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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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).
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.
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If you love this recipe, you might like to have a look at these other air fryer recipes from some of my blogger friends:
Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe
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)
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 mixtureFlour mixtureEgg 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!
Mimi
It is amazing how great an air fryer can be, especially when making simple and tasty recipes. It is all about that crisp and I can see how delicious these onion rings can be!
Homemade & Yummy
These are super crispy. By far the best we have ever tasted.
April
I am crazy in love with onion rings! A party is not a party if there are no onion rings. And considering that I have never made Air Fryer Onion Rings before, I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Homemade & Yummy
These are the best onion rings we have ever tasted. For sure a winner in our house.
Daniela
I can’t believe that these onion rings can be prepared a week ahead of time! Talk about a time saver! I can’t wait to get an air fryer so that I can make these for a barbecue or a game day party. Great recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
Check out the link to this amazing little oven. You won’t be disappointed I promise!
Annissa
No, I don’t have an air fryer and, you’re right—now I want one! Your onion rings look awesome and I’ve heard so many great things about them. So much easier and cleaner than deep frying. I can’t wait to see what you make next!
Homemade & Yummy
I cannot wait to post more recipes on the blog. I have been testing and enjoying lots of delicious foods.
Donna
I love these!! I am a huge onion ring fan but haven’t had them in years because I just can’t handle deep-fried foods anymore. I think I will be putting my airfryer to good use tonight, and I am sure the kids will love helping out with the dipping!
Homemade & Yummy
I can’t stomach all the fried foods either. This is proof that you can get crispy without all the oil.
Debra
I’m totally with you on not being a fan on deep frying…I’ve been resisting the air fryer, but this recipe might just push me over the edge. They look so good and crispy! I love that you can prep in advance and that they don’t make such a mess….with is awesome for entertaining, and onion rings are just perfect for a party!
Homemade & Yummy
These warm up beautifully, so yes they are party perfect for sure. I did not know I needed an air fryer either…but SO glad hubby insisted that I did.
Maman de sara
I love onion rings, I need to get me an air fryer!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes, you really need one so you can make these delicious onion rings.
Carmy
WHOA, I didn’t realize these could be prepped a whole week in advance! I can’t believe I never tried that. I hate how rushed I feel when we fry onion rings since there are always 5 other dishes that have to be made at the same time. I can’t wait to try this in my air fryer!
Homemade & Yummy
I know, what a time saver right? Makes things so much easier. Another thing, these warm-up beautifully too. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Sean@Diversivore
Y’see, this is difficult for me. Because I’ve been thinking about getting an air-fryer, it’s nice to see some great recipes for it. But the knowledge that I could just make myself onion rings any old time? That’s dangerous stuff right there. That crispy panko crust on those rings looks absolutely stellar. I’m going to have to wrestle my demons if (when?) I do finally pick up an air fryer. Hahaha.
Homemade & Yummy
Well, hubby convinced me that I needed an air fryer. Then we had to make the room for it. That included a storage unit so that I could rearrange the kitchen. HAPPY with ALL the moving around…and this incredible little oven. Can’t wait to post more recipes soon.
Jayashree
Love onion rings but I deep fry them. Using an air fryer is such a good option.
Homemade & Yummy
This is such a great (and healthier) option….and they are SO good.
Jacqueline Debono
I have been thinking about an air fryer but still not sure because of space. But these onion rings look amazing and I don’t like deep frying food in lots of oil! So, I’m going to have to find the space!
Homemade & Yummy
I would seriously consider getting one. I did not think I would use it…but SO happy that we did get one. We had to make room too.
Cheese Curd In Paradise
These look so good! They are so crispy. I love that you made them into an air fryer recipe. It just shows crispy crunchy food doesn’t have to be fried!
Homemade & Yummy
These are super crunchy and super delicious…and will be happening all the time now.
Marisa Franca
Well I just learned something new — air fryers can do more than well, just fry. I’m really excited at the prospect of learning what yours can do. See, we’ve been eyeing air fryers and also to give as gifts. Our youngest son has to watch fried foods and he loves them. So I’m thinking of getting him and us of course an air fryer. Your onion rings look so good. I don’t know if I could make enough rings to feed the entire family. I love that tip about the freezer.
Homemade & Yummy
You can make these in batches, and for sure you can feed a crowd. They warm up beautifully too. Check out this oven…it is amazing.
Marisa Franca
This recipe alone would make me march out and get an air fryer. We love fried onion rings and never make them at home — we try to watch our calories. And I know you don’t have to eat that many – well, we have no self-control whatsoever when it comes to onion rings. Your crispy onion rings look amazing. I can almost hear the crunch. I’m looking into air fryers.
Homemade & Yummy
I would suggest you march out and GET one of these ovens. So happy hubby insisted I needed one….and we sure love it.
Linda
I’m all about air frying because like you, I don’t like deep fried food. This onion rings recipe is perfect for a gathering or upcoming game day.
Homemade & Yummy
I can’t wait to post more delicious recipes for everyone.