Air Fryer Onion Rings (2024)

Recipes
Recipes By Method
Air Fryer
Easy Air Fryer

These Air Fryer Onion Rings start off with sweet onions, are breaded and air fried, then served with a quick French fry dip.

Nick Evans

Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 15 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.

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Updated February 28, 2022

I prefer onion rings to French fries any time I have the choice. I love the crispy crust with the slightly sweet interior of the onion. They are the perfect side dish to any burger.

Why Make Onion Rings in the Air Fryer?

There are three great reasons for making these onion rings in the air fryer.

It’s perfect for smaller portions! You can make just a few onion rings (enough for two people) in just a few minutes.
No grease to clean up.
The air fryer is healthier than the traditional deep-frying method even when you spray them with a little oil, which I recommend to help get a crispy coating.

If you need onion rings to feed a crowd you can either air fry them in batches or go the traditional deep-fried route. You can do this in a deep fryer or a deep pot; follow our recipe for deep-fried Onion Rings. Any way you make an onion ring is a good way to me!

What Onions Work Best for Onion Rings?

I prefer Vidalia or yellow onions when making onion rings. They have a naturally sweet flavor that everyone resonates with when biting into an onion ring. In a pinch, you can use plain white onions, although they won’t have that sweetness to them.

I would avoid red onions for this recipe; they have too much of a bite to be a good frier onion.

How to Make Crunchy Onion Rings in the Air Fryer

I have a few tricks for making crispy onion rings in the air fryer:

Add a little cornstarch to the flour. It helps the breading stick to the onion.
Use panko breadcrumbs. They are super crunchy and work great in an air fryer recipe.
Spray the onion rings with a little nonstick spray or sprayable olive oil before placing them in the air fryer. This little bit of fat helps them get golden brown and crispy.

What to Serve with Air Fryer Onion Rings?

These are a great game day snack or a side dish for any burger or wrap. Basically, if you are making some pub food, then onion rings can and should be on your table!

Dip Ideas for Onion Rings

I like to use a simple fry sauce for my onion rings which is a mix of mayonnaise and ketchup. I like to use 1/3 cup of mayo to 2 tablespoons of ketchup, but you can adjust the ratios to your liking. But, if a mayo and ketchup mix isn’t your thing, you can serve these with Honey Mustard Dressing, Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, Blue Cheese Sauce, or Ranch!

Reheating Instructions for Onion Rings

What’s so great about making onion rings in an air fryer is that you can ideally just make as many onion rings as you’re going to eat.

But, if you do have some leftovers, they keep fine in the fridge for a few days. Reheat either in your air fryer or in a 350°F oven until they get crispy again, probably 8-10 minutes!

New to Air Frying? We’re Here to Help!

For some people kitchen gadgets are a no-brainer, but some of us need a little guidance and expert research. If you’ve already bought an air fryer but you’re not sure how to use it, we wrote this handy dandy First Timer’s Guide to Air Fryers to help you get to know your new favorite appliance.

More Air Fryer Sides for Dipping

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Avocado Fries
Air Fryer Crispy Cauliflower

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time50 mins

Servings4 servings

Yield24 onion rings

Ingredients

For the onion rings

3 medium sweet yellow onions
1 cup all-purpose flour
See Also
The BEST Air Fryer Onion Rings!
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
4 cups panko breadcrumbs
Nonstick spray, for cooking
Minced parsley, garnish, optional

For the easy fry dip

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup

Method

Prepare the onion rings:
Cut the non-root end of the onions off and peel onions. Slice onions into 1/4-inch thick slices and separate each slice to make rings.For thicker onion rings, you could cut them up to an 1/2-inch thick slices.
Make the breading station:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until smooth and cohesive. Into a third medium-sized bowl add the panko.
Bread the onion rings:
Dip onion rings in the flour mixture to coat well, then into the egg mixture, making sure to shake off any excess, and finally into the panko bowl to fully coat with breadcrumbs. Use your dry hand to pack on the panko so it sticks well. Transfer breaded onion rings to a plate.
Air fry the onion rings:
Spray the air fryer basket and the onion rings with non-stick cooking spray. Place onion rings in a single layer in the basket. Air fry the onion rings at 350°F for 5 minutes, then flip the onion rings, and air fry for another 5 minutes on the second side. Remove onion rings and repeat until the rings are all air fried.
Make the fry sauce:
In a small bowl combine the mayo and ketchup to make the fry sauce.
Serve the onion rings:
Garnish onion rings with parsley, if desired and serve while warm. You can keep air fried onion rings in a 200˚F oven while you finish cooking the other batches. Serve onion rings with the fry sauce or your favorite ring dip.

Vegetarian
Healthy Snacks and Appetizers
Game Day
Onions
Healthy Snacks and Appetizers

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
510	Calories
19g	Fat
70g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	510
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g	25%
Saturated Fat 4g	19%
Cholesterol 80mg	27%
Sodium 791mg	34%
Total Carbohydrate 70g	25%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 8mg	40%
Calcium 184mg	14%
Iron 4mg	23%
Potassium 436mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.