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Can you air fry onions? Absolutely! Make yourself some air fryer onions with my easy air fryer recipe. Learn how long to air fry onions, how to saute onions in air fryer, how to make air fryer caramelized onions, air fryer crispy onions, and more! You can leave air fried onions soft or get them crispy and golden brown, it’s up to you.
Came out super good! Will be my go to onion recipe for sure. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
– Gary
We’re keeping things simple today with some directions on how to air fry onion slices. I’ll give you the time and temp to make whatever sort of onions you like best.
These are air fried onions with no batter, perfect for air fryer onions and peppers or use them as fried onions for biryani. I have a bunch of other ideas for these onion strings below! You are going to love how versatile these are.
But first, I want to answer the most important thing, are air fried onions good? If you like onions, you will like these.
And if you don’t like onions, why are you making an air fryer onion recipe in the first place? Haha
Seriously, even if you don’t like onions, remember that you can make air fryer french fried onions with this recipe. They’re like a healthy version of those crunchy onions that go on green bean casseroles. They’re so super tasty they tend to be a hit even if you don’t like other onions.
I hope I’ve convinced you to consider giving these air fryer fried onions a try. This is one of those recipes that gives you maximum flavor with minimal effort!
⭐ Air Fryer Onions Ingredients
To make onions in the air fryer, you need the following ingredients:
- One sweet onion (8 ounces/227 grams)
- One tablespoon olive oil (or your favorite cooking oil, such as avocado oil)
- Salt (I prefer smoked salt)
Get a printable recipe card at the end of the post!
I’m keeping it simple with just salt for seasoning. However, mix things up with whatever seasonings you prefer. Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and Everything Bagel seasoning are some ideas to get you started.
The one thing I’d avoid is seasoning blends with added sugar. Sugar will alter the cooking time of your onions, making them easier to burn.
Speaking of cooking time, the amount of onions you use in this recipe is important. Using less onions will lead to a faster cooking time. You can use yellow onions, red onions, or white onions, but I recommend sweet onions, as they caramelize the best.
The Ninja Foodi, Philips, Nuwave, Pampered Chef, Actifry, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, and other air fryers can air fry onions. Cooking times may need to be adjusted depending on the air fryer you use. Keep a close eye on the food whenever you try a new air fryer recipe for great results every time!
🧅 How to Air Fry Onions
Here are the step-by-step instructions for my onions air fryer recipe:
Begin by slicing the onion. To slice onions, first cut off the blossom end and the stem end. Make a shallow cut in the onion from end to end and peel it. Cut the onion in half and then slice it into thin half-moons. You want the slices to be about ⅛-inch (0.3 cm) thick.
Put the onions in a bowl, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Spread the onions out in an air fryer basket or on an air fryer tray. As we sweat the onions, they’re going to shrink down, so no worries that they’re overlapping.
If you have an air fryer oven, you should put the tray in the middle of the air fryer. Now it’s time to learn how to cook down onions!
️⏲️ How Long to Cook Onions in Air Fryer
Air fry onions for a total of 12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177C). Stir the onions after 10 minutes of cooking. This will give you lightly sauteed onions.
For golden brown onions, next turn the air fryer heat down to 300F (149C) and air fry 5-10 minutes more. After 10 minutes, my caramelized onions were just starting to get crispy. You could make crispy onions by making the air frying time a little longer.
Note that these aren’t just like the onions caramelized on the stove. The onions get crispy faster with the rapidly moving dry heat of the air fryer. Air frying isn’t the best method when you want to cook something over a long period and have it stay moist.
How to air fry onions with no oil?
Though you can technically make air fryer onions without oil, they don’t tend to turn out well. The oil helps keep the onion from drying out too early and burning. Oil-free onions that are half burnt and half raw aren’t on anyone’s menu.
How to cook a whole onion in the air fryer?
I’ve seen recipes claiming you can cook a whole onion in the air fryer. However, some say the onion won’t get soft. Unless you’re cooking whole pearl onions, I’d stick to air frying chopped onions or sliced onions.
How do you dehydrate onions in an air fryer?
You can make air fryer dehydrated onions using the lowest temperature setting on your air fryer. Though they’ll take less time than using a food dehydrator, you’ll need to stir the onions far more often. Also, the air fryer can only dehydrate a very small batch of onions at a time.
🌡️ Air Fryer Onion Storage
Air fryer onions keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Note that leftover crispy onions may get soggy, so just make what you need. 
How long can you store crispy fried onions without a freezer or fridge?
Air fryer crispy fried onions should not be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. These onions have not had moisture removed as thoroughly as the ones from the store. This means they’re more likely to go bad if not refrigerated.
😋 Ways to Use Air Fried Onions
Air fryer onions make delicious burger toppings and so much more! Here are a few of my favorite foods that go with onions:
- Pierogies in Air Fryer
- Frozen Bison Burger (Air Fryer)
- Keto Big Mac Salad Bowl
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Air Fryer Bone In Ribeye Steak
- Healthy Shrimp Recipes for Weight Loss
Watch How to Make It!
Air Fryer Onions (Sauté, Crispy, or Caramelized!)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces onion (227 grams; I recommend using sweet onion)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
- salt (I used smoked salt)
Instructions
- Peel the onion, cut it in half, and then slice it into thin half-moons. You want the slices to be about ⅛-inch (0.3 cm) thick.
- Put the onions in a bowl, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Spread the onions out in an air fryer basket or on an air fryer tray. If you have an air fryer oven, put the tray in the middle of the air fryer.
- Air fry onions for a total of 12 minutes at 350°F (177°C). Stir the onions after 10 minutes of cooking. This will give you lightly sauteed onions.
- For golden brown onions, next turn the air fryer heat down to 300°F (149°C) and air fry 5-10 minutes more. Make the air frying time a little longer for crispy onions.
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). I like to think of these as a healthier version of shoestring onions or crispy fried onions. This simple air fryer recipe is vegan, low carb, and gluten free. Just about everyone can eat these air fryer onions! Normally, crispy onions contain a lot of oil and often white flour. They can end up packing a lot of calories into a tiny portion. Crunchy fried onions from the store are what is called an ultra-processed food. If you’re having trouble including enough veggies in your diet, why not start with onions? They’re nutritious, low calorie, inexpensive, widely available, and delicious! Nutrition information is for ¼ of the recipe.
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
👨🏾🍳 More Recipes with Onions
What are some other ways to use onions? Here are a few more recipes using onions for you:
🧑🏿🍳 Other Air Fryer Veggie Recipes
Now that you’ve learned how to make crispy onions without deep frying, are you looking for more veggie recipes to make in an air fryer? Why not try these:
- Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables
- Air Fryer Cabbage Steaks
- Butternut Squash Zig Zags in the Air Fryer
- Roasted Baby Carrots (Air Fryer)
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
Psst… don’t miss my entire collection of Air Fryer Recipes!
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
Made these with a yellow onion. Just did the basic 300F / 22 min. Came out super good! Will be my go to onion recipe for sure.
Hi Gary, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the feedback and rating 🙂