• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Homemade & Yummy
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Roundups
  • Brand Influencer
    • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure & Copyright
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Brand Influencer
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Brand Influencer
    • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

    August 18, 2020 *Updated* September 6, 2022 / By: Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy 164 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure Policy.
    Jump To Recipe

    These Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings are the hands down the BEST we have ever eaten.

    Homemade onion rings are so good, especially when you make them in an air fryer. Less oil does not mean less crispy. You can even make them spicy too.

    Crispy Onion Rings made in the air fryer.

    Let’s face it, all that deep-fried food is not the greatest for your health. Make onion rings from scratch without a deep fryer.

    I happen to love fries and had to find another way to make them so that I could enjoy them more than a few times a year. Crispy Spicy Fries happen a lot around here now. The perfect side to ANYTHING.

    Join Our Mailing List

    You will receive a FREE PANTRY STAPLES PRINTABLE and easy recipes to make with them.

    Looking for a great appetizer or main dish? Fish cakes in the air fryer work well for both.

    RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for these air fried onion rings can be found at the bottom of this post.

    Onion cut into slices and separated into rings.

    Ingredients For Air Fryer Onion Rings

    These easy onion rings turn out crispy, delicious and are fun to make. Get the kids involved if you like (maybe not the slicing part). Once you have onions sliced and separated into rings, the rest is like an assembly line.

    I promise you will not miss the deep-fried variety again. You will need:

    • onions
    • eggs
    • flour
    • panko breadcrumbs
    • seasoning

    These onion rings are made with no buttermilk.

    Onion rings cooking in the air fryer.

    Best Onions To Use

    Honestly, I don’t think there is a right or wrong onion (except for just yellow cooking onions).

    • Spanish
    • Sweet White
    • Vidalia
    • Red (the variety used in this recipe) 

    My pickled onions are made with red onions too. Experiment and see which onion variety you like best. They will all turn out delicious and super crispy. 

    Have you ever tried Caramelized Onion Jam? This bourbon flavoured condiment is perfect for burgers and more.

    Seasoned flour for the in a bowl.

    And talking about delicious recipes, this Homemade Onion Gravy is the BEST gravy from scratch hands-down. Any steak would love to be topped with this rich sauce.

    How To Coat Onion Rings

    You will have 3 different bowls to dip and coat in. One for eggs, one for flour and one for breadcrumbs. There really isn’t an onion ring batter. More like layers of coating.

    I seasoned each of the bowls with Frank’s seasoning. We love our food on the spicy side. Feel free to omit this if you prefer, add more if you like, or use something else altogether.

    Now here comes the fun (and a bit messy) part, ALL the dipping! This process involves several dipped and coated layers, but trust me, it is so worth the effort. 

    Onion rings getting coated with breadcrumbs.

    For each onion ring you will:

    • dip in egg mixture
    • then flour mixture
    • back in egg mixture
    • again in flour
    • one more egg dip
    • then in breadcrumbs

    After all the dipping and coating, place your battered onion rings on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

    NO, you cannot skip this step (just in case you were wondering).

    Close up of the crispy coated onion ring ready to eat.

    This is our favourite air fryer onion ring recipe. The only way we will eat them now. 

    Recipe Tips

    • Can you cook frozen onion rings in the air fryer? YES! In fact, these are cooked from frozen. Once they are all coated, you place them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes (but up to 1 week). 
    • How long does it take to air fry onion rings? That will depend on your particular air fryer. This recipe was cooked at 375ºF for 10-12 minutes.
    • Be sure the cut your onion into THICK slices, and separate the rings before coating. 
    • Spray the onions rings with some cooking spray before placing them in the air fryer. This will help give them a nice brown colour as they cook.
    • The smaller rings will cook faster, so you may want to remove those before the rest are done so they don’t burn.
    • I love using *(affiliate) panko breadcrumbs in recipes. This is the key to ultimate crispiness. Regular breadcrumbs work, but not as well.
    • You can use any kind of seasoning you like for this onion ring recipe. I used *(affiliate) Frank’s Seasoning since we like our food on the spicy side. You can try Italian, Greek,  or Jerk seasonings. There is no wrong way to make these tasty and delicious.
    • Can you reheat onion rings? YES, these reheat beautifully. Use a lower temperature like 325-350ºF for about 5 minutes (or until they are hot enough for you).
    A tray of coated onion rings ready to go into the freezer.

    There are lots of different brands of air fryers on the market. For this recipe, I used the *(affiliate) Breville Smart Oven Air.

    This oven has a large mesh basket that slides into the oven. This makes it very easy to cook a lot of food at once. 

    Perfect for large cuts of meat like steaks and pork chops. Great for chicken wings andy Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks too.

    You can also use this as a regular oven, toaster oven, pizza oven, proof bread, bake cookies and more. BONUS, it works as a dehydrator too. The perfect little oven for many uses.

    Be sure to CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON located in the TOP MENU. You will get a FREE PRINTABLE and recipes! FOLLOW ME on social media too.

