I’ve tested a lot of air fryer recipes over the years (nearly 300 of those recipes made it to my website and cookbook!), and these onion rings gave me a run for my money until I got the method down just right! No one wants to worry about soggy texture or the rings falling apart. That’s why I broke this one down step-by-step to make sure it works, even if it’s your first time using the air fryer. You’ll be shocked how simple and addictive these are.
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The air fryer is a great device to enjoy all of my favorite down-home fried favorites without all of the guilt. These onion rings will pair great with my Air Fryer Cheeseburgers and Air Fryer Homemade French Fries.
This is also a recipe you can tailor to your dietary needs. How many carbs are in onion rings will depend on how you choose to prepare them. I have plenty of tips below!
Table of Contents
Ingredients For Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Vidalia onion
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Buttermilk
- Egg
- Flour
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Cooking Oil Spray
What Type of Onion to Use
I recommend you use a Vidalia onion. You can use white or yellow onions to make onion rings. White onions usually have a sharper taste than yellow onions. I recommend you use an onion on the sweeter side.
I also search for the largest onion I can find. If you frequent a farmer's market, this may come in handy. You can read more about How to Make Onion Rings here.
How to Make Homemade Onion Rings in Air Fryer
- Slice the onion into thick ½ inch round rings. Remove the stem.
- Set up a cooking station with flour, an egg, buttermilk, and seasonings in one bowl. Place Panko breadcrumbs in another.
- Dip the onions into the buttermilk and flour mixture and then the breadcrumbs. Place them on a plate.
- Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Place the onion rings in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry.
How Long to Put Onion Rings in Air Fryer
I like to cook the rings for 10-12 minutes. Cook them until they are crunchy and golden brown.
Air Fryer Temperature
370 degrees is perfect for me. 400 degrees will sometimes cause the breading to burn in spots.
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How to Keep the Breading Intact
Can you do a batter in an air fryer? Absolutely! It's no secret that buttermilk works well in a dish like this. Try my Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings, you will love them!
My real secret is to freeze the onion rings for a few minutes. As you bread the onion rings you will notice they are STICKY. It's really easy for the breading to come off even as you are handling them.
Freezing them for a small moment will keep it intact and help prevent it from coming off on the air fryer basket.
Tips For Making Air Fryer Crispy Onions
- Keep a moist kitchen towel nearby to wipe your hands while breading. They will get sticky!
- The buttermilk and flour batter will be very thick. This is normal. The thick batter will help produce thick and crunchy onion rings.
- You can make your own buttermilk using 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon. Read more about How to Make Buttermilk here.
- You may have leftover batter after breading the onion rings. The serving sizes suggested reflect the amounts used for a 12oz onion. The servings required in the recipe may vary depending on the size of your onion.
- Cook in batches. Believe me this will save you time and frustration. If you stack the onion rings, they will sometimes stick to each other and will require a longer cook time. If you want gorgeous rings, make them in batches if you have a smaller air fryer.
- You can use normal breadcrumbs instead of panko if you wish. Seasoned breadcrumbs will also work.
- If you want to cut the carbs in this recipe you can substitute breadcrumbs for crushed pork rinds and use almond flour in place of all-purpose flour.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Onion Rings
BBQ Chicken
Pulled Pork
Chicken Wings
Fish Sandwich
Onion Rings Air Fryer Storage Directions
I store leftover rings in a sealable bag in the fridge. I reheat the onion rings in the air fryer on 370 degrees for 3-4 minutes.
Make it a meal with Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Frozen Burgers, Air Fryer Fried Chicken, or throw in some veggies with Air Fryer Asparagus and Air Fryer Broccoli.
More Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes
Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Air Fryer Potato Chips
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Air Fryer Fried Pickles
Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
Air Fryer Southwestern Egg Rolls
Air Fryer Pizza
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Air Fryer Potato Skins
Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
Air Fryer Ravioli
Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
Homemade Onion Rings (Air Fryer)
Ingredients
- 1 large vidalia onion (peeled) Mine weighed 12oz.
- 1 ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste The breading will be very bland without salt. Be sure to season.
- cooking oil spray I use olive.
