For a quick and easy way to cook onions, air fryer onions are where it’s at!
These onions are so easy to make, don’t take too long to cook, and go with lots of different dishes so the flavor combos are endless!

Ingredients
To make onions in the air fryer, you’ll need:
- Medium-sized onions – We use yellow onions, but white, sweet or red onions also work.
- Avocado oil – Can also use canola oil or similar; adds flavor and keeps the onions from sticking to the air fryer.
- Salt – To add flavor.
- Black Pepper (optional) – Add it if you like pepper, skip if you don’t.
Recipe Tips
If you want to air fry onions, here are a few tips and things to keep in mind:
- Make sure that the onion slices are roughly the same thickness. This will help the onions cook evenly. You don’t want some onions to be very crispy while other onion pieces are just getting soft.
- Keep in mind that the onions will shrink quite a bit when being cooked.
- We use a simple seasoning blend and let the onion flavor speak for itself. You can add whatever spices you like, however.
We use this air fryer for our recipes and it has been great.

Step-by-Step Instructions
Stay in this section if you want to follow along with photos just how we made our onions.
The recipe card at the bottom of this post will also tell you how long to cook onions in an air fryer and at what temperature.

First, peel the onions and cut them into thin, evenly sliced rings.
Then preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

While you wait for the air fryer to preheat, add the raw onion rings to a bowl. Also add the avocado oil, salt, and pepper (optional).
Toss or mix everything with tongs until evenly coated.

When the air fryer is preheated, add the onions. Give the air fryer basket a shake so that they spread out evenly.

Air fry the onions at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes total (depends on personal preference).
Shake the air fryer basket every 3-4 minutes to help with even cooking.
The exact cooking time can vary based on the thickness of the onion rings, the air fryer you are using, and your personal preference.
We like them slightly caramelized, so we leave them in for closer to 15 minutes.
When done, remove the onions from the air fryer and use them as a side dish or a topping of your choice!
Storage Tips
If you have leftover air fryer caramelized onions after cooking, you can keep them in a sealed container in the fridge. They’ll last for up to 4 days.
However, keep in mind that they’ll sweat quite a bit because they have lots of moisture in them still.
They might look like a blob of onions when you take them out to reheat them – this is normal. They should still heat nicely and be usable for your next dish!
What to Serve Air Fried Onions With
These tasty onions can be served as a side dish or as a simple topping.
We enjoy them on a steak with a side of mashed potatoes – or as one of the toppings for an Italian sausage on a bun or a portobello burger!
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed these air fryer onions, here are some other great vegetable dishes that can be a side dish or a delicious topping!

Air Fryer Onions
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions, (we used yellow onions)
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, optional
Instructions
- Peel the onions, then cut them into thin, evenly sliced rings.2 medium onions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the meantime, add the raw onion rings into a bowl. Also add the avocado oil, salt, and pepper (optional) into the bowl. Toss or mix everything with tongs until evenly coated.2 teaspoons avocado oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- When the air fryer is preheated, add the onions. Give the air fryer basket a shake so that they spread out evenly.
- Air fry the onions at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes total (depends on personal preference). Shake the air fryer basket every 3-4 minutes to help with even cooking. The exact cooking time can vary based on the thickness of the onion rings, the air fryer you are using, and your personal preference. We like them slightly caramelized, so we leave them in for closer to 15 minutes.
- When done, remove the onions from the air fryer and use as a side dish or a topping for steak or sausage on a bun!
Notes
- It’s important to cut the rings evenly – you don’t want part of the onion to be burned already while other pieces are just getting soft.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.