Air fryer Onion Petals

These gorgeous crunchy onion petals are a favorite at my home. Have them as an appetizer. They are a real party pleaser.

Deep frying is something I avoid as much as possible. Greasy snacks had their appeal when I was younger and a few pounds lighter. But now I am looking to cut down on empty calories any way I can.

Fried air fryer appetizers are so handy for this. These onion petals are super easy to make and frankly much better than trying to replicate blooming onion that for me never comes out well in the air fryer.   

If you are an onion fan like me, you will love these sautéed onion in air fryer, air fryer onion bhaji and air fryer onion and potatoes. These caramelized onions and mushrooms are delicious too.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Crunchy fried appetizer that is actually not fried but tastes every bit fried is something I always hanker for. Air fried onion petals are just that.

Sweet taste of onion complemented by a crunchy coating hits all the right flavour notes.

Easy recipe that can be done by a newbie too. Also versatile enough so you can play around with the seasonings.

Definitely healthier than deep frying these petals.

Ingredients

Onions: I have used one large onion here.

Eggs: I have used 2 beaten eggs.

Flour: I have used ½ cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup cornstarch

Breading: Use 1 cup breadcrumbs or Panko.

Buttermilk: Use vegan buttermilk or dairy buttermilk.

Spices: 1 tsp. pepper, ½ tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. salt is used as seasoning. You can also add garlic powder, Italian seasoning or herbs as per taste.

Garnish: Use 1 tsp. Parsley to garnish

Variations and Substitutions

If you wish to make this recipe gluten free, you can use chickpea flour in place of all-purpose flour and rice flour in place of cornstarch. Use cornmeal in place of breadcrumbs.

Vary the spices any way you like. For more heat, use chilli flakes in the seasoning. You can also use pre-made seasoning mixes like Cajun seasoning, Jamaican jerk seasoning, Old Bay seasoning etc.

Make it cheesy by adding grated cheese or nutritional yeast in the breadcrumbs.

Serving Suggestions

Onion Petals in air fryer are perfect as an appetizer. Serve with a dip of choice.

Since they are nice are crunchy, they can be perfect to top a burger or in a taco too.

I love these in salads to provide a delicious crunch.

Instructions

Take a large onion. I have used red onion here. But use any onion, of choice. Slice the root and the tip. Take off the peel and cut into half then quarter. Then cut into wedges and separate the petals and keep aside.

Prepare the breading station. Break 2 eggs and whip them. Add them to 1 cup buttermilk.

For vegan buttermilk, add 1 tsp. Lemon juice to 1 cup of plant milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Use this.

In another bowl take all-purpose flour and cornstarch and mix together. Add the seasonings and salt and mix well.

Take breadcrumbs in another bowl. Add salt and pepper to season them along with some paprika for colour.

First dip onion petals in the egg buttermilk mixture. Carefully take them out and place in the flour mixture. 

Take them out and dip again in the egg buttermilk slurry.

Finally dredge them in breadcrumbs and keep aside.

Preheat air fryer at 180C or 360F for 5 minutes. Place coated onion petals in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Make as many fit as can without overlap.

Air fry for 10 minutes at 180C or 360F till they are golden brown on the outside and cooked inside. 

You can spray or brush the petals with oil for a golden fried appearance on air frying after 5 minutes of air frying time.

Take them out and serve hot after sprinkling with chopped parsley. 

Expert Tips

1. Slice onion petals in even sizes to cook uniformly. You can use any onion you have at hand. I have made this with both white and red onions.

2. It is very important that you don’t overcrowd the basket. If onion petals overlap then they will not cook evenly.

3. Let the onion petals be completely dry so that they adhere to the coating well. Check the stepwise pictures.

4. You can vary the seasonings as per your choice. For gluten free options, check the Variations and Substitutions section.

5. You can easily store these air fried onion petals for upto 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 360F or 180C to crisp up before serving. You can freeze them for upto 2 months in the freezer. Directly air fry till hot and crispy before serving again.

Try this delightful air fryer onion petals appetizer and let me know how it turned out for you.

Here’s the recipe card:

📖 Recipe Card