I don’t know about you, but when I see onion rings on a menu someplace nice, I always look forward to getting an order. Making them from the comfort of your own home though is a game changer. These air fryer onion rings are so delicious and you'll be done in 20 minutes. 
Onion rings are one of those foods that are delicious whether they are done the greasy fast food way, or more carefully and lovingly, like the ones you get at a steakhouse. But I’m here to introduce another option: the homemade way! These make the perfect side for burgers, steak, or even pizza. They’re also delicious enough to eat all on their own for a snack or appetizer. Since these are cooked in the air fryer, they don’t require any oil, making them a healthier alternative to deep fried onion rings.
Why You'll Love These Air Fryer Onion Rings
Why You'll Love These Air Fryer Onion Rings- Love is in the Air – Since we will be using an air fryer, you won’t have to cook these onion rings in lots of vegetable oil. You won't even need a paper towel to soak up any oil. Not only is it healthier, you’ll love the way they crisp up! Plus, since you don’t have to hover over a pot of hot oil, this recipe will free your hands to put the finishing touches on the rest of your meal while they’re cooking.
- Plant Power – This recipe can easily be made vegan with one simple swap. So, if you are plant based or have a milk allergy, look no further.
Ingredients For Crispy Onion Rings
- Vidalia Onions – These are the ideal type of onions to use because of their shape and their sweet flavor. Be sure to get large sized onions.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk will start our onion ring batter. However, to make this recipe vegan, or to accommodate milk allergies, you can substitute any nondairy milk alternative and add vinegar to make buttermilk.
- Flour – You will need all-purpose flour for the onion ring batter.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch goes into the batter, and helps to get that perfect crisp on our onion rings.
- Salt – Essential seasoning
- Garlic Powder – Garlic will add a little flavor into our batter.
- Smoked Paprika – A little smoked paprika goes a long way, providing that extra kick of flavor to the batter.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – You can use regular breadcrumbs to coat your onion rings, but panko will make them crispier, so I would recommend it!
Watch Air Fryer Onion Rings Web Story
How To Make Homemade Onion Rings
- Cut onions into ⅓ inch thick slices, then separate into rings.
- In a bowl whisk together the buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and paprika.
- Dip onion rings first in the buttermilk batter, then coat in the panko breadcrumbs. Gently shake off excess, making sure rings are covered.
- Place into air fryer basket and fry for 10-11 minutes at 390F.
Step by Step Instructions
First, cut your onions into ⅓ inch thick slices, horizontally, making sure to keep them in whole rings. Use your fingers to pop the layers out into multiple rings. 
Next, prepare your flour mixture batter. In a shallow dish, whisk together all purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic and paprika. Then, add the buttermilk and mix until a batter is formed. 
Now it's time to dip each onion ring into the batter and then coat in panko breadcrumbs. Gently shake off excess. 
Set aside until all rings have been battered and coated. 
Lastly, it's time to cook! Place your onion rings into the air fryer basket and fry for 10-11 minutes at 390. Cook time sometimes varies depending on the air fryer brand. Also, since you don't need to place the rings in a single layer to cook, you can cook several batches. You do want to try to stagger the rings so there is some air flow and it cooks evenly. 
Once golden brown, serve the onion rings immediately. Pair it with some ketchup or ranch for a tasty experience! This also goes well with some chicken wings on a snack board.
Cook's Tips
- You can prepare a dipping sauce using mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, cayenne, and a little sugar.
- To make sure that your onion rings cook evenly, you can pause midway through cooking and gently shake the basket.
- These are best enjoyed fresh, but you can keep your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat by microwave or air fryer at 350 for 8 minutes.
- Use shallow bowls and dishes for easy dredging.
FAQ
Cook for 10-11 minutes at 390 Farenheit, no cooking spray needed.
You should avoid putting wet batter in the air fryer, however dredging in a batter and then coating in breadcrumbs will work nicely.
You can cook frozen onion rings in the air fryer at 400 for 5-6 minutes, pausing to flip halfway through.
Not really. Onion rings are pretty on par with French fries, however foregoing the oil in this recipe helps to make this indulgence less fatty.
Vidalia onions will work great, as some other onions, such as red onions, retain more water. You will also want to make sure that you are using fresh onions, and not one that has been pre-sliced or sat in your refrigerator. If you find that your onion rings are still coming out soggy, try cooking them at a slightly higher temperature.
Looking for more Air Fryer Recipes? Try these:
Beer Battered Onion Rings Air Fryer Chicken
Tried this air fried onion rings recipe and love it? Please leave me a comment and rating below. Feel free to also tag me, I love to see your creations and sharing them. For more inspiration follow us on Instagram Or like us on Facebook
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Ingredients
- 2 large Vidalia Onions
- 1 cup Buttermilk any non-dairy will work
- ¾ cup Flour
- ¼ cup Corn Starch
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Instructions
- Cut onions into ⅓ inch thick slices, then separate into rings.
- In a bowl whisk together the buttermilk, flour, corn starch, salt, garlic powder and paprika.
- Dip onion rings first in the buttermilk batter, then coat in the panko bread crumbs. Gently shake off excess, making sure rings are covered.
- Place into air fryer basket and fry for 10-11 minutes at 390F.
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