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Crispy, crunchy Air Fryer Onion Rings are thick, flavorful, and coated with an unbelievably crispy golden panko crumb. Made with SO much less oil than regular onion rings! Goes amazing with this viral onion ring sauce and chipotle aioli.
Have you ever wondered how to make air fryer onion rings from scratch? I’m going to go over exactly how to make the crispiest, crunchiest onion rings in the air fryer with a buttermilk coating and delicious panko crumb. One mouthwatering bite and, let’s face it, CRUNCH into this perfect onion ring and you’ll be swooning… making this recipe again and again.
Ready to make the recipe Erik is begging me to make triple batches of?? Let’s make the BEST ever Air Fryer Onion Rings!!
Ingredients for Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Onion – you’ll want to use 1 medium large sweet onion—the sweetness will really pop in this air fryer recipe
- Flour – simply use all purpose flour
- Salt – table salt will do just fine
- Paprika – I used smoked paprika, but use sweet for a milder flavor
- Optionally, you can add garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne for spice.
- Buttermilk & Eggs – will make the wet egg mixture that will adhere the flour and panko crumb coating beautifully to your air fryer onion rings
- Panko Bread Crumbs – panko is simply the best for adding crispy, crunchy texture. You could use ground up breadcrumbs of your choosing, but I recommend panko for the best results.
- Oil – I used olive oil for its high smoke point, but those who don’t like it may use vegetable oil.
How to Make Onion Rings in an Air Fryer
If you’re wondering how to make homemade onion rings in the air fryer, look no further than the simple steps we’ll take below. We’ll double dip each onion ring to ensure a thick, crunchy and crispy coating that’s well seasoned.
First, peel an onion and slice it into ½-inch rings. Then, separate each onion ring into single pieces.
Next, grab 3 shallow but wide dishes for making the air fryer onion rings coatings. In the 1st dish, mix together flour, salt, paprika, and optional spices/herbs. In the 2nd dish, whisk together buttermilk and eggs. In the 3rd dish, stir and fold panko bread crumbs and oil together until the panko is fully coated.
Grab an onion ring and dip it into the egg mixture, tapping off excess. Then, dip the onion ring into the flour mixture, again shaking off excess. Next, dip the onion ring back into the egg mixture and then the panko bread crumb mixture.
Set the fully coated onion ring into the basket of the air fryer, creating a single layer. Place extra rings on a lined baking sheet or plate. Repeat until all rings are made.
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Working in single layer batches, cook onion rings for 10 minutes, then flip the rings and spray to coat with cooking spray.
Bake for another 3-5 minutes, until golden. Immediately sprinkle with salt, seasoned salt, garlic salt, or for a spicy treat, Cajun seasoning.
Mouthwatering Sauces and Seasonings
- Sauces: Onion Ring Sauce – goes amazingly with your homemade onion rings—and it takes just 1 minute to make! Also try creamy dill pickle dip, delicious garlic aioli or tartar sauce.
- More tasty appetizers: Air Fryer French Fries and super cute crescent mummy dogs.
So GOOD! Thick and golden, these Air Fryer Onion Rings are made with a crispy panko coating, sweet onion, and amped up with a buttermilk coating and spices!
More Sides Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes {So Easy!}
- Frozen Tater Tots in Air Fryer
- Baked Tortilla Chips
I hope you love this recipe! Let me know what you think in the comments below. 🙂 Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Ingredients
Tools Needed
Onion
- 1 medium large sweet onion, about 250g, sliced into ½-inch rings
Dry Mixture
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- ½ teaspoon onion powder, optional
- a pinch cayenne, optional, skip if sensitive to heat
Egg Mixture
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
Bread Crumb Mixture
- 1 ½ cups Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
Other
- Nonstick spray
- Seasoned salt or Garlic salt
- Onion ring sauce, BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, or tartar sauce,
Instructions
- Peel the onion and slice into ½-inch rings. Separate each onion slice into single rings.
- In a shallow dish, add Dry Mixture ingredients and whisk until well mixed: flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
- In another dish, whisk together the Egg Mixture: buttermilk and eggs.
- In the third dish, add the Bread Crumb Mixture: Panko bread crumbs and oil. Stir until well mixed.
- Dip an onion ring into the Egg Mixture, flipping to coat. Tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess.
- Next, dip the ring into the Flour Mixture, flipping to coat and shaking off excess.
- Dip the flour coated ring back into the Egg Mixture to re-wet and evenly coat, and finally into the Bread Crumb Mixture. Repeat until all rings are coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Place a single layer of onion rings into the basket, evenly spaced apart for crisping. Coat rings with nonstick spray and bake for 10 minutes. Flip rings and spray to coat. Bake another 3-5 minutes or until golden.
- Immediately sprinkle with salt, seasoned salt, or garlic salt. Serve with onion ring sauce, BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, or tartar sauce
- ★ Last Step: If you made this recipe, leave a comment and review. It truly helps our small business keep running and it helps readers like you!
Notes
If you try this recipe, be sure to leave a review or take a pic and post it on Instagram. It truly helps us out! Thank you. 🙂
So Crunchy!!! Loved these with burgers!
Yes! They pair perfectly with a nice juicy burger imo. 🍔🤤
I made these onion rings with lunch today and they were fantastic! Perfectly crispy and easy in the air fryer!
Super happy to hear you liked them, Tayler!
Onion rings are one of my all-time favorites, and this recipe 100% delivered! The Panko bread crumbs give them the perfect amount of crunch, and I love the subtle kick of heat from the cayenne!
Woohoo! So glad you like the spice—-I do love a little heat to bring out the flavors in a dish. 😊
Whipping these up for family movie night tonight and I’ve already snuck a few. SO GOOD!
Ooh sounds like so much fun! And sneaking a few fresh ones is a total must 😉 Hope the fam enjoys them!
These look incredible – going on my “to make” list for this weekend. I can’t wait!
I know you’re absolutely gonna love them!