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Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

Air Fryer Onion Rings

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!

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1 tsp of 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 tsp of paprika, and 1/2 tsp of salt, and stir.

Air Fryer Onion Rings

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.

Air Fryer Onion Rings

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.

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Cut the yellow onion into 1/2 inch thick slices and separate into 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.

Air Fryer Onion Rings

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.

Air Fryer Onion Rings
Air Fryer Onion Rings

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.

air fryer onion rings recipe

Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe

An easy air fryer onion ring recipe.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Recipes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, air fryer onion rings recipe, onion rings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 20 -40 onion rings, depending on onion size
Calories: 216kcal
Author: Orin Solem

Equipment

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 tsp of 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 separate into 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 5Onion Rings | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 685mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

Related Posts

Looking for other great air fryer recipes? If you love these crunchy onion rings, you’ll also enjoy our Air Fryer Hushpuppies recipe and our Air 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.

Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe
 
Recipe Rating




Maria Egan

Sunday 28th of January 2024

I want to try this. I like the taste of onion rings but hate how greasy they are in restaurants. These air fryer homemade ones look very good.

Michael

Friday 8th of September 2023

I love onion rings! Please sir, can I have…more?

MONIKA COLMORGEN

Monday 21st of August 2023

I didn't understand putting the onions in a dry flower mix. It never stuck to the onion. I also found the panko very difficult to stick onto the onions. Next time I will take the panko mix and put it in the blender first. Also the mix didn't make very many so I would definitely update your yield.

MaryEdwards

Sunday 6th of August 2023

What is the recipe for the DIP you put on the onion?

Susan Marina Brown Lane

Wednesday 26th of April 2023

I Love Onions almost any kind of way. I also love onion rings, but I have never tried to make my own. Now that I have a new air fryer.... Pinned! Thanks!