Air Fryer Blooming Onion (Outback Copycat)
It’s always fun to go to a restaurant and order a Blooming onion. The crunchiness, the seasonings, and the dipping sauce are so addictive.
What if we told you that you could make one lower in calories and absolutely no oil? It’s true!
Today, we’ll show you how to cook an air fryer Blooming Onion, Outback style, at home. Cooking in an air fryer can save you money and is very beneficial to your health. Not only that, but this air fryer Blooming Onion is not cooked in a vat of oil without all that great splatter.
Outback Bloomin’ Onion Recipe
To prepare the air fryer Blooming Onion, take your sharp knife and cut the top of your onion (½ inch) and place the cut side down on your cutting board.
Continue with your knife and make 4 ½ inch cuts. Then, go back and make 3 cuts into each quarter, which should equal 16 cuts ( make sure not to cut through the onion).
Flip your onion over and gingerly separate the onion petals with your fingers and remove the loose pieces from the center of the onion.
Next, whisk the eggs and milk together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Now, combine your dry ingredients: flour, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder, cayenne* (optional) into a large bowl.
Now you’re ready to coat the onion! Place the onion in the egg mixture and be sure to coat in between every petal and let the egg mixture drip off of the petal over the egg bowl.
Once the egg has finished dripping, place onion into the dry mixture, be sure to coat every petal as you did for the first mixture. Coat in the egg and then flour one more time.
Place onion onto a dry bowl.
Preheat your air fryer to 350ºF.
Let’s make the Blooming Onion dipping sauce while your air fryer is heating up!
Whisk together, ingredients for the air fryer Blooming onion sauce ingredients, in a small mixing bowl—transfer sauce to a small serving bowl to your liking.
Refrigerate up to 1 hour or until ready to use.
Back to the onion. Coat onion very generously with cooking spray. Place the coated onion with tongs. The onion should be cut side up into the Air Fryer basket for 25 minutes.
As the onion cooks, the petals will open up like a flower. You can spray the onion two more times while cooking. Make sure you get every nook and cranny so that it turns out nice and crispy.
Remove with tongs and place on your favorite plate or platter with a paper towel. Now your onion is ready to serve. Don’t forget about your dipping sauce! Serve with a big, juicy steak.
Enjoy your Blooming Onion!
What You Need to Make an Air Fryer Blooming Onion Right at Home
- Air fryer
- Air fryer parchment paper
- Sweet onion
- Eggs
- Milk
- Flour
- Ground black pepper
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Cooking spray (canola or vegetable)
- Mayo (you can substitute mayo for or plain greek yogurt)
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Onion powder
Are You Looking for More Air fryer Recipes?
I made this air fryer Blooming Onion in my very own air fryer.
If you have wanted an air fryer or multi-cooker, now is your chance! You can check out our product reviews and guides. Check out several more of my easy air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Blooming Onion (Outback Copycat)
Notes
* You may add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper for more heat to both onion and sauce.
Ingredients
- Air Fryer Blooming Onion:
- 1 large sweet onion
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon of grounded black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Cooking spray (canola or vegetable)
- Air Fryer Blooming Onion dipping sauce:
- ½ cup of mayo (you can substitute mayo for or plain greek yogurt)
- ½ cup of ketchup
- 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- ½ teaspoon of paprika
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- * You may add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper for more heat to both onion and sauce.
Instructions
- Take your sharp knife and cut the top of your onion (½ inch) and place the cut side down on your cutting board.
- Continue with your knife and make 4 ½ inch cuts. Then, go back and make 3 cuts into each quarter. It should equal 16 cuts ( make sure not to cut all the way through the onion).
- Flip your onion over and gingerly separate the onion petals with your fingers and remove the loose pieces from the center of the onion.
- Next, whisk the eggs and milk together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Now, time to combine your dry ingredients: flour, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder, cayenne* (optional) into a large bowl.
- Coat the onion by placing the onion in the egg mixture and be sure to coat in between every petal
- Let the egg mixture drip off of the petal over the egg bowl.
- Once the egg has finished dripping, place onion into the dry mixture, be sure to coat every petal as you did for the first mixture. Coat in the egg and then flour one more time.
- Place onion onto a dry bowl.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350ºF.
- Let’s make the Blooming Onion dipping sauce while your air fryer is heating up!
- Whisk together, ingredients for the air fryer Blooming onion sauce ingredients, in a small mixing bowl. Transfer sauce to a small serving bowl to your liking.
- Refrigerate up to 1 hour or until ready to use.
- Back to the onion. Coat onion very generously with cooking spray. Place the coated onion with tongs. The onion should be cut side up into the Air Fryer basket for 25 minutes.
- As the onion cooks the petals will open up like a flower. You can spray the onion two more times while cooking and make sure you get every nook and cranny so that it turns out nice and crispy.
- Remove with tongs and place on your favorite plate or platter with a paper towel. Now your onion is ready to serve.
