Crispy Homemade Air Fryer Onion Rings

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What are air fryer onion rings?

Onion rings cooked in the air fryer are crispy and have all the tastiness of deep fried onion rings but with a fraction of the fat and calories. They are somewhat sweet and salty, which makes them the perfect snack.

To make these, you’ll need to get out your air fryer. Any airfryer works great for making these delicious rings at home tonight.

Why you’ll love this cripsy homemade air fryer onion rings recipe

Air fryer onion rings are a healthier alternative to deep fried onion rings. When we go out, one of our favorite treats are onion rings. They are delicately sweet and have the crispy fried goodness that is hard to match.

These onion rings are just as crispy and hit the spot when you are craving your favorite appetizer but don’t want to leave the house. And you will eat far less calories than if you deep fried them, which means you can feel good serving them to your family.

And, these are super fast and easy to make. You can even involve the kids if you want a fun cooking activity to do with them.

Ingredients you’ll need

You’ll need onions for this recipe, of course. We prefer to use a single large or two medium yellow sweet onions that we slice to about a 1/2-inch thick.

For the wet mix, you’ll need:

• Flour - Just about any flour will work, including all purpose, spelt, gluten free, or you preferred.
• Water - This helps the breading stick to the onion rings.
• Spices - You’ll want to season the wet ingredients with paprika, garlic powder, and salt.

For the dry mix that gives them the perfect, crispy coating, you’ll need:

• Panko Bread Crumbs - We find panko makes the crispiest breading choice, but you can use regular bread crumbs if you prefer.
• Spices - You’ll need paprika, turmeric, and salt.

How to make onion rings in the air fryer / air fryer Lid

Here’s what you’ll need to do to make these.

• To start, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Next, add in a little water to make a thick batter. The coating should be the consistency of pancake batter.
• Once the batter is formed, combine the panko breadcrumbs, paprika, turmeric, and salt in a separate bowl.

• Next, pat dry the onion rings with a paper towel to remove excessive moisture from the surface. When they are dry, dredge the onion rings in the flour, drop them in the wet flour mixture, and then coat the panko mixture.
• Once they are coated fully, spray the air fryer basket with the oil spray and place the onion rings in a single layer in the basket. 

• Finally, cook at 400°F until golden brown and crispy or for about 12 to 15 minutes. Atter 6 minutes you can spray with some cooking spray to make them extra crispy.
• You can also bake the onion rings for 20 minutes @ 450°F or until golden brown.
• Carefully lift out the onion rings with a cookie spatula, tongs, or a fork and serve immediately.

Pro tips and tricks to make the best homemade crispy air fryer onion rings

Here are some great tips and tricks for making onion rings in the air fryer.

• Make sure to spray the onion rings thoroughly with cooking spray to get the nice golden brown crunchy coating. Since some cooking sprays can damage cooking surfaces over time, you may want to place the coated onion rings on a baking sheet first and spray them before placing in the air fryer basket.
• Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer so the onion rings cook evenly. Air fryers have different capacities, so it may take more than two batches, especially if you're doubling the recipe. Serve each batch when it's ready or keep them warm in the oven.
• Divide the panko breadcrumb mixture in two. The battered rings will make the mixture sticky, so it’s best to half it so you can switch to the second part of the dry mixture after the first mix is starting to get sticky.
• Instead of paprika, you can add your favorite spices. Garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or chili are all great options.
• Place the rings in a single layer in the air fryer basket! You can put small onion rings in the bigger rings as long as they don’t touch each other!    
• Half way through cooking, spray them again with cooking spray to make them even crispier and deeper brown color.
• You don’t need to turn the onion rings during the cooking process because they will cook evenly without flipping.

Other Air Fryer Snacks recipes

If you love air fryer snacks and apps, check out these other great recipes that make healthier versions of the food you love:

• Apple chips
• Banana chips
• Buffalo cauliflower wings
• Gobi Manchurian
• Orange cauliflower
• Air Fryer Potato chips
• Onion Bhaji
• Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
• Southwest egg rolls
• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
• Air Fryer Potato Wedges

How to serve

These cripsy homemade Onion rings are a great snack or appetizer if you are entertaining people for dinner. Here are some great dip ideas:

• Chick-fil-A sauce
• Sriracha Aioli
• Green chutney
• marinara sauce

Of course, you can serve them with your favorite sauce or even use them to top your favorite sandwiches. 

