This Air Fryer Bloomin’ Onion Recipe is Simple & Delicious!

Air Fryer Bloomin' Onion Recipe

yield: 4 SERVINGS

prep time: 10 MINUTES

cook time: 20 MINUTES

total time: 30 MINUTES

Ingredients

For the Onion:

For Dipping Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Directions

1

Cut the top off of the onion (pointed end) to create a flat surface.

2

With root side up (the hairy looking circle), cut "flower petals" just below the root. Cut the onion into 4 wedges first, then cut each wedge in half. Repeat until wedges are about 1/4 inch thick. You should end up with "petals" all around the onion.

3

When you turn the onion over, it will look like a flower "bloom". Gently separate the layers.

4

Mix flour with Cajun seasoning in a medium-sized bowl. Mix eggs and buttermilk in a separate medium-sized bowl. Then pour Panko bread crumbs in a third bowl.

5

Dredge the onion in flour and shake off the excess. Dip into the egg mixture, coating evenly. Then finally dip into the Panko breadcrumbs and toss around the breadcrumbs to ensure full coating coverage.

6

Put the Panko-crusted onion into the air fryer basket. Spray the entire onion with oil. Place a piece of foil over the onion, like a tent.

7

Set the air fryer to 390 for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 5-10 minutes until desired crispiness. Your cook time may vary, depending on the size of the onion.

8

Mix dipping sauce ingredients together and serve with the warm blooming onion. Enjoy!

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11 Comments
Love Love Love I'd Have Seconds! Meh... Not Feeling It Needs A Do-Over
5.0 / 15 ratings
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pulling out air fryer bloomin' onion

Love a restaurant-style Bloomin’ Onion?

Turns out, it’s pretty easy to make this Outback Steakhouse inspired Bloomin’ Onion copycat appetizer recipe at home using your air fryer! The process includes dredging the onion in flour, eggs, and then Panko breadcrumbs.

bloomin onion ingredients

To take this bloomin’ onion to another level, make a tangy mayo and ketchup fry sauce for dipping. You’ll be set for a tasty homemade appetizer that’s just as delicious (but less greasy) than the traditional fried version!

knife slicing through an onion

slices in onion for bloomin onion recipe

coating bloomin onion with flour'

dipping onion in egg dredge

coating onion with seasoned panko crumbs

spraying breaded onion with oil in air fryer

air fryer bloomin onion


Print

Air Fryer Bloomin' Onion Recipe

yield: 4 SERVINGS

prep time: 10 MINUTES

cook time: 20 MINUTES

total time: 30 MINUTES

Your family with LOVE this crispy onion appetizer and the delicious dipping sauce.

Ingredients

For the Onion:

For Dipping Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Directions

1

Cut the top off of the onion (pointed end) to create a flat surface.

2

With root side up (the hairy looking circle), cut "flower petals" just below the root. Cut the onion into 4 wedges first, then cut each wedge in half. Repeat until wedges are about 1/4 inch thick. You should end up with "petals" all around the onion.

3

When you turn the onion over, it will look like a flower "bloom". Gently separate the layers.

4

Mix flour with Cajun seasoning in a medium-sized bowl. Mix eggs and buttermilk in a separate medium-sized bowl. Then pour Panko bread crumbs in a third bowl.

5

Dredge the onion in flour and shake off the excess. Dip into the egg mixture, coating evenly. Then finally dip into the Panko breadcrumbs and toss around the breadcrumbs to ensure full coating coverage.

6

Put the Panko-crusted onion into the air fryer basket. Spray the entire onion with oil. Place a piece of foil over the onion, like a tent.

7

Set the air fryer to 390 for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 5-10 minutes until desired crispiness. Your cook time may vary, depending on the size of the onion.

8

Mix dipping sauce ingredients together and serve with the warm blooming onion. Enjoy!

Additional Notes

Recipe adapted from Cuisinart.com

Brought to you by Hip2Save.

dunking air fryer bloomin' onion in sauce

Helpful tips when making a Blooming Onion in the Air Fryer:

  • Don’t skip the flour coating process for the blooming onion. It helps create a base to ensure the Panko bread crumbs stick properly.
  • While you don’t need a whole vat of oil for frying, spraying the entire outside of the breaded onion with cooking oil in an oil mister before air frying helps crisp up nicely!
  • Cover the onion loosely with foil before cooking, or you’ll end up with a burnt outside and an uncooked inside.

booming onion on plate with special sauce

What a yummy, crispy appetizer!

My family devoured this blooming onion, and we especially loved the tangy dipping sauce. I’ll admit, mine may have not turned out picture perfect like a lot of the air fryer recipes online, but it was really YUM regardless! I think you’ll really enjoy this delicious appetizer idea, too.


Make Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets Using the Air Fryer!


About the writer:

Lina has a Bachelor's Degree from Northern Arizona University with 11 years of blogging and photography experience having work featured in Today.com, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Fox News, Buzzfeed, and HGTV.


Join The Discussion

Comments 11

  1. jenn

    I have not tried with foil..is it safe?

    • Jennifer (Hip Sidekick)

      I put foil in my air fryer.

    • Emmy

      What you call an “air fryer” is just a convection oven. It’s just an oven with a fan. Anything you can put in an oven, you can put in an “air fryer”

  2. bolo

    Could you demonstrate this recipe on you YouTube channel?

  3. Judy

    I didn’t use foil and it was perfect! So yummy!!!

  4. Sonia

    This recipe was horrible. Even with the tenting, the top was burned while the bottom was still raw. I followed all of the instructions and it was still bad. I ended up cutting the onion apart and baking it. The sauce was a horseradish russian dressing. It was bad also. It was all in all a terrible recipe. I will never make it again.

  5. Curt

    I agree

  6. Vampy

    I would like to see what you mean by a tent of foil. How do you tuck it, so it isn’t sucked into the fan. Can you post a picture of how you do this? You’re not supposed to use foil in an air fryer, so I’m confused.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Hi Vampy, I just tore off a piece of foil and secured it around the onion with a little room at the top for air flow. You don’t have to, but it keeps the onion from getting too browned. You can use foil in air fryers in the basket. I don’t do it often, but it worked fine in this case.

  7. Michelle B.

    Good recipe, very easy to put together, and my 14 yr old made it himself and loved it. We could have reduced the amount of eggs and panko, because the two onions we used didn’t require that much batter.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thanks for sharing!

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