Create your favorite appetizer at home with this Air Fryer Blooming Onion. It is sliced and battered and fries up to golden brown perfection. Dip it in your favorite sauce!
This is an appetizer that you can serve up to go with dinner, serve up guests as you cheer on your favorite team, or for a fun snack during movie night.
If you love the blooming onions at Outback Steakhouse I think you will enjoy this homemade version!
🍽️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to prep
- Takes just nine minutes to air fry
- Crispy batter with a soft onion center
- Great to dip
- A fun party appetizer
- Affordable to make
🧅 Ingredients
Onion | The ideal onion for this recipe is a large sweet variety, like a Vidalia. Other varieties work well, but stick to the sweets.
Batter | The wet ingredients include milk and eggs. The dry ingredients are made with flour, salt & pepper, paprika, garlic powder and a bit of Ton’y Chachere.
🍳 Instructions
Step One: Peel off the outer layer of the onion and cut the stem off.
Step Two: Flip the root point up, and then make four cuts through the center of the onion, stopping about ½ inch from the root. You do not want to cut all the way through.
Step Three: Then make more cuts to segment the onion into eighths as showing in the photos.
Step Four: Add the egg and milk to a mixing bowl and whisk together. In another bowl add the flour and spices.
Step Five: Dredge the cut onion in the milk and egg mixture, followed by the flour mixture. Repeat the process to create a breaded coating on the onion.
Step Six: Place your onion in the air fryer basket, and spritz with oil. Cook at 350 degrees for nine minutes or until the onion is golden brown.
Full directions and measurements for the recipe are in the printable recipe card below.
📌 Expert Tips
- Play around with the seasoning and spices to create the flavor combinations you like.
- If you own an Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Duo Crisp I share how to use them to make this in the recipe card below.
- Make more than one onion, just cook them one at a time, or leave room between each so it doesn’t touch. You need good air flow for this to cook evenly.
- Make sure to not cut all the way through, you want to keep the bottom of your onion intact so it holds together as it air fries.
- If you are struggling stopping the cuts at the ½” mark, place two wooden spoons on the counter and cut through the onion until you hit the spoons. This allows you to make even cuts without accidentally slicing all the way through!
- Double dipping the batter will allow for a crispier coating.
Recipe FAQs
Making a blooming onion is pretty simple. Peel and slice the onion so it can peel apart easily. Dip it in the wet mixture and then dry batter. Air fry until it is golden brown.
Blooming onions are generally served with a dipping sauce that carries a little spice: Boom boom sauce, Sriracha, mayo, etc. Serve this as a side dish with your burger, or even as an appetizer to cheer on your favorite teams.
Tim Gannon from the Outback Steakhouse created this incredible savory invention.
Cook the onion in the air fryer for 9-15 minutes. The time will vary slightly depending on the size of the onion. For larger onions you will need to extend the air fry time.
No. You should use an oil mister and not cooking spray. Cooking spray may damage the enamel on the Air Fryery tray.
Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Air Fryer Blooming Onions
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 large Onion large, sweet
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Pepper
- ½ tbsp Garlic Powder
- 2 cups Flour
- ½ tbsp Tony's Chachere optional, for spiciness
Instructions
- Remove first layer of onion peel. Cut the top stem off.
- Flip with root pointed up and make four cuts down along the side of the onion, stopping ½ inch from the root. Then cut the onion into eighths.
- In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and milk and mix.
- In another mixing bowl, combine flour and spices.
- Dredge the onion in the milk/egg mixture coating the onion slices completely.
- Toss it in the flour mixture coating the slices completely. Repeat for crispier results.
- Place the onion in the air fryer basket and spray lightly with oil. Cook on 350 for nine minutes or until it is golden brown
Notes
Nutrition
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