    If you love this recipe, you might like to have a look at these other air fryer recipes from some of my blogger friends:

    • Avocado Fries
    • Mozzarella Bites
    • Artichoke Hearts
    • Fried Pickles
    Air Fryer Onion Rings Pin Image
    Close up of Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings on a plate.

    Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

    These Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings are crispiest the onion rings you have ever tried. THE BEST!
    4.97 from 96 votes
    Pin Recipe Print Rate Save Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Canadian
    Keyword: Air Fryer Recipe
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 506kcal
    Author: Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

    Ingredients

    • 13 ounce red onion (I very large onion)
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 6 eggs
    • 2 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
    • ¼ cup Frank’s Seasoning (optional)
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    For the ONION RINGS:

    • Peel and cut the onion crosswise into thick slices (approx. ¾ inch thickness), then separate the slices into rings.
    • Get 3 shallow bowls.
    • Place the flour in one bowl, the beaten eggs in another bowl, and the breadcrumbs in the last bowl.
    • Divide Frank’s seasoning evenly between the bowls, and mix to combine.

    To COAT:

    • For EACH ring dip and coat in this order:
      Egg mixture
      Flour mixture
      Egg mixture (this is the second time in egg)
      Flour mixture (this is the second time in flour)
      Egg mixture (this is the third time in egg)
      Finally, in the breadcrumbs (press to coat nicely)
    • Place ALL the coated onion rings on a metal baking sheet, and put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. **NOTE** You can actually do this up to a week in advance.

    To AIR FRY:

    • Preheat your air fryer to 375º F.
    • Remove onion rings from the freezer.
    • Place the onion rings in a single layer in your air fryer container. Spray lightly with cooking spray. 
    • Fry for approximately 10-12 minutes (turning over at the halfway point).
    • Onion rings are ready when they are tender, golden brown and crispy.
    • ENJOY!

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 245mg | Sodium: 3848mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 6.1mg

    Notes

    The Frank’s Seasoning is rather salty. If you are worried about sodium intake, reduce the amount, leave it out or replace it with something less salty. 
    Tried this recipe?Take a picture and tag @homemadeandyummy
    Nutritional information on this site is generated via a plugin. I am not responsible for the accuracy of the plugin information.

    More Recipes

    • Easy No Bake Chocolate Coconut Nests
    • Goat Cheese Log
    • Skillet Corned Beef And Potato Hash
    • Smashed Avocado On Toast

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Gloria Duggan is the author for Homemade & Yummy, where she creates fun and easy recipes. She is also a brand ambassador/influencer for well-known companies. Gloria has judged food competitions and has posted about local food events. Gloria's work has been featured in magazines, and she has been interviewed on several podcasts. Read More…

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carol Woodard

      February 16, 2023 at 7:42 pm

      These were ok…too much breading for us. Will try just one flour dip next time.

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        February 17, 2023 at 9:19 am

        The recipe will still work with one dipping, just not all the crispiness.

    2. Jan

      January 10, 2023 at 3:32 pm

      Very good and very easy to fix.my husband was craving onion ring and I didn’t want to get in frying with grease. I decided to try this recipe and it was so good and of course not greasy. I used Red Robin seasoning and it was very good. Will definitely be making these again.

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        January 11, 2023 at 9:38 am

        Thanks so much for letting me know you liked this onion ring recipe. They are crispy without the grease that is for sure.

    3. cam

      December 29, 2022 at 9:38 am

      So delicious! Love it!

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        December 29, 2022 at 10:22 am

        Thanks, glad you enjoyed them.

    4. Elena

      December 21, 2022 at 6:22 am

      So much better than a takeout. I used gluten-free breadcrumbs and it worked perfectly. Thank you for the great recipe.

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        December 21, 2022 at 9:16 am

        You are very welcome. These onion rings are super crispy for sure.

    5. Sharina

      December 21, 2022 at 5:55 am

      Thanks Gloria for this wonderful recipe. My family loves these air fryer onion rings. It turned out so crispy and satisfying. We’ll surely have this again. Must-try!

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        December 21, 2022 at 9:16 am

        I agree, these onion rings are over-the-top crispy and delicious.

    6. Lisa

      December 20, 2022 at 4:24 pm

      So much better (and healthier) than deep frying! I’ll be making my onion rings with an air fryer from now on.

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        December 21, 2022 at 9:16 am

        I agree, air fryers are so great. All the taste of deep frying with a fraction of the calories.

    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Gloria headshot

    Hi, I'm Gloria! Homemade food should be tasty, easy and satisfying. Let me help you create food your family will love.

    More about me →

    Connect with me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Breakfast/Brunch

    • Goat Cheese Log
    • Smashed Avocado On Toast
    • Easy Muesli Recipe
    • Poached Eggs & Lentil Hash

    Popular Favourites

    • Easy Classic Pickled Eggs Recipe
    • Simple Smoked Salmon Sandwich
    • Ukrainian Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole
    • Quinoa Tuna Casserole

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Brand Influencer
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Homemade & Yummy