Optional Dipping Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayo
- 1 ½ -2 tablespoons ketchup I use unsweetened and 2 tablespoons
- 1-2 tablespoons creamy horseradish If you are a fan of horseradish, you may enjoy 2 tablespoons. Start with 1 taste, repeatedly and adjust as necessary.
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
- Cut the stems off both sides of the onion. Cut the onion into ½ inch thick rounds. Onions are very wobbly. Be careful while slicing and use a mandolin if necessary. Try to stabilize the onion before you slice.
- Add the flour to a bowl large enough to dredge the onions. Season the flour with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Add the buttermilk and egg to the seasoned flour. Beat and stir to combine.
- Add the panko breadcrumbs to a separate bowl large enough to dredge the onions.
- Dredge the sliced onions in the flour buttermilk mixture and then the panko breadcrumbs. Keep a moist kitchen towel handy for you hands. They will get sticky.
- Place the onion rings on a plate. After breading the onions, freeze the onion rings for 15 minutes. This is an optional step, but highly recommended. It helps keep the breading intact.
- Place the onions in the air fryer. Do not stack them. Cook in batches if needed.
- Spray with cooking oil.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes on 370 degrees. I found that my onion rings did not need a flip. Check in on yours to determine both sides are golden brown and crisp. Flip if necessary.
Optional dipping Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir.
Video
Notes
Air Fryer Onion Rings Tips
- Keep a moist kitchen towel nearby to wipe your hands while breading. They will get sticky!
- The buttermilk and flour batter will be very thick. This is normal. The thick batter will help produce thick and crunchy onion rings.
- You can make your own buttermilk using 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon. Read more about How to Make Buttermilk here.
- You may have leftover batter after breading the onion rings. The serving sizes suggested reflect the amounts used for a 12oz onion. The servings required in the recipe may vary depending on the size of your onion.
- Cook in batches. Believe me this will save you time and frustration. If you stack the onion rings, they will sometimes stick to each other and will require a longer cook time. If you want gorgeous rings, make them in batches if you have a smaller air fryer.
- You can use normal breadcrumbs instead of panko if you wish. Seasoned breadcrumbs will also work.
- If you want to cut the carbs in this recipe you can substitute breadcrumbs for crushed pork rinds and use almond flour in place of all-purpose flour.
Cassie says
These were AMAZING! We are huge onion ring fans and were so happy with how these turned out. Great tip with freezing them first.
Val says
Absolutely delicious! Our whole family loved it and definitely make the sauce too. It goes perfectly with the onion rings, I also froze them for 15 minutes and it helped the batter to stick. Thank you very much for this amazing recipe!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Kelly says
We just started air frying and I’ve been too chicken to try anything besides pre-made food. This onion ring recipe was so easy to follow and super clear photos and tips. She’s cornered the market on amazing air fryer foods and these onion rings are a staple recipe! 5 stars for flavor and texture.
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Arielle says
Super tasty! I had to improvise and make my own buttermilk (lemon juice and almond milk) because the grocery store didn't have any, but I definitely plan to retry these again with real buttermilk. They were very cripsy and delicious!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Victoria says
We just started air frying and are enjoying our experiments with it. I tried another recipe a couple of days ago for onion rings and it was good but the breading didn't stay on well. I tried this one today and the breading stayed on and they ere nice and crispy. I wish you would have put in an amount for the salt instead of saying salt to taste. Who is going to taste batter to find out if it is salty enough? I didn't get enough salt in the batter. I would say you need to put in at least 1 teaspoon. What do you think, maybe more? Thanks for the recipe.
staysnatched says
Every time I say how much salt to use I get complaints that it’s too much or it isn’t enough. An experienced cook knows how to salt to taste, so I have gone with that method of instruction. This is a skill you will learn over time. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Victoria says
I just posted a comment and I tried to give this a 5 star review but it changed to 3 stars when I submitted it. My tablet has a mind of its own. 5 stars!
Dania Gonzalez says
These were delicious! The texture and the taste were perfect! And the dipping sauce was amazing! Thank you for your great recipes... I’ve really been enjoying trying some new recipes for my family.
