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!
Sherri
I haven’t had onion rings in ages since fried food makes me not feel so good, but this is such a great idea to put them in the air fryer! I definitely need to give this a try! They look perfect!
Homemade & Yummy
OMG these are so addictive….we LOVE them.
Linda
I received an air fryer for Christmas from my husband (for the same reason yours said – he gets to eat all the creations) and I love it! I’ve made chicken wings, cooked shrimp and salmon and made hash browns fro breakfast and every one has been quick, easy and delicious. Now I’m dying to try these onion rings. They look just the way we like them – crispy, crispy, crispy!
Homemade & Yummy
SUPER crispy…and super delicious. ENJOY!! So glad you love your air fryer too.
Kylie | Midwest Foodie
Onion rings are one of my guilty pleasures – I love this healthier recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
These are SO good. Hope you give this delicious recipe a try. HIGHLY addictive LOL!!
Toni
Can’t wait to try it with my air fryer!!
Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY…these are our favourite of all time.
Dominique
Ok, I’m thinking I officially need an air fryer now. These onion rings just look so crispy perfect…I love that they aren’t fried in oil…s o much healthier!
Homemade & Yummy
I will say I didn’t think I needed one. CLEARLY I was wrong!!
Anna
These look just perfect, that golden glow and perfectly crisp outside! Onion rings are one of my favourite side dishes, and I often make them at home, but never made them in the air fryer before, so definitely going to try that very soon!
Homemade & Yummy
We are addicted to these. Hubby is already asking when am I making more.
Dana
Holy moly! These look incredible! I haven’t taken my air fryer out in ages and I’m about to. These look so crispy, golden, and perfect. I love love love onion rings, but I avoid them because they’re greasy little buggers and usually upset my belly later on. This is obviously the perfect solution. I can’t wait to mow these down!
Homemade & Yummy
I know…this is the BEST onion ring recipe ever. Give it a try and see for yourself.
Trish Bozeman
Oh man, I love a good onion ring! We don’t have an air fryer, but recipes like this keep popping up and it’s making me think we really need one. Look at how crispy these are! Knocked it out of the park with this one, Gloria. 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
I didn’t think I needed an air fryer either…boy was I wrong!!
Donald
They fry nicely but they desperately need salt and pepper. Followed the recipe to the T but they need flavor.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Feel free to season in any way you like. I used Frank’s seasoning, which is very salty….so did not need any more salt for our liking. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Stephanie
Wow! These look crazy delicious and I bet they are totally addicting! I need to get my hands on an air fryer and try these!
Homemade & Yummy
They are totally addictive…and delicious.
Krista Price
Air fryers are the freaking greatest! I love making hand breaded onion rings in my air fryer! I’m going to try your method next time I’m craving some rings!
Homemade & Yummy
I know…these are deadly addictive. I know you will love them.
traci
Ohhh I love it that 5 simple ingredients can make the crispiest comfort food right at home! Air fryer does it again! Onion rings are one of my favorite fried foods, so this one is exactly what I needed. Thanks for sharing!
Homemade & Yummy
I love the fact these are NOT fried…and SO good.
Lathiya
Wow, now you make me want to try these crispy onion rings..and thanks for the tip to make it super crispy
Homemade & Yummy
They are SUPER crispy and totally delicious. Hope you give them a try soon.
Annemarie
I think this is the food definition of a killer app! To have super crispy onion rings, at home, and without all the grease and mess of deep frying is the perfect reason to get an air fryer! And you can make these ahead, which means they are even more perfect.
Homemade & Yummy
Perfection all the way around. Hope you give these a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Tracy
I love that you use red onion in these – I usually make them white but now I’m going to try red! Also, the fact that you can prep them ahead of time – genius! Such a time saver! Now I just need an air fryer!
Homemade & Yummy
The red onions really work well, and are super delicious too. Get an air fryer…you won’t be disappoointed.
Tracy
I love that these use red onions! I usually make onion rings with white onions, but I think I need to try red! And the fact that you can prep these ahead and store in the freezer – genius. And soooo helpful! Now I just need an air fryer!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes you really need to get an air fryer…and this little oven is amazing for sure. Be sure to check out the link.