Air Fryer Onion Rings

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

By
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
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
Nick Evans
Crispy, Homemade Air Fryer Onion Rings on a plate with sauce and an air fryer basket with more onion rings behind the plate.
Nick Evans

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.

These Air Fryer Onion Rings start off with sweet onions, are breaded and air fried, then served with a quick French fry dip. No need to raid your freezer for this bar-food favorite when you have these homemade air fryer onion rings as an option!

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!

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings stacked on a plate with a dipping sauce.
Nick Evans

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.
Dipping the Best Air Fryer Onion Rings in a sauce.
Nick Evans

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!

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings stacked on a plate with a dipping sauce.
Nick Evans

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 Onion Rings

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4 servings
Yield 24 onion rings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the onion rings

  • 3 medium sweet yellow onions

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 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

  1. 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.

    Onions sliced to make the Best Air Fryer Onion Rings.
    Nick Evans
  2. 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.

  3. 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.

    Three bowls for the breading station to make the Best Air Fryer Onion Rings.
    Nick Evans
  4. 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.

    Onion rings in an air fryer.
    Nick Evans
    Crispy onion rings cooked in an air fryer.
    Nick Evans
  5. Make the fry sauce:

    In a small bowl combine the mayo and ketchup to make the fry sauce.

  6. 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.

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