The air fryer isn't just for making frozen mozzarella sticks and amazing hot dogs: it's a great way to make sautéed onions! I add air fried onions to turkey burgers, brats, melted brie on toast, and even my pasta dishes.
How to cook onions in the air fryer
First, you want to start by slicing the onions into ½" slices. This ensures they are heavy enough not to fly around the air fryer too much, but not so thick that they don't cook through before they burn.
Onions have sugar in them! As a result, they do burn rather easily, so make sure you keep an eye on them and shake the air fryer basket throughout the cooking process to ensure an even cook with browned, but not burnt, tips and edges.
How do you saute onions in an Air Fryer?
Cooking in the air fryer isn't quite the same as a saute, where the pan is in constant contact with the food and a fat, but this method of air fryer onions will give you a really similar outcome!
Can onions be caramelized in an air fryer?
I don't recommend it. Caramelizing onions is best done over very low heat and over a longer period of time to allow the flavors to build and the onions to cook through slowly and break down. The Air Fryer is better for a quick cook that still leaves a little bite to your onions.
If you like this air fryer onion recipe, you might also like:
Air Fryer Onions
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet onions peeled and cut into ½" slices ( or 4 small "bag" onions)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Toss together all ingredients until onions are well coated with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place prepared onions in the air fryer basket and cook for 15 min at 380°F, tossing every 5 minutes. I like my onions to still have a little crunch - if you want yours more well done, after the first 15 minutes of cooking at 380°F, lower the temperature to 340°F and cook in 5 minutes intervals until they are to your desired doneness/softness.
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