When is the last time you had onion rings? If it was more than 5 minutes ago, a batch of crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings is on order!
While I am usually a French fry girl (especially Air Fryer French Fries), when it comes to bar food with a serious W-O-W factor, a tall, piping-hot stack of onion rings is hard to beat.
As much as I enjoy them, unless I’m with a large group to assist with the takedown, I rarely order them—as yummy as they are, anything more than a few leaves my tummy in a less-than-happy place.
Onion rings in the air fryer, however?
Ben and I DEVOURED the lot and felt great doing it!
With their powerful convection cooking power, air fryers (this is the one I own) create knockout copycats of foods that are usually fried, with only a tiny bit of oil.
Air Fryer Pickles, Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks, and beyond—with the air fryer, the golden, crisp world of foods usually enjoyed in moderation is ours for eating on the regular!
Of all the air fryer recipes I’ve made, onion rings did take a little longer to prep, because it’s trickier to get the breadcrumbs to coat the inside of the onion rings (compared to something like Air Fryer Potato Chips, which have a completely flat surface).
That said, I got the hang of it after the first batch. Plus, once we tasted them, I felt completely validated.
These golden air-fried onion rings are worth it.
How to Make Air Fryer Onion Rings
Onion rings take about 7 to 9 minutes to cook in the air fryer at 360 degrees F.
I worked on our batches in the background while I prepped the rest of dinner, with the intention of serving them as a side—we devoured all of them before we sat down, oops.
These are double-dredged air fryer onion rings with flour, eggs, and seasoned breadcrumbs dipped in that order.
Set up your stations, embrace getting your fingers a little messy, and enjoy the process!
The Ingredients
- Onions. Rich in vitamins, potassium, and antioxidants, onions are a delicious and nutritious veggie. Their natural sweetness adds wonderful flavor to these onion rings.
- All-Purpose Flour. Creates a base layer for the breading. Starting with flour helps give the eggs something to stick to.
- Panko. Ultra crispy and less likely to end up soggy with oil, panko is my go-to for a perfect breading.
- Eggs. Helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the onions.
- Spices. Garlic powder and salt are two can’t-miss additions to these onion rings. While optional, we also love adding a pinch of chili powder and cayenne pepper to ours. It gives the onion rings a hint of smokiness and spice.
The Directions
- Prepare one bowl with flour, one with the beaten eggs, and another with the bread crumbs and spices.
- Dredge the onion rings in the flour, eggs, and panko breadcrumbs.
- Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place the onion rings in an air fryer basket coated with nonstick spray, then mist the tops with additional spray.
- Air fry at 360 degrees F for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown. Remove them to a plate, adding a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining onions. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. ENJOY!
Wine Pairing
Pair onion rings with Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Malbec.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate onion rings in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Recrisp leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- To Freeze. Lay leftovers in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen rings to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, slice the onion as directed. Store the onion rings in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to finish the recipe.
Leftover Ideas
Use leftover onion rings to upgrade your favorite burger. Try adding them to a Portobello Mushroom Burger.
For a unique and scrumptious breakfast, fry an egg inside a leftover onion ring.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Onion Rings
These onion rings make an excellent appetizer, snack, or side dish.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Air Fryer. The one I own and love.
- Mixing Bowls. This set would be perfect for helping you batter the onion rings.
- Tongs. Great for transferring the onion rings to and from the air fryer.
The Best Air Fryer
This extra-large air fryer has plenty of space for all of your favorite recipes! It also has multiple cooking functions and a dishwasher-safe basket.
Want the best appetizer ever? Put a (air fryer onion) ring on it!
Frequently Asked Questions
We enjoyed our onion rings with a side of my homemade Barbecue Sauce, but there are oodles of other sauces you can serve with this recipe. Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip (or your favorite ranch dressing), ketchup, Vegan Queso, Buffalo sauce, mayo-based dipping sauces (like blooming onion sauce), and honey mustard are all great options.
To make this air fryer onion rings recipe gluten free, swap the panko bread crumbs for gluten free panko bread crumbs and the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour like this one.
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional for serving
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced crosswise into 1/2- to 3/4-inch rings
- Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil
- Homemade BBQ Sauce for dipping (optional)
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In a small, shallow bowl, place the flour. In a second small bowl, beat the eggs. In a third bowl, combine the bread crumbs, chili powder, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and cayenne. Last, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it handy to use as a work surface.
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Separate the onion slices into rings. Working a few at a time, dip the onion rings in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumb mixture, turning the rings and patting the panko as needed to adhere (smaller rings are easier than larger ones).
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Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rings.
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Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees F. Coat the air fryer basket with nonstick spray.
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Place the onion rings in a single layer in the basket, then mist the tops with more nonstick spray.
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Air fry the onion rings for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden and crisp (no need to flip them). Remove from the basket to a serving plate and immediately season with a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining onions. If you’d like to serve all batches hot at once, set the air fried rings aside as they finish, then reheat them all together in a single batch in the air fryer for a minute or two (it’s OK to stack when reheating). Enjoy hot with BBQ sauce or dip of choice.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate onion rings in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Recrisp leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- TO FREEZE: Lay leftovers in a single layer on a baking sheet, then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen rings to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
Serving: 1(of 2)Calories: 361kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 15gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 186mgPotassium: 287mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 620IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 4mg
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