Crispy Air Fryer Blooming Onion
This crispy air fryer blooming onion has a golden brown crust, tender petals, and a tasty dipping sauce, all without deep frying or the mess.
You’ll also love my air fryer frozen onion rings and air fryer french fries!
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Why You’ll Love It
This air fryer blooming onion is crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and packed with flavor.
You don’t need to drag out a deep fryer or deal with a pot full of oil. This one goes straight into the air fryer, and it comes out crispy and golden brown every time.
The seasoned coating is flavorful and savory, and that creamy dipping sauce brings it all together.
It takes a few minutes to prep, but after that the air fryer does the rest of the work. This is one of those recipes that you’ll want to keep on rotation.
How to Cut a Blooming Onion
Peel a large sweet onion (Vidalia onions are my favorite) and cut off the top, but leave the root end intact since that holds it all together.
Flip the onion so the root is facing down. Use a sharp knife to make even slices from the top down, stopping about half an inch from the bottom.
Don’t cut through the center. Leave it intact. You want to start the cuts just outside the center and work your way around the onion. Start with four cuts, then add more until you have evenly spaced petals.
Use your fingers to gently pull the layers apart so it starts to bloom. If it stays too tight, soak it in a bowl of ice water, root side up, for about 10 minutes. That’ll help it open up.
Before you coat it, make sure to pat the onion completely dry with paper towels.
How to Make a Blooming Onion in the Air Fryer
Once your onion is cut and dry, mix the seasoned flour in one bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce.
Dredge the onion in the flour mixture and shake off the excess flour. Then dip it into the egg mixture, making sure it reaches between all the petals of the onion.
Coat the onion again in the flour mixture and give it another shake to get rid of any extra flour.
Spray the whole thing with olive oil spray, including the inner layers.
Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Place the onion in the basket root side down and give it a good spray of oil.
Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and crispy. Give it another spray halfway through if it looks dry. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
Bloomin’ Onion Dip
While the onion cooks, mix up the dipping sauce. This is our version of a quick Yum Yum sauce.
Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, melted butter, mirin (or water), and the seasonings until it’s smooth and creamy.
This version is sweet, tangy, and rich. It’s not a classic blossom sauce, but it’s close. Honestly, it might be better.
Fry sauce, ketchup, or spicy ranch dressing also make great onion dip options!
Quick Tip
It’s important to shake off all the extra flour after each coating step. That helps the layers crisp up instead of turning doughy.
How to Store Leftovers
If you have any leftover blooming onion, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep the blossom sauce in a separate container.
The onion will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will stay good for about 1 week.
To reheat, use the air fryer at 350°F for about 3 to 5 minutes.
You can also reheat it in the oven at 375°F for around 10 minutes. I don’t recommend using the microwave because the coating will turn soggy.
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Ingredients
For the Blooming Onion:
- 1 large sweet onion, We like Vidalia.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Olive oil spray
For the Dipping Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon mirin, or water
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
To Make the Blooming Onion:
- Prepare the onion by peeling it and cutting off the top. Make 8-12 cuts evenly around the onion, stopping ½ inch from the root end. Gently separate the layers to create a blooming effect.1 large sweet onion
- Mix the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce.1 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon paprika1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon salt½ teaspoon black pepper2 large eggs½ cup buttermilk1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Dredge the onion in the flour mixture, then dip it into the egg mixture, ensuring it gets into all the layers. Coat the onion again in the flour mixture.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 5 minutes. Place the onion in the air fryer basket, root side down, and spray with olive oil.Olive oil spray
- Air fry the onion for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, spraying with more olive oil if needed halfway through.
To Make the Dipping Sauce:
- While the onion cooks, prepare the sauce by mixing mayonnaise, ketchup, melted butter, mirin (or water), garlic powder, and onion powder until smooth.½ cup mayonnaise¼ cup ketchup1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 tablespoon mirin¼ teaspoon garlic powder¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Allow the onion to cool slightly before serving.
Suggested Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Meet Kimberly
Hi, I’m Kimberly Vargo! Comfort food is at the heart of everything I make like easy dinners and sides to desserts, cocktails, and condiments. A lot of my inspiration comes from old family recipes, personal favorites, and vintage cookbooks.
