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You are here: Home / Recipes / Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

August 18, 2020 *Updated* October 14, 2020 / By: Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy 148 Comments

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Recipe Jump

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.

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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.

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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:

  • 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!
5 from 64 votes
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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.
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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. HEATHER PERINE

    August 26, 2020 at 2:07 pm

    I’ve been making everything in my air fryer lately. I’m obsessed. But I haven’t tried onion rings yet! This was so easy and so good. I used Vidalia, my favorite 🙂

    Reply
    • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

      August 29, 2020 at 12:13 pm

      Vidalia would be awesome in this recipe. Enjoy.

  2. Neha

    August 20, 2020 at 12:28 pm

    Wow making onion rings in air fryer is such a brilliant idea! I can’t wait to make these in my kitchen! They are my husband’s favorite.

    Reply
    • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

      August 22, 2020 at 9:30 am

      These turn out super crispy every time.

  3. Angela

    August 20, 2020 at 10:57 am

    I love my air fryer! I hadn’t tried onion rings yet. This is a great recipe.

    Reply
    • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

      August 22, 2020 at 9:34 am

      You really need to give this onion rings a try.

  4. Pavani

    August 20, 2020 at 10:46 am

    Wow, such crispy and delicious onion rings that are not deep fried. This is a genius recipe and I want to try them out right away. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe.

    Reply
    • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

      August 22, 2020 at 9:35 am

      I hope you give this recipe a try. Such a great way to enjoy cripsy onion rings without the deep frying.

  5. Emmeline

    August 20, 2020 at 10:02 am

    These are the perfect onion rings!! Super crispy and a bit healthier – love it!

    Reply
    • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

      August 22, 2020 at 9:35 am

      MUCH healthier for sure. ENJOY!

  6. Beth

    August 20, 2020 at 9:31 am

    Yum! These look so delicious and tasty! My husband and I love onion rings! Can’t wait to make these!

    Reply
    • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

      August 22, 2020 at 9:36 am

      These are the only onion rings we enjoy now. Hope you give this recipe a try.

  7. Roxy

    April 07, 2020 at 10:45 am

    This was definitely a labor of love, but totally worth it. SO delicious! I was really impressed with the coating that resulted from the battering process. Thick, super crispy, and adhered great to the rings. Not a quick endeavor — I think my go-to in the future will be to batter and freeze a whole bunch so I can just throw them in to cook when wanted — but, again, so worth it. Very impressed!

    Reply
    • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

      April 08, 2020 at 10:56 am

      Yes the coating does take some time….but the results are worth it. The fact you can make them ahead of time and place them in the freezer is a bonus.

  8. Donna Watson

    April 27, 2019 at 4:34 pm

    My rings are still in the freezer (25 and counting)—but I HAD to write: I had some ‘leftover’ panko and egg—so I did some cheddar cheese, following the directions. I am enjoying them—whoops—freezer time is over! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM I have only had my AF for a few weeks—-and mine is not like the ones all of the recipes seem to be written about. Mine has removable shelves and a rotating basket. I have never used oil, because it would “fall out”. Suggestions for recipes?

    Reply
    • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

      April 29, 2019 at 8:57 am

      Well, I don’t use oil, that is the point of an air fryer….no oil needed. As for recipes, you can certainly check the web, and there are lots of cookbooks too. Honestly, just experiment…you might be surprised at what you can come up with. I will be adding more recipes on the blog. Subscribe to my newsletter so you won’t miss a recipe.

  9. Karyl Henry

    March 24, 2019 at 9:35 am

    I LOVE onion rings! I don’t have an air fryer, but just seeing the gorgeous crunch on these is making me rethink that. Cause these would not last long in my house

    Reply
    • Homemade & Yummy

      March 24, 2019 at 9:54 am

      I LOVE my air fryer. All the crispy, golden food without the OIL. Hope you give these a try.

  10. Sam | Ahead of Thyme

    February 10, 2019 at 11:40 pm

    Wow, these onion rings look like they were deep fried… looks so crispy and yummy! Can’t believe there’s no oil! Need to get my hands on air fryer asap!

    Reply
    • Homemade & Yummy

      February 11, 2019 at 8:55 am

      YES you do. You will wonder why you didn’t get one sooner.

  11. Eileen Kelly

    February 10, 2019 at 11:02 pm

    I have been thinking about getting an air fryer. Your onion rings are perfect and I must get an air fryer. They look so crispy and delicious! I love that you can prep ahead and make later too!

    Reply
    • Homemade & Yummy

      February 11, 2019 at 8:56 am

      I didn’t think I would LOVE an air fryer…so glad hubby bought one for me.

  12. lauren

    February 10, 2019 at 9:43 pm

    Ooooh! I love that you used red onions for these onion rings. A great way to switch up the onion flavor. I can’t yet commit to adding another kitchen gadget to my house, but once I free up some space this is going to the top of the list!

    Reply
    • Homemade & Yummy

      February 11, 2019 at 8:57 am

      I didn’t think I could either. In fact, we had to get a shelving unit to make this happen. It was a win all the way around. More storage and an air fryer.

  13. Kelly Anthony

    February 10, 2019 at 9:16 pm

    I don’t have an air fryer yet, but the more I hear about them…the more I think it might be worth clearing out some cabinet space! HA! Especially for these onion rings 😉

    Reply
    • Homemade & Yummy

      February 11, 2019 at 8:58 am

      Well I guarantee once you have it, you will wonder what took you so long.

  14. Charity

    February 10, 2019 at 3:29 pm

    Now this makes me want to buy an air fryer! Onion rings are one of my favorite, indulgent bar foods but I’d love to make them at home.

    Reply
    • Homemade & Yummy

      February 11, 2019 at 8:59 am

      I know…these are deliciously addictive too.

  15. Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli

    February 10, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    We love onion rings!! Wow, they look so crispy and yummy! We were thinking of getting an air fryer, now more than ever!

    Reply
    • Homemade & Yummy

      February 11, 2019 at 9:00 am

      Super crispy and SUPER delicious. Our favourite by far.

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