Forget about long cooking times and babysitting a skillet of caramelized onions; make them in the air fryer instead! This Air Fryer Onions recipe will teach you how to make crispy golden onions in just 20 minutes. They’re a perfect topping on burgers, pizza, salad, and more!
This Air Fryer Onions recipe leaves you with crispy and golden sliced onions you can use practically anywhere. Best of all, it only takes 20 minutes! There’s no need to wait for the oven to preheat or babysit a skillet full of caramelizing onions because the air fryer takes care of it all for you.
Whether you’re making crispy onions, chicken wings, or roasted garlic, air frying is a practically hands-off cooking method that makes clean-up a breeze. It works its magic in this recipe to transform regular onion slices into crispy strips you can use on hamburgers, steak, chicken, salad, and so much more. You’ll never see onions the same after giving it a go!
Ingredients needed
Not surprisingly, you only need two ingredients for this easy recipe:
- Onions – Any type of onion you love will do, such as yellow onions, sweet onions, white onions, red onions, or even shallots. Slice them into long, thin slices for even cooking.
- Oil – Keep it simple with vegetable oil or canola oil.
How to slice onions
- Slice both ends off of the onion.
- Chop the onion in half.
- Place the onion flat slice down and slice to about ¼” thickness, parallel with the cut ends.
How to cook onions in the air fryer
Add the sliced onions to a large bowl and drizzle the oil over top. Toss to coat.
Transfer them to the air fryer basket, then air fry them for 20 minutes. Remember to shake the basket every 5 minutes or so.
Turn up the temperature for the last few minutes of cooking to help the onions become golden and crispy.
Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil, then use them with all of your favorite meals!
Tips
- Try to slice the onions into thin, evenly-sized slices for even cooking.
- Shaking the air fryer basket every 5 minutes will help the heat circulate evenly around each slice and prevent them from burning.
- Air fryers function differently from brand to brand, which could mean your onions take less time or a little longer to cook. Regardless, watch them carefully as they cook to make sure they’re done to your liking!
How to use air fryer onions
You can use crispy onions as a garnish, topping, or side dish to all kinds of recipes! These ideas will help get you started:
- Top them on hamburgers, hot dogs, and sausages.
- Crispy onions are fantastic with perogies and sour cream.
- Use them as a topping on Cheeseburger Soup and Potato Cheese Soup!
- They’re the perfect partner to a ribeye steak, just like compound butter.
- Use the onions for a savory crunch on baked potatoes.
- Add them on top of a pizza, a bowl of pasta, or a salad.
- Enjoy them with the protein of your choice for dinner, like pork chops and roasted chicken.
- Sprinkle the onions on top of savory crostini appetizers, like these Short Rib Crostinis.
Variations
- Season the onions – Sprinkle Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, or Cajun seasoning after the onion slices are coated in oil to infuse more flavor. You can also keep it simple and use a mix of garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Use a variety of onions – This recipe works with all kinds of onions so feel free to mix it up and use a blend!
FAQs
It depends on how crispy you like them. For crunchy, golden onions, they should air fry for about 20 to 23 minutes. For tender and soft onions, cook them for only 10 to 15 minutes.
The onions are cooked at 300ºF to start, then increased to 400ºF in the last 2 to 3 minutes. This way, the onions are able to tenderize and soften before becoming crispy near the end.
Skipping the oil could lead to dried out and burnt onions, so I don’t recommend leaving it out.
Store the air fryer onions in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They’ll lose their crispy crunch after chilling, but you can get this back by reheating them for a few minutes in the air fryer.
More air fryer recipes
- Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Tomatoes
- Croutons
- Roasted Garlic
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Frozen French Fries
- Chicken Breasts
More how-to guides
- Sliced Green Onions
- Baked Salmon
- Boiled Shrimp
- Dried Orange Slices
- Homemade Gnocchi
- Instant Pot Chickpeas
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Air Fryer Onions
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (or canola oil)
Instructions
- Add the onion slices to a large bowl and toss with the oil.
- Preheat the air fryer to 300 degrees.
- Add the onions and cook for 20 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes or so.
- Increase the temperature to 400 degrees and cook for 2-3 minutes longer, until golden and crispy.
- Place the onions on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Enjoy.
