Make crispy delicious onions in your air fryer! These homemade french fried onions are a healthy(er) alternative and perfect for topping salads, chili, dips, or just snacking. They’re dairy-free, vegan, and SUPER easy to make.
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Hi, I’m Brittany, and I don’t like onions…unless they’re fried onions, or in this case air-fried onions!
Yep, that’s right: Your favorite holiday topping can now be made (pretty) healthy with the help of our new favorite kitchen gadget.
Air-fried onions. Yea, you’re gonna like this one.
Do you have an air fryer yet?!?! We got ours as a gift from a good friend and have been looooving it!
We’ve made air fried tofu, taquitos, french fries, croutons, ravioli! We’ve even put vegan jerky to the test.
Basically, whatever you would like to eat deep-fried can just as easily be made in the air-fryer with all the deliciousness but muuuuch less oil…or no oil at all, whatever your fancy!
And now, we’re adding air-fried onions to that list.
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What are French fried onions?
For those of you aren’t familiar with the term, french fried onions are those crispy little wisps of deliciousness that typically top green bean casseroles and the like on your holiday table.
Now you know what I’m talking about, right? They’re the best.
But unfortunately, like most deep-fried things, they are addictive yet pretty heavy on the tummy. They are for me at least.
So, when T made a quick version in the air fryer a few months ago with all the taste but none of that heavy bloated feeling, I knew we had to share it here on the blog!
And the recipe we’re sharing with you guys today is pretty killer: easy to make, delicious, and rather healthy compared to their oil-laden counterparts. Win-win-win!!
How to Make Air-Fried Onions
First, you’ll slice your onion thinly and soak them in plain non-dairy milk for at least 10 minutes. I’ve found this simple step is CRUCIAL for an awesome texture.
Next, you’ll whisk up some all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose for our GF friends) with a bit of salt + pepper.
We kept the flavor combo pretty basic here, but, as always, feel free to get creative. Here’s another great use for our Copycat Red Robin Seasoning or Homemade Chili Seasoning!
Now, it’s time to coat those soaked onions in your flour mixture! You’ll have a LOT of onion slices, so you may need to do this in batches. Toss ’em til they’re evenly coated and add them to the basket of your air fryer.
NOTE: We used an air fryer like this for this recipe. It has a basket that pulls out from the front of the air fryer. If you have a different kind of air fryer, you may need to adjust the method we outline below. Something to be aware of!
Finally, air fry those babies until they’re crispy and golden and just pure heavenly goodness.
How to Use Air-Fried Onions
First and foremost: GREEN. BEAN. CASSEROLES. Healthier holidays never tasted so good! 🙂
SALADS! As far as I’m concerned, every salad needs to have that crunchy element. These air-fried onions fit the bill beautifully. Personally, I adore them in our Vegan Caesar Salad.
Topping ALL the soups, stews, and chilis – like our Hearty Vegan Chili or Cozy Chicken(less) Stew.
A hearty flavorful dip topped with these crunchy strips of HEAVEN = the way to my heart. The first two recipes that come to mind are our Dairy-Free Tahini Feta Dip and Hot Walnut Sausage Dip. It would also be KILLER on some taco layer dip.
Of course, you can always eat them straight outta the air-fryer too. That’s perhaps my favorite way to eat these crispy vegan air-fried onions.
Let your creativity run wild; everything tastes better with these crispy swirls of yumminess on top!
If you make these air-fried onions, let us know how it goes and what you do with them!
We’re super pumped to hear your ideas.
You can rate the recipe and leave a comment below or tag us in your beautiful photos on Instagram. If you’re not already following along, we’re @theplantpowercouple, with the “the”.
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Enjoy!
Brittany Roche
These french fried onions are made in the air fryer and perfect for all your holiday meals or to top salads and soups any old day!
20 minPrep Time:
30 minCook Time:
50 minTotal Time:
Save Recipe5 based on 1 review(s)
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- unsweetened plain non-dairy milk (enough to cover the onions)
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the onions to a shallow dish or bowl and pour the soy milk over them until they are just covered. Let soak for at least 10 minutes.
- While the onions soak, grab a mixing bowl. To it, add the flour, sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk until combined.
- Remove the onions from the almond milk. You can save this to add to soups or other savory dishes later. Toss your onions with the flour mixture, one small batch at a time to get a nice coating.
- Lightly spray the air-fryer basket and the flour-coated onions with oil. Add the onions to the basket and place in the air fryer.
- Cook the onions at 350F for 30-35 minutes, stopping to shake the basket every 5-10 minutes. Depending on the size of your onion and air fryer, you may want to do this in two batches.
- Remove the onions from the air fryer and let cool before eating. Use them to top all your holiday dishes like mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and basically your entire life!
Notes
NOTE: Not all air fryers are the same, so the cooking time may need to be adjusted slightly. You do want to be sure you're using an air fryer with a fryer basket. We use and love this one by Cook's Essentials.
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