How thick to slice the onion rings

For this recipe, we cut the rings into about 1/2 inch thick pieces. If you make them much bigger, they may not cook through during the frying process. But if you make them too thin, you should reduce the cook time.

Which onions are best for making onion rings

We love using yellow sweet onions. They provide a mild sweetness to the rings. But you can use white onions if you prefer. They have a bit more of a bite to them, but they are still very tasty. 

Red onions are not the best option. They tend to make oddly shaped rings that are different sizes and thicknesses.

How to store

We recommend eating the onion rings when you make them, but if you make too many, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. 

You can also freeze them. When you freeze them, let them cool completely and then place them in a freezer safe bag. You may want to place a small piece of parchment paper or a paper towel between them so they don’t stick together.

To reheat, you can place in the oven on 300 until they are warmed through. For frozen rings, follow the instructions below.

How to cook frozen onion rings in air fryer

You can cook frozen onion rings in the air fryer easily. To do so, set it to 400 and place the frozen rings in a single layer in the basket. Cook the rings for a  total of 6 minutes or until they are warmed through and crispy.

Let us know what you think!

Cripsy homemade onion rings are one of our favorites, and we are sure you’ll love them too. When you make them, don’t forget to let us know what you think of these mouthwatering treats! Be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind! 

Continue to Content

Crispy Homemade Air Fryer Onion Rings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 21 minutes

Total Time: 31 minutes

Crispy homemade air fryer onion rings are the perfect crunchy snack or side dish. Slightly sweet and salty, these onion rings are just as good or better than the onion rings you can get at your favorite restaurant. When you make these onion rings for your family, they will love the treat and you will love that they only use a fraction of the oil to make them!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 medium yellow sweet onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick and separated into rings

For the Wet Mix:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon (for dredging) Flour of Choice (All Purpose, Spelt, GF, etc)
• Half (1/2) teaspoon Paprika
• 2 / 3 cup Water
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

For the Dry Mix:

• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

1. To start, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Next, add in a little water to make a thick batter. The coating should be the consistency of pancake batter.
3. Once the batter is formed, combine the panko breadcrumbs, paprika, turmeric, and salt in a separate bowl.
4. Next, pat dry the onion rings with a paper towel to remove excessive moisture from the surface.
5. When they are dry, dredge the onion rings in the flour, drop them in the wet flour mixture, and then coat the panko mixture.
6. Once they are coated fully, spray the air fryer basket with the oil spray and place the onion rings in a single layer in the basket. 
7. Finally, cook at 400°F until golden brown and crispy or for about 12 to 15 minutes.
8. You can also bake them for 20 minutes @ 450°F or until golden brown
9. Turn the onion rings after 6 minutes and spray with some cooking spray to make them extra crispy.
10. Carefully lift out the onion rings with a cookie spatula, tongs, or a fork and serve immediately.

Notes

• Make sure to spray the onion rings thoroughly with cooking spray to get the nice golden brown crunchy coating. Since some cooking sprays can damage cooking surfaces over time, you may want to place the coated onion rings on a baking sheet first and spray them before placing in the air fryer basket.
• Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer so the onion rings cook evenly. Air fryers have different capacities, so it may take more than two batches, especially if you're doubling the recipe. Serve each batch when it's ready or keep them warm in the oven.
• Divide the panko breadcrumb mixture in two. The battered rings will make the mixture sticky, so it’s best to half it so you can switch to the second part of the dry mixture after the first mix is starting to get sticky.
• Instead of paprika, you can add your favorite spices. Garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or chili are all great options.
• Place the rings in a single layer in the air fryer basket! You can put small onion rings in the bigger rings as long as they don’t touch each other!    
• Half way through cooking, spray them again with cooking spray to make them even crispier and deeper brown color.
• You don’t need to turn the onion rings during the cooking process because they will cook evenly without flipping.

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