Air Fryer Onions Rings – Fraiche Living

These Air Fryer Onion Rings are crispy on the outside, sweet on the inside, and so much healthier than the deep-fried version. I highly recommend serving these beauties as an appetizer with this Honey Chipotle Dipping Sauce!

I grew up in a very small town where one of the only restaurants was A&W. I remember how special it felt to go there, with the frosty glass mugs of root beer and perfectly crisp thick onion rings. Armed with my trusty air fryer, I set out to make a healthier version at-home. The verdict: a total success!

How to Make Onion Rings in the Air Fryer

I got my onion rings crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside in under 15 minutes! Here’s how:

1. Slice the onions into thick rings, about 1/2-inch thick.
2. Dredge the onion rings in flour, egg and panko.
3. Cook in the air fryer at 400 F for 8-10 minutes. Tip: Spray with cooking oil on both sides before cooking!

It works best to cook these in batches. Once all the onion rings are cooked, put them all back into the basket for a final reheat!

What Type of Onion to use for Onion Rings?

Sweet, Maui, or Vidalia onions are the best to use for onion rings thanks to their mild sweet flavour. However, yellow onions will also work!

How do Air Fryers Work?

Air fryers use hot air that is rapidly circulated to fry food, giving the food that crispy texture without the added oil. This means that you can enjoy perfectly crisp foods in a healthier way than shallow or deep frying. And when it comes to onion rings, the air fryer does not disappoint. The hot air circulates around the onion rings, cooking them evenly and giving them that irresistible crunch!

Homemade Honey Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Why is this the first time I combined these flavours? All I know is that I have been seriously missing out. It’s sweet, tangy, slightly spicy and creamy; perfect for dipping these crispy onion rings!

This recipe is perfect for a game-day appetizer! For more ideas visit my Perfect Game Day Recipes blog post.

Air Fryer Onions Rings

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet or yellow onions, sliced into ½-inch rings
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups panko
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Honey Chipotle Sauce (Makes 1 Cup)

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce (I used Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce)
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. In a separate shallow bowl add the 2 eggs and whisk together. In a third shallow bowl, mix to combine the panko and olive oil.

2. Coat the onion rings in batches, first in the flour mixture, then coat with egg, and then coat with panko. Set aside on a plate or baking sheet.

3. Preheat the air fryer to 400 F and add in the coated onions. Spray the air fryer basket and onion rings with non-stick cooking spray. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden and crispy. Flip halfway through. Alternatively, you can bake the onion rings at 400 F for 10-15 minutes.

4. While the onion rings cook, mix together the Honey Chipotle Sauce ingredients in a small bowl and serve alongside the onion rings for dipping.