
While the onion is cooking, prepare the sauce: add of the sauce ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Make sure to open up the petals of the onion really wide so the onion crisps up entirely. If your onion is not spread out, it will be hard to get egg mixture and panko breadcrumbs into the inner areas and crisp up.

When adding the flour, seasoning, and egg mixture to the onion, make sure to get them into the nooks and crannies of the onion.

When slicing the onion, make sure you don’t cut the onion too close to the root, or it will fall apart.

If you have trouble getting the onion in and out of the air fryer basket, you can shimmy a piece of long tin foil under the onion to act as a sling to help lift the onion.

Shake off excess batter before air frying the blooming onion, as too much batter dripping off the onion will make it challenging to crisp up.

If you are worried you won’t have enough egg mixture, you can place the cut onion into a deep bowl, so when you pour the egg mixture onto the onion, the bowl will catch the extra liquid, and you can pour it back onto the onion.

Nutrition