Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (2024)

By: Author Janessa

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Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (1)

You are going to LOVE my air fryer onion rings recipe!They are a great appetizer or perfect side dish. They are one of my favorite restaurant side dishes and I love to fix them on game day.

And, thanks to the air fryer, you can now make them at home! It’s so satisfying to be able to make your own homemade onion rings!

We’ve had an air fryer for a while now and I LOVE this thing! Before buying the air fryer we had a traditional oil fryer for deep-fried food. The deep fryer made food taste great but it was a pain to clean and it made the entire house smell like a McDonald’s.

The air fryer, on the other hand,still makes food taste great but with the added bonus of not stinking up the whole house. The air fryer basket and unit itself are so easy to clean too. I love that there is so much less mess with an air fryer. Win-win!

The other day we made this homemade air fryer onion rings recipe and they turned out pretty tasty, so now I’m sharing it with you! This extra crispy onion rings recipe is pretty easy but takes a few minutes to prepare the ingredients and to cut the onion. It’s well worth the work, though! Enjoy!

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (2)

Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1 tspof paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt (divided in half)
  • 1/2 cup of buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • cooking spray

Directions

You’ll need three bowls for this recipe. In the first small bowl combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tspof paprika, and 1/2 tsp of salt, and stir.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (3)

In the second medium bowl mix 1/4 cup of the flour/paprika/salt mixture from the first bowl with 1/2 cup of buttermilk and the egg for the egg wash. Stir well.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (4)

Finally, in the third bowl combine 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs with 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir gently until the oil evenly coats the panko breadcrumbs.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (5)

Cut the yellow onion into 1/2 inch thick slices and separateinto individual rings. Taking each ring, dredge them into the flour mixture, then dip them in the buttermilk mixture making sure they’re fully coated, and then dredge them in the panko mixture.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (6)

Place your coated rings into your air fryer in a single layer, being sure that the crispy coating doesn’t touch. You may find that you can only fry four or so at a time. Sometimes I’m able to fit the smaller rings inside of the bigger rings.

Fry at 380 degrees for 10 minutes until they are golden brown. You can spray with cooking spray midway through the frying process if necessary.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (7)
Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (8)

That’s it! You’re ready to enjoy your crispy air fryer onion rings! Don’t forget to print the recipe card of save it to a board of your favorite air fryer recipes on Pinterest. It’s a tasty snack you’ll want to make again and again.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (9)

Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

Yield: 20-40 onion rings, depending on onion size

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

An easy air fryer onion ring recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp of paprika
  • 1 tsp of salt (divided in half)
  • 1/2 cup of buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  1. You’ll need three bowls for this recipe. In the first bowl combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tspof paprika, and 1/2 tsp of salt and stir.
  2. In the second bowl mix 1/4 cup of the flour/paprika/salt mixture from the first bowl with 1/2 cup of buttermilk and the egg. Stir well.
  3. Finally, in the third bowl combine 1 cup of panko bread crumbs with 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir gently until the oil evenly coats the panko breadcrumbs.
  4. Cut the yellow onion into 1/2 inch thick slices and separateinto individual rings. Taking each ring, dredge them into the flour mixture, then dip them in the buttermilk egg mixture making sure they’re fully coated, and then dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture.
  5. Place your coated rings into your air fryer, being sure they don’t touch. You may find that you can only fry four or so at a time. Fry at 380 degrees for 10 minutes. You can spray with cooking spray midway through the frying process if necessary.

Notes

We like using yellow onions for this recipe but you could definitely use red onions, sweet onions (vidalia onion) or white onions as well if you prefer.

We have an air fryer with a tray now instead of just an air fryer basket which makes it easier to cook lots of rings in a single layer at once. If you plan to cook things like onion rings, french fries, and chicken fingers using an air fryer often, it might be worthwhile for you to get an air fryer of this style. I have both types and use each of them a lot.

If you love the flavor of garlic, try adding 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the dry mixture bowl.

Pair these onion rings with your favorite dipping sauce.

If you don't have panko you can substitute regular breadcrumbs, but I do feel like panko is the best for giving you a nice crispy onion ring.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5Serving Size: 5 Onion Rings
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 216Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 685mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g

These nutritional facts are an estimate and will vary based on the size of your onion.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Related Posts

Looking for other great air fryerrecipes? If you love these crunchy onion rings, you’ll also enjoy ourAir Fryer Hushpuppies recipeand ourAir Fryer Sugar Doughnut recipe! They are both great recipes and easy recipes too.

These air fryer onion rings pair great with salmon patties and skillet green beans. Yum!

Make sure you clean the air fryer regularly for the best flavor, best results, and longevity of your small appliance.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (11)
Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to crisp up onion rings in air fryer? ›

Using an Air Fryer to Reheat Onion Rings
  1. Optional: Spray your air fryer basket with a bit of oil.
  2. Place your onion rings in the basket.
  3. Set your temperature to 350.
  4. Cook them for about 5 minutes.
  5. Remove the fried onion rings when the outside of the rings are crispy and brown.

Why are my onion rings not crispy? ›

Don't skip the frying thermometer though—it's important to make sure you're frying at the right temperature so your onion rings come out crispy, crunchy, and delicious. If the oil isn't hot enough, your onion rings can turn out soggy; too hot, and the oil can start to smoke.

How do you keep onion rings from getting soggy? ›

Extra-Crunchy Homemade Onion Rings

The main changes we made were to double-dip the onion rings in buttermilk and flour to make them extra crunchy, and to fry them at a slightly higher temp. We also increased the proportion of cornmeal.

How do you air fry Nathan's onion rings? ›

Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings FAQ

Reheat them the same way you cooked them, but at a lower temperature so they don't become hard. Preheat the fryer at 320°F for 3 minutes. Add the rings to the basket in a single layer. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stopping to flip them about halfway.

How to make Crispier air fryer? ›

A drizzle or a quick oil spray is all you need for restaurant-quality fries and golden brown fried chicken, while other foods don't need any oil, like pizza or leftovers you might reheat. Some advocate for spraying the drawer or rack inside the air fryer, and while it doesn't hurt, it's unnecessary.

Why does the breading fall off onion rings? ›

If it's not hot enough, the onion ring will sink (and likely stick) to the bottom and the batter will fall off.

Why do you soak onions in milk before frying? ›

There seems to be general agreement about preparation of fried onion rings, either for home consumption or in a restaurant: the onion rings should be soaked in cold milk and/or water before frying. It crisps them up.

Why do you soak onion rings? ›

Soaking the onions helps dilute their sulfur content, taking away that pungent, raw bite and leaving you with a pleasant, milder onion that still has some snap to it. Cuisine At Home also recommends maintaining ultimate crispiness by double-dipping the onions in buttermilk and seasoned flour.

What is the best oil for onion rings? ›

Oil for frying: Use any neutral-flavored vegetable oil that works great for high heat to cook your crispy fried onion rings. Canola, sunflower oil, and avocado oil are just a few that work great.

What is the difference between battered and breaded onion rings? ›

Breaded rings are dredged in a dry mixture of flour and seasonings. Add a liquid — like water, beer, or even eggs — to that same blend, and you create a batter. Battered rings are coated in this goopy concoction before going into the fryer.

Are onion rings better in air fryer or deep fryer? ›

Onion rings are a perfect, flavorful, quick, healthy[ish] snack, especially when made in the air fryer. They come out just as crispy as they do when deep fried, but with a fraction the oil. This has quickly become one of our all-time favorite air fryer recipes.

How long to air fry frozen onion rings at 400? ›

How to Cook Frozen Onion Rings in Air Fryer
  1. Layer: Layer half of the bag of frozen onion rings into the basket of the air fryer. ...
  2. Spray: Lightly spray the onion rings with non-stick cooking spray. ...
  3. Cook: Close the air fryer and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.
Jan 21, 2023

How to air fry battered foods? ›

Dredge the battered meat in flour (all sides) and then give each piece a spray of oil (check out this Refillable Cooking Oil Sprayer). They can go back into the fridge until you are ready to cook them. Heat up your air fryer and then add the meat. I have found a longer cook time and lower temperature works best.

Can you make soggy fries crispy again in air fryer? ›

Using an air fryer is an excellent and easy way to give your fries that fresh-from-the-fryer crunch. Simply set your air fryer to 350 degrees, then place your leftover fries in a single layer in the fryer basket. Heat them for three to five minutes or until they reach your desired crispiness.

Why does my air fryer not crisp? ›

Why is my food not crispy in an air fryer? If your food is not crispy when coming out of an air fryer, you may not have patted it dry before putting it in to cook. Meat or proteins, or foods you may have washed, will fry better without the added moisture.

How do you reheat onion rings and fries in an air fryer? ›

Place in a basket of an air fryer. Set Air fryer to 190°c and cook for 5 - minutes. All excess oil will drop to bottom of the pan. No need for kitchen towels using this method.

Why are my crispy onions soggy? ›

The first is to make sure that you aren't overcrowding the pan when frying the onion. A second reason would be that the oil is too low in temperature which results in soggy onions. Also, make sure to drain the fried rings on a paper towel to soak up any residual oil and then onto a plate.

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