Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings
on Aug 11, 2023, Updated Mar 25, 2025
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My air fryer onion rings are a show-stopping appetizer or side dish. Made with white onions and a handful of pantry staples, these homemade onion rings always turn out crispy and flavorful — no oil required!
Nothing pairs better with a juicy hamburger or toasted sandwich than a stack of crispy, stringy onion rings. This homemade air fryer version is just as juicy and crunchy as your favorite restaurant rings.
Made with a sliced white onion, breadcrumbs, flour, eggs, and spices, this simple dish can be whipped up in just 20 minutes and makes for the perfect side or appetizer! Pair these air fryer onion rings with your favorite dipping sauce and voila! You have a dish that’s sure to be enjoyed by even the pickiest of eaters.
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe
- Quick Prep, Fast Results: From slicing to serving, you’ll have these onion rings ready in under 30 minutes—perfect for those “I need something now” moments that every mom knows all too well.
- Kid-Approved Vegetable: Let’s face it: getting kids to eat vegetables can be a challenge. These onion rings transform the humble onion into something they’ll actually ask for seconds of!
- Versatile Serving Options: Whether paired with burgers, served as a side, or presented as a standalone snack with dipping sauces, these onion rings are the perfect addition to countless meals.
- Reliable Results: The air fryer method ensures consistent cooking every time, giving you perfectly golden, crispy rings without the guesswork of traditional frying.
🍽️ The air fryer is such a useful tool in making quick and easy appetizers for a party or just for snack time!
Equipment Needed
Although this is a quick and easy recipe, you will need a few special kitchen tools to make it.
- First and most obvious is some kind of air fryer.
- Second, you’ll need a set of three shallow dishes to use for breading the onion slices; I like to use pie plates.
- And last but not least, you’ll need a whisk.
Recipe Ingredients
- White Onion — I recommend white over yellow or red onions for this recipe!
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Eggs
- Spices — \garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt
How to Make Homemade Onion Rings In Air Fryer
Step 1: In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Coat the onion rings with the flour mixture.
Step 2: In a second shallow dish, scramble the eggs. Dip the flour-coated onion rings in the eggs.
Step 3: Dredge the onion rings in panko crumbs, trying to get as much of the onion covered as possible.
Step 4: Cook the onion rings in an air fryer until crunchy and golden brown on the outside but soft and stringy in the middle.
Recipe FAQs
The key to crispy onion rings is ensuring your air fryer isn’t overcrowded. Working in small batches (5-7 rings at a time) allows proper air circulation. A light spritz of cooking spray before air frying can also help achieve that perfect golden crunch.
Panko breadcrumbs are recommended for their superior crispiness, but in a pinch, regular breadcrumbs will work. Just be aware that the texture will be slightly different and they may not get quite as crispy.
The panko breadcrumbs won’t stick to these onion rings if the onion slices are too wet. So, I would recommend patting the onions dry with a paper towel before you begin the breading process. Coating the rings in the flour mixture first should also help to dry them out.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Best Onions: I recommend using a white onion as opposed to red or yellow in this recipe. Red tastes best raw and yellow onions are sweet and tend to fall apart a bit while cooking.
- Gluten Free: You can make these air fryer onion rings gluten free by swapping out the all-purpose flour and panko breadcrumbs for gluten-free versions.
- Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have a premade Italian seasoning blend, you can make your own by combining equal parts oregano, basil, garlic salt, and onion powder.
- Perfect Slicing: For the most consistent onion rings, slice your onion perpendicular to the root end, creating even circles that will cook uniformly. Aim for ¼-inch thickness—any thinner and they might burn, any thicker and they might not cook through properly.
How to Serve & Store Homemade Onion Rings
Serving Suggestions: These crispy and savory air fryer onion rings make for a great appetizer, party finger food, or side dish! I like serving my onion rings with a dipping sauce like chipotle mayo, garlic herb ranch, or tangy barbecue sauce.
You can often find me pairing these onion rings with dishes like grilled burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, or air fryer chicken tenders. These crispy rings add the perfect amount of oniony flavor to almost any meal!
Reheating Leftovers: You might be surprised to hear that these air fryer onion rings are really good left over! Unlike regular onion rings that are loaded with oil and get soggy in the fridge, these homemade onion rings are super crispy when reheated properly.
I recommend storing any leftover onion rings in an airtight container in the fridge; they should stay good for up to 5 days. Reheat the onion rings in a 400°F air fryer until warmed through.
More Appetizer Recipes To Consider
Cornbread Recipes
Crispy Cornbread Fritters: A Simple Southern Delight
Appetizer Recipes
Fresh Cranberry Salsa Recipe | Sweet & Spicy Holiday Dish
Vegetable Sides
Zucchini Fritters
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Air Fryer Onion RIngs
Ingredients
- 1 large white onion
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Slice your white onion into thin discs, about ¼ inch thick at most.
- In a shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Dip each onion ring in the flour, ensuring it is evenly coated.
- Whisk the eggs in another shallow dish until thoroughly beaten. Dip the onion rings in the eggs.
- In a third shallow dish add the panko bread crumbs and after you coat the eggs in flour, then eggs, finish off by coating them in panko bread crumbs.
- Place 5-7 onion rings in your air fryer basket at a time and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat until all the onion rings are cooked.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If your onion rings are seeming a little dry you can spray them with a little cooking spray before air frying them to add a little oil.
- You can store your leftover onion rings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; however, they are best served fresh.
- If you do not have Italian seasoning, you can make your own by combining equal parts oregano, basil, garlic salt, and onion powder.
- These onion rings are great served on their own or with a sauce like marinara sauce, malt vinegar aioli, etc.
- If you want a slight sweet flavor to go with your onion rings, you can use a yellow onion instead.
