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.

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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.

How do you make crispy batter in an air fryer? ›

To pull this off without a vat of boiling-hot oil, I decided to try a blend of flour, cornstarch, oil, and water to mimic the shell that forms when you batter and deep-fry vegetables. An equal amount of all-purpose flour and cornstarch provides both structure and crunch to the batter.

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 to 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.

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.

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.

Is it better to use wet or dry batter in an air fryer? ›

You also want to avoid putting food that has a wet batter, like corndogs or tempura shrimp, in air fryers. Wet batter goes everywhere, and without a proper oil bath the batter won't set, which means it won't be the crispy, fried item you hoped it would be, according to Polak.

What makes batter more crispy? ›

Rice flour and cornstarch work particularly well because they fry up crispier than wheat flour. They also absorb less moisture and fat during the frying process, making the products less greasy. This is why rice flour is often used when making tempura because it produces a very thin and crispy, dry crust.

Can you put raw batter in an air fryer? ›

Avoid placing wet batter in the air fryer. It'll create a mess, and wet batter won't set the way it does when it's submerged in oil, meaning the food won't have that crunchy shell. If you'd like to add a little crispiness and get your food perfectly golden every time, coat it in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.

Why do you soak onions for onion rings? ›

A long soak in buttermilk in the fridge firms up the onion slices for frying and mellows their flavor.

What is the best oil for onion rings? ›

Canola oil or Vegetable oil are the best to use for deep frying. PRO TIP: The onions should rise to the top of the oil almost immediately if the oil is at the right temperature. If it's not hot enough, the onion ring will sink (and likely stick) to the bottom and the batter will fall off.

How do you keep breading from falling off onion rings? ›

A trick for getting your breading to stick better and not fall off as much when frying is to cover the breaded onion rings with a damp paper towel for 10-15 minutes after breading while the oil heats up. This helps it get a little bit tacky and stick better so less of it falls off in the hot oil.

What is the best brand of onion rings for air fryer? ›

Frozen Onion Rings: Go to the freezer section of your grocery store and grab your favorite brand of frozen onion rings. They are by far the best tasting when popped in the air fryer! I really love the ones from Trader Joe's brand. The Alexia onion rings are also a great brand.

How do you cook store bought onion rings? ›

Oven Method
  1. Spread frozen onion rings in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
  2. Flip onion rings.
  3. Continue baking for 9-11 minutes to a light golden colour.

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.

Can I reheat battered onion rings in air fryer? ›

What is the best way to reheat onion rings? The air fryer of course! The microwave is going to make them a soft and soggy mess! But high heat in the air fryer gives you that crispy texture just like they were fresh!

Does air fry make it crispy? ›

The air fryer does a great job of making food crispy because of the convection function, Pixley said. This feature allows hot air to surround the food, cooking it more evenly and quickly.

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.

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