Air Fryer Blooming Onion

We don’t use our air fryer often but every now and again it’s fun to try a new recipe. This time we tried an Air Fryer Blooming Onion. A blooming onion is essentially a large onion that is sliced to resemble a flower, battered, deep fried, and served as an appetizer. My recipe removes the deep-frying step and has you air fry it instead.

The batter creates this lovely crust that is crispy, the onion is tender, and the dipping sauce adds a nice tang to each bite.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preparing the onion. Peel the onion and slice off the stem. Do not remove the base on the other side of the onion – only remove the stem or end of one side. Otherwise the onion will fall apart!

Turn the onion so the cut side is down. Cut an inch from the root downward. Do not cut all the way through the onion or it will fall apart!

Slice 8-12 sections, depending on how large the onion is and how easy it is for you to slice. Flip the onion over and gently pull apart the sections. If you’re a Shrek fan, I believe he references onions having layers, so you would want to gently separate the layers 🙂

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and 2 Tbsp water.

In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.

Create an assembly line of sorts. Dip the onion into the egg mixture, making sure to fully coat the onion. Make sure the egg mixture gets inside the onion and between the different layers.

If you are worried about the egg mixture sticking to the onion, you can dredge the onion in flower first. This will help the egg mixture coat the onion better, but this step is optional.

Next, place the onion in the breadcrumb mixture and use a spoon to fully coat the onion. Make sure the breadcrumb mixture gets inside the onion and between the layers as well. Remove the onion to a plate and lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray. Place the onion in the basket. Only cook one onion at a time for more even cooking!

Air fry at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.

While the onion is air frying, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Set aside.

Once the onion is done, carefully remove it from the air fryer basket (you might need a spatula to help you lift it) and set it on a serving plate. Serve warm with the dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy!