Crispy golden brown air fryer onions take all the work out of deep frying onions. Perfect for topping a variety of dishes!
Why make onions in the air fryer?
It usually takes a lot of oil, a lot of time and a lot of standing over the stove to make crispy golden brown onions. Using an air fryer takes out all the effort!
You can get the perfect crunchy onions, similar to the ones used for topping biryani dishes (birista for biryani) with very little effort by utilizing an air fryers capabilities.
I actually think these end up crispier and less oily then pan fried onions, and using less oil makes these lighter and healthier.
How to make air fryer onions:
Start off by heating your air fryer to 265F (130 C) while you slice up the onions. You can use red, white or yellow onions, even shallots work.
Spray the basket of the fryer with olive oil or cooking spray, and add the sliced onions. Give the onions a spray of oil and toss to combine.
Cook for around 25-30 minutes or until onions are golden brown and crispy. Every 5 minutes of cooking time, shake the air fryer basket, or toss the onions around to make sure they cook evenly.
What can I use crispy onions on?
You can use crispy onions on any rice dish, like Chicken Machboos, Chicken Kabsa, Lamb Haneeth, Lamb Mandi, etc.
We also used these to top homemade burgers with, and they added so much flavor!
Try adding these in dips, on salads, on top of soup, on eggs, on roasted veggies, the list goes on!
Storing leftover fried onions:
Leftovers will last tightly covered in a jar for up to one month in the fridge.
They can also be frozen for up to 4 months, so you will have plenty of time to use up leftovers!
If you liked this recipe, you might like:
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Air Fryer Onions
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 4-5 onions cut in half then thinly sliced
- cooking oil or olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 265F (130 C) for 5 minutes.
- Lightly spray air fryer basket with oil, then add the sliced onions to the basket and spray them gently with oil and toss to coat evenly.
- Cook in the air fryer for 25-30 minutes total, setting a timer for every 5 minutes to shake the basket and toss the onions around. Once golden brown and crispy, onions are ready.
- Allow fried onions to cool completely before storing in an air tight jar in the fridge for up to one month.
Dana says
This is genius. Love crispy onions on top of salads and soups. Would’ve never thought to do this! Thanks for the recipe!
Farah Abumaizar says
It’s my pleasure! hope you enjoy it!
kushigalu says
SO crispy and delicious these onions look. I will try this on my air fryer. Thanks for sharing.
Farah Abumaizar says
It’s my pleasure, hope you love the recipe!
Tara says
Oh yum! These onions look absolutely perfect. I love that golden color and how easily they come together in the air fryer.
Farah Abumaizar says
An air fryer can make everything so much easier! Thanks Tara.
Eni says
I love these onions. I used them often in my curries. Thank you for the recipe!
Farah Abumaizar says
Such a great topping aren’t they! Thanks Eni!
Dannii says
These crispy onions look incredible. Such a great way to use the air fryer.
Farah Abumaizar says
It’s one of my favorite air fryer hacks! Always crispy with no stove time.