Get caramelized onions browned with little fuss thanks to your air fryer. While they’re less mushy than the stovetop, they’re easier, quicker, and just as delicious here.
Preheat air fryer to 300°F following manufacturer guidelines
Peel and slice an onion into about ¼” thick slices using a paring knife or similar on a cutting board
1 Large onion
Toss sliced onions with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp melted butter or margarine
1 Tbsp Olive oil, 1 Tbsp Butter or margarine
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Salt & pepper
Place sliced onions into preheated air fryer basket, without overcrowding too much (a packed single layer is ideal)
Cook on air fry setting for approximately 20-30 minutes at 300°F, stirring every 10 minutes. Add additional cooking time in 5-minute increments as needed
Onions are done when they are soft and browned looking
Notes
While yellow (pictured) or sweet (like Vidalia) onions are best for this, you can also use red onions with relative success
One large onion generally makes between ¼ and ⅓ cup caramelized onions
Salt and pepper is optional but recommended for flavoring. If you use salted butter, make sure to reduce the amount of other salt added
No sugar addition is required since onions have natural sugars. However, if you want extra sweet onions, add 1 Tbsp brown sugar in the last 5 minutes of cooking to prevent burning
Cooking at the lower temperature is important to prevent burning and over-crisping of onions (butter has a smoke point of 302 degrees)
I have a Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer and it took 25 minutes in total to get the onions to the carmelized state here. However, times will vary slightly based on the brand and power of your air fryer.
If you have an oven-safe dish that fits in your air fryer basket, feel free to use that to hold the onions. It makes stirring and cleanup easier, and prevents onions from falling through the grate as they shrink from losing moisture (though may increase cooking time slightly as it will cut down air flow)
Nutrition information will vary based on specific ingredients used, so please consider this a rough guideline only
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