Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (2024)

By: Author Janessa

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Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (1)

You are going to LOVE my air fryer onion rings recipe!They are a great appetizer or perfect side dish. They are one of my favorite restaurant side dishes and I love to fix them on game day.

And, thanks to the air fryer, you can now make them at home! It’s so satisfying to be able to make your own homemade onion rings!

We’ve had an air fryer for a while now and I LOVE this thing! Before buying the air fryer we had a traditional oil fryer for deep-fried food. The deep fryer made food taste great but it was a pain to clean and it made the entire house smell like a McDonald’s.

The air fryer, on the other hand,still makes food taste great but with the added bonus of not stinking up the whole house. The air fryer basket and unit itself are so easy to clean too. I love that there is so much less mess with an air fryer. Win-win!

The other day we made this homemade air fryer onion rings recipe and they turned out pretty tasty, so now I’m sharing it with you! This extra crispy onion rings recipe is pretty easy but takes a few minutes to prepare the ingredients and to cut the onion. It’s well worth the work, though! Enjoy!

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (2)

Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1 tspof paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt (divided in half)
  • 1/2 cup of buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • cooking spray

Directions

You’ll need three bowls for this recipe. In the first small bowl combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tspof paprika, and 1/2 tsp of salt, and stir.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (3)

In the second medium bowl mix 1/4 cup of the flour/paprika/salt mixture from the first bowl with 1/2 cup of buttermilk and the egg for the egg wash. Stir well.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (4)

Finally, in the third bowl combine 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs with 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir gently until the oil evenly coats the panko breadcrumbs.

Cut the yellow onion into 1/2 inch thick slices and separateinto individual rings. Taking each ring, dredge them into the flour mixture, then dip them in the buttermilk mixture making sure they’re fully coated, and then dredge them in the panko mixture.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (6)

Place your coated rings into your air fryer in a single layer, being sure that the crispy coating doesn’t touch. You may find that you can only fry four or so at a time. Sometimes I’m able to fit the smaller rings inside of the bigger rings.

Fry at 380 degrees for 10 minutes until they are golden brown. You can spray with cooking spray midway through the frying process if necessary.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (7)
Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (8)

That’s it! You’re ready to enjoy your crispy air fryer onion rings! Don’t forget to print the recipe card of save it to a board of your favorite air fryer recipes on Pinterest. It’s a tasty snack you’ll want to make again and again.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (9)

Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

Orin Solem

An easy air fryer onion ring recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 20 -40 onion rings, depending on onion size

Calories 216 kcal

Equipment

  • XL Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp of paprika
  • 1 tsp of salt divided in half
  • 1/2 cup of buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • You’ll need three bowls for this recipe. In the first bowl combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tspof paprika, and 1/2 tsp of salt and stir.

  • In the second bowl mix 1/4 cup of the flour/paprika/salt mixture from the first bowl with 1/2 cup of buttermilk and the egg. Stir well.

  • Finally, in the third bowl combine 1 cup of panko bread crumbs with 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir gently until the oil evenly coats the panko breadcrumbs.

  • Cut the yellow onion into 1/2 inch thick slices and separateinto individual rings. Taking each ring, dredge them into the flour mixture, then dip them in the buttermilk egg mixture making sure they’re fully coated, and then dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture.

  • Place your coated rings into your air fryer, being sure they don’t touch. You may find that you can only fry four or so at a time. Fry at 380 degrees for 10 minutes. You can spray with cooking spray midway through the frying process if necessary.

Video

Notes

We like using yellow onions for this recipe but you could definitely use red onions, sweet onions (vidalia onion) or white onions as well if you prefer.

We have an air fryer with a tray now instead of just an air fryer basket which makes it easier to cook lots of rings in a single layer at once. If you plan to cook things like onion rings, french fries, and chicken fingers using an air fryer often, it might be worthwhile for you to get an air fryer of this style. I have both types and use each of them a lot.

If you love the flavor of garlic, try adding 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the dry mixture bowl.

Pair these onion rings with your favorite dipping sauce.

If you don't have panko you can substitute regular breadcrumbs, but I do feel like panko is the best for giving you a nice crispy onion ring.

Keyword air fryer, air fryer onion rings recipe, onion rings

Related Posts

Looking for other great air fryerrecipes? If you love these crunchy onion rings, you’ll also enjoy ourAir Fryer Hushpuppies recipeand ourAir Fryer Sugar Doughnut recipe! They are both great recipes and easy recipes too.

These air fryer onion rings pair great with salmon patties and skillet green beans. Yum!

Make sure you clean the air fryer regularly for the best flavor, best results, and longevity of your small appliance.

