Air Fryer Onion Rings

Name: Air Fryer Onion Rings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 1 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 2 eggs; 1/2 cup flour; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 large yellow onion (sliced 1/2 inch thick rings); olive oil spray

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You won’t believe that these golden and crispy onion rings came out of an air fryer! They are a delicious and healthier alternative as you only need a fraction of the oil to get them super crispy. You won’t miss the deep-fried version once you take your first bite of these air-fried onion rings. Clean-up is also a breeze compared to deep frying, as all you need to do is put the air fryer basket in the dishwasher. What’s not to love about this recipe?

Whether you need a game day snack, party appetizer, or just an everyday side dish, these onion rings are for you. They’re perfectly golden on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of sweet onion flavor. Want another air fryer recipe your whole family will love? Try my air fryer chicken wing recipe or air fryer potato wedges recipe.

Key Ingredients You Need

Ingredients needed to make air fryer onion rings.

Onion — I use a large yellow onion but feel free to use your favorite variety. Sweet onion is another favorite.
Flour — Any type of flour will work for this recipe. The flour also helps flavor the onion rings as we generously season the flour with salt, garlic powder, and paprika.
Eggs — This helps create a binder to help the crispy breadcrumbs stick to the rings.
Buttermilk — Mixing buttermilk with the eggs adds a delicious tangy flavor to the onion rings.
Panko — I highly recommend using panko breadcrumbs as they’re lighter and will yield the crispiest air-fried onion rings.
Oil spray — Instead of needing a vat of oil to deep fry these onion rings, all you need are a few sprays of oil to get beautiful golden onion rings.

How to Make Air Fryer Onion Rings

Set of two photos showing an onion sliced and coated in flour.

Step 1: Slice the onion into ½-inch thick rings.

Step 2: Dip the sliced onions into the flour, salt, garlic powder, and paprika mixture.

Set of two photos showing the onion ring dipped in beaten egg and panko.

Step 3: Dip the flour-coated onion ring into the egg and buttermilk mixture.

Step 4: Dip the onion ring into the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs lightly into the onion rings to help them stick.

Set of two photos showing the prepared onion rings sprayed and air fried.

Step 5: Once you have coated all the onion rings, spray them with a light coat of olive oil.

Step 6: Air fry at 400 F for 9 to 13 minutes or until they are golden. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Close up view of a crispy, golden air fryer onion ring.

Tips For This Recipe

If you do not have buttermilk, you can use regular milk or make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a ½ cup of milk.
For a little bit of an extra kick, you can add cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
Avoid overlapping the onion rings in the air fryer basket. While you may be able to nest a small ring within a large one, try your best to keep everything in a single layer for the crispiest onion rings. Air fry them in two batches if needed to avoid the rings touching each other.
These onion rings are best when they’re still hot! If you’re air frying them in multiple batches, you can add all of them back into the air fryer at the end to heat up for 1 to 2 minutes, so they’re all hot.
As smaller rings cook much faster than the larger ones, you can either group them together to air fry or pull them out as they reach your desired crispiness.
A little oil spray does go a long way with air fryer recipes. Simply mist the onion rings with a light coating of oil. There’s no need to drench them as the air fryer will crisp them up.
These onion rings are delicious on their own but are amazing with a dipping sauce! Serve them with mayo, ketchup, ranch, aioli, or your favorite dipping sauce.

An air fryer onion ring dipped into a pinch bowl of ketchup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular breadcrumbs?

If you do not have panko breadcrumbs, you can use regular breadcrumbs. The homemade onion rings may not be as crispy and light, but they will still be delicious!

Do I need to flip the onion rings as they air fry?

Nope! There’s no need to flip the onion rings in the air fryer for this recipe. Just make sure they’re not touching each other so the hot air can fully circulate between each ring.

How do I store leftovers?

If you do not eat these onion rings all in one sitting, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat the leftover onion rings in the air fryer to keep them crispy.

Can I freeze these onion rings?

Once cooled, you can freeze the onion rings in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Reheat them straight from frozen in the air fryer.

IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!

If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

Overhead view of a dark plate with nine golden onion rings of assorted sizes by a bowl of ketchup.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Air Fryer Onion Rings

The perfect snack or appetizer, these extra crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings are so easy to make with a few simple ingredients! These onion rings are perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. No deep fryer needed for these golden and crunchy onion rings!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time13 mins

Total Time23 mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 183kcal

Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

Instructions

First, set up your dredging stations: whisk the egg and butter milk together and add to a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, garlic powder, and paprika in another bowl, and in the 3rd bowl add the panko breadcrumbs.
One at a time dip the onion rings into the flour, then into the egg and milk mixture, and finally into the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs lightly into the onion rings to help it stick.
Once all of the onion rings have been prepped, spray them with a light coat of olive oil.
Air fry at 400 F for 9 to 13 minutes or until they are golden.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

If you do not have buttermilk, you can use regular milk or make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a ½ cup of milk.
For a little bit of an extra kick, you can add cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
Avoid overlapping the onion rings in the air fryer basket. While you may be able to nest a small ring within a large one, try your best to keep everything in a single layer for the crispiest onion rings. Air fry them in two batches if needed to avoid the rings touching each other.
These onion rings are best when they’re still hot! If you’re air frying them in multiple batches, you can add all of them back into the air fryer at the end to heat up for 1 to 2 minutes, so they’re all hot.
As smaller rings cook much faster than the larger ones, you can either group them together to air fry or pull them out as they reach your desired crispiness.
A little oil spray does go a long way with air fryer recipes. Simply mist the onion rings with a light coating of oil. There’s no need to drench them as the air fryer will crisp them up.
These onion rings are delicious on their own but are amazing with a dipping sauce! Serve them with mayo, ketchup, ranch, aioli, or your favorite dipping sauce.