Air Fried Pearl Onions (Printable Version)
Sweet, crispy pearl onions air fried to golden perfection with olive oil and smoky seasonings in under 15 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 lb pearl onions, peeled
→ Coating
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - ½ tsp kosher salt
04 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
05 - ¼ tsp garlic powder (optional)
06 - ¼ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Set the air fryer to 375°F and allow it to preheat for 3 minutes.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss the peeled pearl onions with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika until evenly coated.
03 - Place the seasoned onions in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring space between them for proper air circulation.
04 - Cook for 10–12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the onions develop a golden, crispy exterior and become tender inside.
05 - Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy hot as a snack, appetizer, or alongside your favorite main course.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- Pearl onions transform from humble and easily overlooked into something genuinely addictive with almost no effort on your part.
- The whole thing comes together in under twenty five minutes, which makes it a lifesaver when you need one more side dish and the oven is already full.
02 -
- Crowding the basket is the fastest way to end up with steamed onions instead of crispy ones, so cook in two batches if needed.
- A quick toss in cornmeal before air frying creates an unexpectedly satisfying crunch that elevates the whole dish.
03 -
- Peeling pearl onions goes much faster if you drop them in boiling water for one minute, then straight into an ice bath before pinching the skins off.
- Shaking the basket at the halfway mark is the single step that stands between good onions and great ones, so do not skip it.