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (10)
Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to crisp up onion rings in air fryer? ›

Using an Air Fryer to Reheat Onion Rings
  1. Optional: Spray your air fryer basket with a bit of oil.
  2. Place your onion rings in the basket.
  3. Set your temperature to 350.
  4. Cook them for about 5 minutes.
  5. Remove the fried onion rings when the outside of the rings are crispy and brown.

Why are my onion rings not crispy? ›

Don't skip the frying thermometer though—it's important to make sure you're frying at the right temperature so your onion rings come out crispy, crunchy, and delicious. If the oil isn't hot enough, your onion rings can turn out soggy; too hot, and the oil can start to smoke.

How long to air fry frozen onion rings at 400? ›

Step 1: Add a bag of frozen onion rings to the air fryer, and spread them out as best you can. Step 2: Air fry for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, shaking half way through. Step 3: Continue to air fry the onion rings for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until thoroughly crispy on all the edges.

How do you air fry Nathan's onion rings? ›

Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings FAQ

Reheat them the same way you cooked them, but at a lower temperature so they don't become hard. Preheat the fryer at 320°F for 3 minutes. Add the rings to the basket in a single layer. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stopping to flip them about halfway.

How to make Crispier air fryer? ›

A drizzle or a quick oil spray is all you need for restaurant-quality fries and golden brown fried chicken, while other foods don't need any oil, like pizza or leftovers you might reheat. Some advocate for spraying the drawer or rack inside the air fryer, and while it doesn't hurt, it's unnecessary.

What is the best oil for onion rings? ›

Canola oil or Vegetable oil are the best to use for deep frying. PRO TIP: The onions should rise to the top of the oil almost immediately if the oil is at the right temperature. If it's not hot enough, the onion ring will sink (and likely stick) to the bottom and the batter will fall off.

How do you keep batter from falling off onion rings? ›

A trick for getting your breading to stick better and not fall off as much when frying is to cover the breaded onion rings with a damp paper towel for 10-15 minutes after breading while the oil heats up. This helps it get a little bit tacky and stick better so less of it falls off in the hot oil.

Why are my crispy onions soggy? ›

The first is to make sure that you aren't overcrowding the pan when frying the onion. A second reason would be that the oil is too low in temperature which results in soggy onions. Also, make sure to drain the fried rings on a paper towel to soak up any residual oil and then onto a plate.

How long does it take an air fryer to get to 400? ›

How Long To Preheat an Air Fryer. Much like with ovens, smaller air fryers will preheat faster than larger ones. So, while a small air fryer may preheat pretty well in two to three minutes, you may want to go for four to give minutes of preheating time in a larger air fryer.

At what temperature and for how long do you air fry? ›

Air-Fryer Cooking Chart
FOODTEMPERATUREAIR-FRYER TIME
Burgers350°F8-10 minutes
Chicken Breast375°F22-23 minutes
Chicken Tenders400°F14-16 minutes
Chicken Thighs400°F25 minutes
42 more rows
Mar 2, 2022

Are onion rings better in air fryer or deep fryer? ›

Onion rings are a perfect, flavorful, quick, healthy[ish] snack, especially when made in the air fryer. They come out just as crispy as they do when deep fried, but with a fraction the oil. This has quickly become one of our all-time favorite air fryer recipes.

Can you do tater tots in an air fryer? ›

Preheat your air fryer to 400° for 1 minute. Then load the basket with frozen Tater Tots and cook for 7 minutes. Shake the basket well, then continue air-frying the Tater Tots for another 5-7 minutes until they've crisped up to your liking. Allow them to cool for about 2 minutes before serving.

How do you preheat an air fryer? ›

If your air fryer does not automatically preheat, you can preheat it manually. Select the air fry setting and set the temperature called for in your recipe. "We recommend using a three-minute preheat for most models," says Shah. For larger and oven-style air fryers, preheat for five minutes.

Can you make soggy fries crispy again in air fryer? ›

Using an air fryer is an excellent and easy way to give your fries that fresh-from-the-fryer crunch. Simply set your air fryer to 350 degrees, then place your leftover fries in a single layer in the fryer basket. Heat them for three to five minutes or until they reach your desired crispiness.

Why does my air fryer not crisp? ›

Why is my food not crispy in an air fryer? If your food is not crispy when coming out of an air fryer, you may not have patted it dry before putting it in to cook. Meat or proteins, or foods you may have washed, will fry better without the added moisture.

How long to reheat frozen onion rings in air fryer? ›

Preheat your air fryer 350 degrees then place the onion rings inside and cook for 2-3 minutes until warmed. Reheating them at a lower temperature allows the insides to reheat while making sure the outside doesn't get too crispy or burnt.

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