This air fryer blooming onion looks difficult to make, but it really isn’t. Once you learn how to cut the onion you can make this fun appetizer and amaze your family and friends! Make this restaurant quality appetizer at home.
Blooming onions are a popular deep fried appetizer! They are crispy and salty and a delicious take on fried onions.
But right now they aren’t that easy to get. Restaurants are mostly doing take out, and a blooming onion isn’t going to travel well.
Ingredients
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 in a spray bottle
Instructions
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. Make 3 additional cuts between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts.
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.
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.
Put the onion in the egg mixture and coat evenly. Remove and let the excess drip off.
Then transfer the onion back into the reserved flour mixture and repeat the flouring process. Be sure you gently tap off extra flour. There will be leftover flour in the bowl when you are done.
Place the onion in the refrigerator.
Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes to 350ºF.
Remove the onion from the refrigerator and spray generously with vegetable oil from a spray bottle.
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. If any spots still have visible flour spray them with the oil.
After 25 minutes remove onion using the aluminum foil sling and season with salt and pepper.
Serve with the blooming onion dip.
