These crispy seasoned onion rings are so easy and quick to make! Enjoy healthier onion rings whenever you like with this simple Air Fryer Onion Rings recipe.
AIR FRYER ONION RINGS RECIPE
You may have made onion rings in the air fryer already, but have you tried making your own homemade, crispy air fryer onion rings? This recipe is so simple.
Air Fryer Onion rings come out perfectly crunchy and delicious, and they are super inexpensive to make with ingredients that you probably already have at home.
We are breading air fryer onion rings with a mix of breadcrumbs and seasonings to make them crispy, crunchy, and tasty. Dip these in ketchup, ranch dressing, or Garlic Aioli and enjoy as a snack, appetizer, or side dish.
I have a feeling that if you like onion rings, you'll also love making Air Fryer Potato Wedges. Air Fryer Calamari is another breaded, ring-shaped food that you will enjoy.
INGREDIENTS FOR ONION RINGS AIR FRYER
Yellow Onion - I like the flavor of yellow onion for onion rings, but most any kind of onion will work in this recipe. Choose a large onion so you have more and bigger rings to work with.
Flour - Regular all-purpose flour, or a gluten free all-purpose blend can be used.
Breadcrumbs - Plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs (gluten free if needed) are perfect in this onion ring recipe.
Paprika- This deep red spice adds flavor and also a wonderful color.
Kosher Salt - A good amount of salt gives these onion rings lots of flavor.
Onion Powder - This slightly sweet, warm seasoning will elevate the onion flavor.
Garlic Powder - I like garlic powder in most of my air fryer breading recipes. It just makes them tastier!
Eggs - To create a binder that will hold the breadcrumbs onto the onion rings, we'll start with eggs.
Buttermilk - In this recipe, buttermilk adds a tangy flavor. Substitute with milk or plant based milk if desired.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP!
HOW TO MAKE ONION RINGS AIR FRYER
- Peel onion and cut into ½ inch thick slices. Separate slices, reserving the smaller rings for last. I set aside the centers to use in another recipe later.
- Combine flour, paprika, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small, shallow bowl.
- In a second bowl, whisk egg and buttermilk together. Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
- Dip each onion ring into the egg mixture.
- Then dredge onion rings through the flour mixture, one at a time.
- Place partially breaded rings on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet while you continue to dip the rest of the rings.
- Dip each ring into the egg mixture again, allowing the excess liquid to drip off, then dredge through the breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere the crumbs. Return rings to the rack.
- Lightly spray onion rings with cooking spray. Place in the air fryer in a single layer, nesting the smaller ones inside of the larger ones. Cook in the air fryer as directed in the recipe, until golden and crispy on the outside. Repeat cooking with the remaining rings.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER ONION RINGS
Make Onion Rings in the air fryer a simple meal with some Air Fryer Hamburgers and a nice green salad.
Enjoy the game or a movie night with a mix of appetizers. Try making Air Fryer Potato Skins and Air Fryer Chicken Wings for a bar food experience at home.
WHICH ONIONS MAKE THE BEST ONION RINGS?
I enjoy regular yellow onions when I make onion rings. They have lots of onion flavor. Alternately, a sweet onion would be a good option. Look for Vidalia, or Maui onions.
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER ONION RINGS CRISPY?
To get really crispy air fryer onion rings, just follow this recipe! Making sure to add oil to the outside of the breaded rings is important, the bread crumbs won't have that "fried" texture without it.
Feel free to substitute panko breadcrumbs in this recipe too, for extra crunch.
CAN I FREEZE AIR FRYER ONION RINGS?
Yes! Cook the onion rings according to the recipe, cool them down and freeze in an airtight container or bag. Reheat from frozen in the air fryer at 350°F for 6-10 minutes.
CAN I MAKE BATTERED FOOD IN AN AIR FRYER?
Battered food is generally not going to work well in the air fryer. Because batter is wet and liquid, it will just drip off of your onions before it cooks. This recipe uses a dry breading technique with layers of egg and buttermilk in between, so it's very similar to batter, but still air fryer friendly. Truly battered onion rings are only going to work in a deep fryer situation.
The recipe should work in other air fryers. This recipe was created and photographed in a Ninja Air Fryer.
If you have an OVEN STYLE air fryer, you may need to add 1-3 minutes of additional cook time.
Keep in mind that each air fryer runs differently, it is important to check your food often.
MORE CRISPY AIR FRYER RECIPES
Air Fryer Ravioli is a simple to make appetizer of crispy, breaded ravioli that is perfect for a quick dinner or lunch too.
Get your hands on some morels, and make these cracker coated and cream cheese stuffed Air Fryer Morel Mushrooms. Yum! These are such a treat.
Once you try homemade Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks, you might not be able to buy the frozen ones anymore, they are so easy and delicious!
Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment AND rating below! It helps other readers!
Be sure to tag @AirFryerEats on instagram, if you share a picture on the gram! Let's get social, you can follow me on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or join one of our Air Fryer Facebook Groups: Air Fryer Recipes, Air Fryer Recipes for Seniors and Gluten Free Air Fryer Recipes.
Don't forget to subscribe to our EMAIL newsletter.
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Equipment
- Cooling Rack
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 Yellow Onion large
- ½ cup All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- ½ tsp. Onion powder
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Buttermilk or plain, or plant based milk
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Peel onion and cut into ½ " thick slices. Separate slices, reserving the smaller rings for last.
- Combine flour, paprika, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small shallow bowl.
- In a second bowl, whisk egg and buttermilk. Place breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
- Dip each onion ring into the egg mixture.
- Then dredge onion through the flour mixture.
- Place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet while you continue to dip the rest of the rings.
- Dip into the egg mixture again, allowing the excess liquid to drip off, the dredge through the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere the crumbs. Set coated rings on the cooling rack.
- Lightly spray rings with cooking spray. Place rings in the air fryer in a single layer, nesting the smaller ones inside the larger ones. Cook at 400F/204C for 10-15 minutes, until golden and crispy on the outside.
- Transfer cooked onion rings to a baking sheet and repeat with remaining rings.
Video
Notes
- Any large onion can be used. Try yellow, white, or sweet onion varieties.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the "Air Fry" function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfrying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out Air Fryer Eats Membership! Our membership offers exclusive recipes, meal plans, ebooks, helpful learning videos and more – all completely ad free!
Meat Air Fryer Bundle - Click here
Vegetarian Air Fryer Bundle - Click here
