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Cajun Bloomin’ Onion in an Air Fryer

An Outback Cajun Bloomin’ Onion is about my favorite appetizer ever! But it’s not always worth the expense and the time spent at a busy restaurant. Instead, make your own bloomin’ onion from home with this delicious, and easy, air fryer bloomin’ onion recipe!

Air Fryer Cajun Bloomin Onion

Cajun Bloomin’ Onion
in an Air Fryer

This recipe is just 5 easy steps – you’ll make two mixture bowls, cut your onion, dip and spread the seasonings, and then pop it into your air fryer! Here’s how to make this Cajun Bloomin’ Onion!

Air Fryer Cajun Bloomin Onion

In a bowl mix Panko, flour, with Cajun seasoning, cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Peel onion, cut off the top. Place cut side of the onion down onto a cutting board. Starting 1⁄2 inch from the root, cut downward, all the way to the cutting board.

Air Fryer Cajun Bloomin Onion

Repeat to make 4 evenly spaced cuts around the onion. Continue slicing through each section until you have made 8 cuts total. Open onion so “petals” are exposed.

In a large bowl add 1 cup flour. Dip the onion in the large bowl of flour. Make sure to give the onion an even dusting.

Air Fryer Cajun Bloomin Onion

Add the egg and buttermilk with the panko, cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper mixture. Stir to combine. Dip the onion into the egg and seasoning mixture. Make sure to get the mixture in between all “petals.”

Turn onion upside down to remove any of the excess mixture. Now ladle the mixture into every crevice of the onion.

Air Fryer Cajun Bloomin Onion

Place the blooming onion into the fry basket of the air fryer. Place the basket in the air fryer. Press the “M” button to scroll to the Chicken Icon. Press the power button adjusting cooking time to 15 minutes at 360 degrees.

Air Fryer Cajun Bloomin Onion

When a timer goes off, check for the crispness of the onion. Cook 5-10 more minutes to desired crispness. When done, remove carefully.

Air Fryer Cajun
Bloomin’ Onion Recipe

Air Fryer Cajun Bloomin Onion
Yield: 4 servings

Cajun Bloomin' Onion and Green Onion Ranch Dip

Cajun Bloomin' Onion and Green Onion Ranch Dip
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 large Vadalia onion
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs (room temp)
  • 3/4 cup panko
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 tbsp cajun seasoning
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp sea sSalt

Ingredients Green Onion Ranch Dip:

  • 8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
  • 8 oz container sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 package ranch dressing mix
  • 18 green onions (chopped)
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

Instructions

    Directions for Bloomin Onion:

    1. In a bowl mix Panko, flour, with Cajun seasoning, cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
    2. Peel onion, cut off the top. Place cut side of the onion down onto a cutting board. Starting 1⁄2 inch from the root, cut downward, all the way to the cutting board. Repeat to make 4 evenly spaced cuts around the onion. Continue slicing through each section until you have made 8 cuts total. Open onion so “petals” are exposed.
    3. In a large bowl add 1 cup flour. Dip the onion in the large bowl of flour. Make sure to give the onion an even dusting.
    4. Add the egg and buttermilk with the panko, cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper mixture. Stir to combine. Dip the onion into the egg and seasoning mixture. Make sure to get the mixture in between all “petals.” Turn onion upside down to remove any of the excess mixture. Now ladle the mixture into every crevice of the onion.
    5. Place the blooming onion into the fry basket of the air fryer. Place the basket in the air fryer. Press the "M" button to scroll to the Chicken Icon. Press the power button adjusting cooking time to 15 minutes at 360 degrees. When a timer goes off, check for the crispness of the onion. Cook 5-10 more minutes to desired crispness. When done, remove carefully.

    Directions Green Onion Ranch Dip:

    1. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
    2. Sprinkle in the ranch dressing mix, green onions, and optional jalapeno. Stir until well combined.
    3. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    6

    Serving Size:

    1

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 535Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 2402mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 12g
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    What’s your favorite appetizer?

    Suzette

    Sunday 24th of June 2018

    Be sure to mix the 1 cup of flour into the panko mixture. I also think this calls for more than 1/4 cup of buttermilk. We had to add much more to get our batter to look like the picture.

    Jeff B

    Sunday 15th of July 2018

    I completely agree! The way they wrote this recipe is terrible. No need to put the Panko in with the milk and egg mixture... it just got clumpy and wouldn’t go into the onion. But it’s cooking now and I’m attempting, we’ll see how it turns out.

    Jenn

    Saturday 2nd of June 2018

    So I tried this recipe and my Panko mixture got clumpy. What did I do wrong?

    Marcie W.

    Tuesday 29th of May 2018

    Bloomin onions are the absolute best and I love the thought of adding a touch of heat to the original recipe. That delicious dip sounds like the perfect accompaniment too!

    Lois Christensen

    Tuesday 29th of May 2018

    I've never even had a regular deep fried bloomin onion! This looks amazing. Definitely on my wish list is an air fryer and will save this recipe to try then.

    Scott

    Tuesday 29th of May 2018

    I don't know if it would fit in our fryer, but I'm willing to give it a shot! We love bloomin' onions!

    Comments are closed.
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