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The Original Air Fried Blooming Onion

  • Author: Crispy Eats

Description

A healthier take on the classic deep-fried blooming onion, made crispy and delicious in the air fryer with a flavorful seasoned coating and served with a tangy dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Crust:

  • For the Blooming Onion:
  • 1 large sweet onion (Vidalia or Texas Sweet preferred)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Cooking spray (avocado or olive oil spray)
  • For the Dipping Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon horseradish
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the Crust:

  1. 1. Prepare the Onion: Peel the onion and cut about 1/2 inch off the top (stem end). Place the onion cut-side down. Using a sharp knife, make vertical cuts downward from the top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the root end to create 12-16 sections. Gently separate the layers to form a ‘bloom.’
  2. 2. Soak in Buttermilk: Place the onion in a bowl and pour buttermilk over it, ensuring it gets between the layers. Let soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
  3. 3. Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 5 minutes.
  4. 4. Prepare Coating: In a large bowl, mix flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper.
  5. 5. Coat the Onion: Remove the onion from buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge in the flour mixture, pressing gently to coat all layers. Shake off excess.
  6. 6. Air Fry: Place the onion root-side down in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Air fry for 12-15 minutes until golden and crispy. Check halfway and spray again if needed.
  7. 7. Make the Sauce: While the onion cooks, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
  8. 8. Serve: Carefully remove the onion from the air fryer and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Notes

For extra crispiness, double-coat the onion by dipping it back in buttermilk and flour mixture before air frying. If layers stick together after cutting, gently rinse under cold water to separate.

Find it online: https://exorecipes.com/the-original-air-fried-blooming-onion-2/