Crispy Onion Strings in the Air Fryer Recipe
These crispy onion strings in the air fryer are a crunchy, tasty, and simple recipe to make with sliced sweet onions and an easy coating. They have tons of flavor and are air fried to perfection.
While these onions are traditional toppers for Thanksgiving casseroles, there are so many ways you can enjoy these easy fried onions. Add them on top of burgers, add them to soups, or on top of a tasty Caesar salad to enjoy like croutons.
If you are looking for air fryer crispy fried onions, this recipe is a simple and easy way to make your own at home. Crispy fried onions make the best casserole toppers, are fantastic stacked on top of burgers, and make a great crouton substitute for salads and soups.
I start by soaking onions in an egg and milk mixture, coat them in spiced flour and breadcrumbs, then fry up to golden brown perfection! These are a great alternative to buying store-bought fried onions, which can have added salt and preservatives.
I first made these onions to top our cream cheese green bean casserole, but they were so tasty, we make and eat them plain now!
These Crispy Onions in the Air Fryer Are
- Crispy
- Light
- Sweet
- Crunchy
- Savory
- Easy to Make
- Preservative Free!
A Homemade Alternative to Store-Bought Crispy Onions
These crispy onions are a great alternative to commercial fried onions in a package. Making your own onion straws or homemade onion rings is an inexpensive treat to add to dinners. And this tasty snack doesn’t require a lot of oil to make – just some olive oil cooking spray!
You start by slicing large onions, soaking them in a egg wash, and coating them in a flour and panko mixture, you have easy homemade air fryer onions. Browse all our onion recipes here!
What’s In Homemade French Fried Onions?
See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Sweet or Yellow Onions – I used sweet Vidalia onion which gave these an amazing flavor. You could also use white onions or even red onions too!
- Eggs – We try to get cage free / free range eggs when we can. There isn’t any nutritional difference, but I always try to support animal welfare when I can!
- Milk – you can use any variety, but I recommend using whole milk for extra flavor.
- All Purpose Flour: I normally use organic all purpose flour for all my recipes, a cup of flour in the batter makes these super crispy and delicious.
- Panko Bread Crumbs – I found these recently at my grocery store, and I am obsessed! They are big and crunchy, and are the perfect crispy coating for these onion straws. You can also use regular breadcrumbs too!
- Salt & Black Pepper – It’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper. Peppercorns are about the same price is buying pre-ground, and will add way more flavor to your recipes.
- Vegetable oil – or other high oleic frying oil like sunflower oil.
Can I Season These Onions?
Absolutely! I kept the recipe below fairly plain (as I was using them to make green bean casserole), but you can add your favorite spices. Some great options are:
- Chili powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper for a spicy version!
- Cajun seasoning or creole spice
- Garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasonings
What Air Fryer is Best for Onions?
You can use an air fryer with a basket, or air fryer oven model that has racks. The air fryer is perfect for making a better version of onion strings at home. Only simple ingredients and on hot oil to deal with!
Air frying is a great alternative to cooking with a traditional deep fryer. The only downside is that the air fryers tend to be smaller, so you need to cook the onions in small batches.
We have this super-quiet air fryer that we use a few times a week! I use this model which is a perfect size for my kitchen, and also makes as a great gift for friends or family. Browse all our easy air fryer recipes here!
How Do You Make Air Fryer French Fried Onions
- Thinly slice the onions, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the egg and the milk. Whisk until frothy and well-combined. Add the sliced onions and soak them for 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, and the sea salt and black pepper.
- Take the sliced onions that have been soaking in the egg mixture, and dredge them through the flour mixture until lightly coated.
- Place the coated onion slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Coat with cooking spray, and air fry at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 minutes, shaking the onions halfway.
- Add crispy fried onions to green bean casseroles, on burgers, or soups and salads. Or just enjoy plain in your favorite dipping sauce! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Homemade Fried Onions In Less Than 30 Minutes!
If you’re looking for a quick weeknight meal topper, this air fried onions recipe is the best thing when you’re short on time. This easy dinner is made fast.
Browse all our 30 Minute Recipes here, which are tasty, fast, and weeknight-friendly.
You can also slice the onions into rings and follow the same recipe above to make crispy air fryer onion rings too!
More Modern Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love
Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Cream Cheese
Baba Ganoush with Roasted Eggplant Recipe
School Breakfast Pizza Toast Recipe
Share Your Favorite Recipes
After you make this easy air fried crispy onion strings recipe – please be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag Modern Bites on Instagram. I absolutely love browsing through all your photos of my recipes!
Let’s keep in touch – make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get fresh recipes weekly. And don’t forget to follow over on Facebook, Instagram, & Tik Tok– I’d love to connect with you there!
Crispy Onions in the Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup low sodium panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the egg and the milk. Whisk until frothy and well-combined. Add the sliced onions and soak them for 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, and the sea salt and black pepper.
- Take the sliced onions that have been soaking in the egg mixture, and dredge them through the flour mixture until lightly coated.
- Place the coated onion slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Coat with cooking spray, and air fry at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 minutes, shaking the onions halfway.
- Add crispy fried onions to green bean casseroles, on burgers, or soups and salads. Or just enjoy plain in your favorite dipping sauce! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Use these many ways and tasty every time