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Air Fryer Blooming Onion

This Air Fryer Blooming Onion Recipe is so delicious! It is golden brown and crispy without all the extra work and mess of deep-frying it. You are sure to love this air fried appetizer.

Ingredients

Scale

blooming onion

  • 1 large sweet onion
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin`
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Oil for frying

Sauce

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon horseradish
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon garlic powder
  • teaspoon dried oregano
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

blooming onion sauce

  • Combine all the sauce ingredients into a bowl, then cover and place into the refrigerator.

blooming onion

  • Slice the onion to make it bloom. Start by cutting off 1/2 inch from the top of the onion, then peel the outer skin from the onion.
  • Place the onion cut-side down. Starting about 1/2 inch from the root, make a downward cut all the way through to the cutting board. Repeat to make four evenly spaced cuts around the onion.
  • Turn the onion over and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the petals to relax. Prior to breading, use your fingers to gently separate the outer pieces.
  • Make 3 additional cuts between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts.
  • Whisk the flour, paprika, cayenne, cumin, thyme, and oregano in a large bowl. In a medium deep bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and 1 cup water.
  • Place the onion in a clean bowl, cut-side up, and pour the flour mixture on top. Using a large spoon to coat the onion with the flour mixture, especially between the onion petals. Turn the onion over and pat off the excess flour. Reserve the bowl of flour.
  • Transfer the onion into the egg mixture and coat evenly. Remove and let the excess drip off, then transfer back into the reserved flour mixture and repeat the flouring process.
  • Place the onion into the refrigerator.
  • Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes to 350ºF.
  • Remove the onion from the refrigerator and spray generously with cooking oil (vegetable or olive).
  • After making a sling from a sheet of aluminum foil, transfer the onion cut side up into the fryer basket.
  • Set the timer for 25 minutes and cook. Spray the onion with the cooking oil 2-3 times as you cook it fully.
  • Remove onion using the aluminum foil sling and season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve with the dip.
  • Enjoy!