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed them.
Erin says
Loved this recipe! I appreciated all the tips including freezing them to help the batter stick. My husband loved them and can’t wait for football season to make these for game day snacks. Thank you for the great recipe!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Amanda says
Loved these healthy onion rings! Only thing I’d recommend is make the sauce with it or add a little extra paprika in your batter. They were crunchy while having the onions soft.
staysnatched says
Thanks for sharing your tip!
Jean says
What will carb count be Keto style?
staysnatched says
I'm not sure. I recommend using the macro calculator of your choice to determine the information.
Anastasia Nightingale says
Absolutely ADORE this. They turned out so good, and the tip about putting them in the freezer was awesome. I own a book blog, so I usually subscribe to other book blogs, but this will be the first recipe blog I subscribe to. ?
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Rhonda says
I wondered whether or not you've tried these with dairy-free milk - I typically use almond milk in my recipes.
Also, you mention to omit the buttermilk, but don't say what to use instead (unless the pork rinds, optional flour and an addt'l egg does the trick. ?
Thank you for this recipe! It sounds amazing!
staysnatched says
Item 3 of the notes lists what to use: You can make your own buttermilk using 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon. Read more about How to Make Buttermilk here.
Kelly says
Delicious and crunchy! Also the sauce is to die for!! Make them! 10/10 will make them again....soon!!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Nasreen says
These are delicious, so well seasoned and oh so crispy! I will be making these on the regular! Thank you for such a great recipe
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Sara says
Delicious! I made these for my family and everyone loved them! I sent the website link to the recipe to my mom the next day, spread the word, these are delicious!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm so glad the family enjoyed them.
Kelsee says
Oh-em-gee these were scrumptious! I went the almond flour-pork rind route and they were perfect. Definitely will make again!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Danita says
Just got my air fryer lid for the instant pot so trying out various recipes. These turned out great. Breaded the onions rings and placed on large cookie sheet lined with parchment. Put in freezer for 15 mins then air fried in small batches as directed. 12 mins at 370 degrees was perfect and did not flip. Kept finished onion rings warm in the oven.
staysnatched says
yay! What a success!
Michelle says
Have never made onion rings before....not sure what took me so long! These were easy and sooo gooood!! Will try the sauce next time too. Somebody put the mayo jar back in the fridge with just a spoonful left.
staysnatched says
I'm glad you found it easy!
Katie says
So crispy but the onion was still so soft. and delicious! Great recipe! Thank you!
staysnatched says
Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Marie Happeny says
Can you use this batter on chicken tenders or chicken breast?
staysnatched says
I've never tried it.
Scott Whall says
YUM!!!! Definitely the go-to recipe for a treat for a weekend treat!!!!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Jessica says
One of my favorite recipes on Stay Snatched. Every time I come back for this one, I find another recipe to try. Thanks Brandi!
staysnatched says
Yay! Glad it's a favorite.
Lois says
These were soooo good.
Quick tip:
I used chop sticks to coat the onions then put them in the pants crumbs and used a single one to pull it out. This worked wonderful.
staysnatched says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Lee Ann Guynn says
I've attempted to make air fried onion rings several times. This is the ONLY recipe that works! They come out perfect every time. Hubby and I fight over who gets the last one!
staysnatched says
haha I love that! I'm so glad you enjoy them.
Julie says
I recently got an air fryer and have been having a ball experimenting. I've tried several homemade onion rings recipes, which just didn't cut it. Your recipe hit it out of the park...yay! Not only does the freezer trick help with the coating, but I believe the batter lends to a more tender onion on the inside (as they should be!) Thanks!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed them.
Arlene says
We loved these crunchy, tasty onion rings! The recipe is concise and super easy to follow. My suggestion is to use small amounts of panko and add more as it gets used up. I found the panko to clump up from the batter, then it wouldn't adhere to the onions. I had to throw out half the panko.
staysnatched says
I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Tami Jones says
These sound wonderful. Do you think they could be made to the freezing stage then placed in a ziplock to cook a few at a time as needed? Thanks.
staysnatched says
Probably. I haven't tried it.