Air Fryer Onion Rings

Crispy homemade air fryer onion rings are the perfect crunchy snack or side dish. Slightly sweet and salty, these onion rings are just as good or better than the onion rings you can get at your favorite restaurant. When you make these onion rings for your family, they will love the treat and you will love that they only use a fraction of the oil to make them!

Ingredients

1 large or 2 medium yellow sweet onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick and separated into rings

For the Wet Mix:

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (for dredging) Flour of Choice (All Purpose, Spelt, GF, etc.)
Half (1/2) teaspoon Paprika
2 / 3 cup Water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt

For the Dry Mix:

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1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

To start, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Next, add a little water to make a thick batter. The coating should be the consistency of pancake batter.
Once the batter is formed, combine the panko breadcrumbs, paprika, turmeric, and salt in a separate bowl.
Next, pat dry the onion rings with a paper towel to remove excessive moisture from the surface.
When they are dry, dredge the onion rings in the flour, drop them in the wet flour mixture, and then coat the panko mixture.
Once they are coated fully, spray the air fryer basket with the oil spray and place the onion rings in a single layer in the basket.
Finally, cook at 400°F until golden brown and crispy or for about 12 to 15 minutes.
You can also bake them for 20 minutes @ 450°F or until golden brown
Turn the onion rings after 6 minutes and spray with some cooking spray to make them extra crispy.
Carefully lift out the onion rings with a cookie spatula, tongs, or a fork, and serve immediately.

Notes

Make sure to spray the onion rings thoroughly with cooking spray to get the nice golden brown crunchy coating. Since some cooking sprays can damage cooking surfaces over time, you may want to place the coated onion rings on a baking sheet first and spray them before placing them in the air fryer basket.
Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer so the onion rings cook evenly. Air fryers have different capacities, so it may take more than two batches, especially if you’re doubling the recipe. Serve each batch when it’s ready or keep them warm in the oven.
Divide the panko breadcrumb mixture into two. The battered rings will make the mixture sticky, so it’s best to half it so you can switch to the second part of the dry mixture after the first mix starts to get sticky.
Instead of paprika, you can add your favorite spices. Garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or chili are all great options.
Place the rings in a single layer in the air fryer basket! You can put small onion rings in the bigger rings as long as they don’t touch each other!
Halfway through cooking, spray them again with cooking spray to make them even crispier and deeper brown color.
You don’t need to turn the onion rings during the cooking process because they will cook evenly without flipping.