Easy Air Fryer Sautéed Onions + Video

Name: Easy Air Fryer Sautéed Onions
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 whole yellow onion (outer edges cut off and peeled); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pinch salt; 1 pinch ground black pepper

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Air Fryer Sautéed Onions make the perfect addition to burgers, steaks, hot dogs, and more! These delicious onions are tender, golden brown, and slightly crispy. Keep reading to find out how to make the best sautéed onions in the air fryer.

I love roasting vegetables in the air fryer. Just like my air fryer roasted garlic, these onions can be used for a variety of recipes. Use them for sandwiches, dips, or as a side dish. You can find more ideas on how to use sautéed onions in the post below.

Air fried onions with crispy brown edges seasoned with salt and pepper.

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Recipe Video:

Why You Will Love This Recipe:

These air fried onions are so easy to make for a quick side dish or topping. They are tender and start to caramelize the longer you cook them.
Use these sautéed onions to upgrade your burgers, loaded baked potatoes, and wraps. These onions taste amazing on my Air Fryer French Dip Wraps or on top of my Air Fryer Sour Cream and Onion Potatoes.
Looking to make grilled onions, but don’t have a grill? Then this recipe is for you. These onions are perfect as a bbq side dish or for the holidays.

A burger on a glistening toasted whole wheat bun topped with melted cheese, air fried onions, and barbecue sauce.

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Q&A:

What kind of onions can I use?

You can use white, yellow, or red onions for this recipe. I typically use yellow or white onions because that’s what I keep on hand.

What is the difference between caramelized onions and sautéed onions?

Sautéed onions are cooked for a shorter time. They are tender, but still hold their shape. Caramelized onions are cooked for a longer period of time over lower heat until they break down and become extremely soft, brown, and sweet.

Glistening caramelized air fried onions.

How To Cut Onions:

For this recipe, I sliced the onion into ¼ inch whole onion ring slices. Start by cutting off the ends. Next, remove the paper and outer layer of the onion. Lastly, slice the onion into ¼^th inch thick whole onion rings. Leave the onion rings whole, do not separate.

Onion sliced into one-fourth inch whole onion ring slices.

How To Use Air Fryer Sautéed Onions?

You can use these onions on top of pork chops, chicken, or loaded baked potatoes. They taste amazing on sandwich and wraps, like my air fryer French Dip Wraps. Here are some other ways to use sautéed onions:

On hot dog
On hamburgers
As a side dish to steak
On tacos
Sandwiches
Wraps
In soups
Grilled cheese
Use it to make dips

Air fried onions topping a burger with melted cheese and barbecue sauce on a toasted whole wheat bun.

Equipment Needed:

Air Fryer

Ingredients:

Onion - I used yellow onion. You can use yellow, white, sweet, or red onion for this recipe.
Olive Oil - I prefer to use olive oil, but other cooking oils would work as well.
Salt and Pepper - Season to your taste.

Air Fryer Instructions:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 15 minutes.

Black air fryer panel with a silver dial being set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

2. Slice the onion into ¼ inch thick whole onion rings.

Silver knife cutting an onion into one-fourth inch whole rings on a wood cutting board.

3. Brush a generous amount of olive oil to each onion slice on both sides and season with salt and pepper.

A red basting brush applying olive oil to an onion slice on a wood cutting board, then salt and pepper are sprinkled on top.

4. Add the onions to the air fryer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to flip them halfway through.

Onion slices added to a black air fryer basket and then flipped over with pink and silver tongs halfway through the cooking process.

5. Once done, give the onions a good stir. Remove them from the air fryer, let cool, then enjoy!

Fully cooked air fryer onions being stirred in a black air fryer basket with pink and silver tongs.

Recipe Variations And Substitutions:

Types on onions to use: Yellow, White, Sweet, or Red onions can be used for this recipe.
Butter - Melted butter can be used along with the olive oil to coat the onion slices.

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

Store cooked onions in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat onions in the air fryer at 365 degrees for 2 minutes until warm or microwave for 30 seconds until warm.

Pro Tips:

If your onions are browning too quickly, reduce the heat.
Remove the outer layer of the onion skin if you prefer a less crispy onion as that layer tends to cook faster.
Slice onions into even slices to ensure even cooking.
For more caramelization, reduce the heat by 10 degrees and cook for an additional 5 minutes at a time until the onions reach your desired doneness.
The air fryer I used was the Instant Vortex Plus 6 quart. Since all air fryers are different, you will need to adjust the cook time based on the air fryer you are using.