This easy air fryer pearl onions recipe features fresh pearl onions roasted with balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary. Learn how to make this tasty vegetable side dish in only 20 minutes using your air fryer.

Perfect for the holidays or busy weeknight family dinners, this roasted pearl onions recipe is a lovely addition to any menu. Their sweet and tangy flavors make them a wonderful complement to roasted or grilled beef, pork, or turkey. Another bonus is that they can easily be made ahead of time because they store and reheat very well!

Air frying pearl onions help to bring out their natural sweetness. They crisp nicely in the air fryer and the insides become wonderfully caramelized. Quicker and easier than the oven, the air fryer is my favorite go-to kitchen appliance for simple and delicious side dishes!

Recipe ingredients

Pearl onions. You'll need 1lb of fresh peeled pearl onions.

Salt and pepper. Essential seasonings to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.

Olive oil. Helps to caramelize the onions in the air fryer.

Garlic powder. Gives a nice hint of garlic flavor to the onions.

Balsamic vinegar. An aged grape vinegar that has a sweet and tart flavor that nicely complements the mellow flavor of the pearl onions.

Rosemary. Freshly chopped, adds a wonderful aroma.

ingredients needed for this recipe — ingredients needed for the recipe

How to make air fryer pearl onions

If using fresh pearls onions, peel them first. You can peel each one by hand or use one of the tricks that I listed below.

Place onions in the small bowl. Add olive or avocado oil, balsamic vinegar or a drop of balsamic glaze, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Carefully stir them around and pour in to the air fryer. Cook as instructed on the recipe card below.

The recipe is very easy! The most challenging part is probably to peel the onions, and the most time consuming.

unpeeled pearl onions on the cutting board — unpeeled pearl onions

How to peel pearl onions

The best way to peel pearl onions is to blanch them first. This loosens the papery skin from the onion so you can easily remove it.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then immerse the pearl onions for a couple of minutes or until the skins start to loosen, then transfer them to an ice water bath for 2 minutes.

Drain the onions then cut off the ends with a knife or pair of kitchen shears, then peel off the papery skin revealing translucent onion.

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Substitutions

Fresh or frozen pearl onions. If you can't find fresh pearl onions, frozen will work just fine. Because we are using fresh onions for this recipe, we are cooking them at a lower heat. However, if you are using frozen you might want to cook them at a slightly higher temperature so they can get nicely caramelized.

Onions. Instead of pearl onions, you can use white onions, sweet onions, or shallots. These varieties do not have a strong pungent onion flavor like yellow onions and are great replacements for pearl onions in this recipe.

Variations

Switch up the herbs. Instead of rosemary, try fresh thyme, oregano, dried basil, or parsley.

Roast them with potatoes. Serve these air fryer pearl onions as is or roast them with baby red potatoes or fingerling potatoes to turn regular roasted potatoes into a flavorful side dish.

seasoned pearl onions with balsamic in the air fryer

Frequently asked questions

What type of onions are they?

Pearl onions, also known as baby onions, are small onions that taste like white onions but have a sweeter and milder flavor. They come in white, yellow, and red varieties. They can be added to pot pies, stews, or roasted by themselves as a tasty side dish.

What is the difference between pearl onions and regular onions?

Pearl onions are a smaller version of regular onions but with a sweeter taste.

Do I have to peel the onions before roasting?

Yes, pearl onions have a papery inedible skin that needs to be removed before roasting. Unlike regular onions, the papery skin of pearl onions needs to be removed by heating the onions just enough to loosen the outside skin.

How do you peel them?

Blanch them in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes or until the skins start to loosen, then transfer them into an ice water bath for 2 minutes. Cut the ends off of the onion then peel off the papery skin.

Where can I buy them?

Pearl onions are available all year round and can be found in your local grocery stores. You can find them already peeled and frozen in the freezer section or fresh with their papery skins still on in the produce department.

air fryer pearl onions in the small bowl

Serving suggestions

Serve air fryer pearl onions with any meat dish. They will do great with steak or tri tip. Lamb chops would go well with onions and some roasted carrots.

Try to add pearl onions as a side to your favorite fish dish. Salmon fillet, trout or tuna are delicious with lightly crunchy sautéed pearl onions!

Storage

Got leftovers? Store them in the air light container in the ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.

Reheat in the microwave (1 minute) or air fryer (2 minutes at 400 degrees), this is preferred method.

You can freeze pearl onions. Just place them in the freezer safe ziplock bag or plastic container and store in your freezer for several months. Great idea for quick side dish.

Air Fryer Pearl Onions

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb fresh pearl onions
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary

Instructions

Combine peeled onions with oil, rosemary, salt and pepper, garlic powder and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.
Place onions in the air fryer and cook at 380 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Notes

Got leftovers? Store them in the air light container in the ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.

Reheat in the microwave (1 minute) or air fryer (2 minutes at 400 degrees), this is preferred method.

You can freeze pearl onions. Just place them in the freezer safe ziplock bag or plastic container and store in your freezer for several months. Great idea for quick side dish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 538mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g