Spring onions are an absolute bargain. You are aromatic, versatile, and cheap. Usually you can grab a bunch for less than a dollar, they’ll last a long time, and you can more shallots grow from the scraps. I like them raw (try one dipped in salt next to a rich, creamy cheese) but right now it’s all about the air-fried spring onion.
An air-fried, turbo-roasted onion not only makes my home smell warm and allium-like, but it also adds deep flavor to what you throw it at. It’s my favorite thing for a half-used green onion, which is mostly light green and white. You know the little shabby guys that look like this
I rub a little cold bacon fat the entire length of each green onion (you can toss them in olive oil, too), then toss them in my air fryer basket for 5-7 minutes depending on how thick they are. (I usually start checking after two minutes and shaking them a little.) You can also make whole spring onions, but you need to cut them in half for two reasons: depending on the size of your air fryer, they may not fit if held whole but I mostly separate the deeper green from the paler green because the deeper green part tans a lot faster than the rest of the spring onion. If your air fryer is set to 400 ° C, the green part will wither in about two minutes. The color will intensify and you will see some brown spots. After four minutes, the green portions start to crisp up strongly. After six minutes, the light green and white parts soften and begin to char.
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I like to chop the crispy green pieces and mix them into dips or mash them with some cream cheese to make toasted scallion cream cheese. The lighter ends are good on their own as a side or side dish, but they’re pretty excellent in sandwiches, wraps, and tacos.
If you want to fry a whole bunch the oven makes more sense, but it will take a lot longer (at least 30 minutes longer if you include preheating). Having an air-fried spring onion accessible means you don’t have to commit to an entire sheet pan. You can fry a pair or several or a single spring onion in less than 10 minutes and repeat if necessary. I have an average of three toasted green onions a day, one for each meal.
