Onion rings are one of those classic bar foods that always hit the spot. The combo of sweet, sour caramelized onion with crunchy breading is absolutely killer. However, what makes these so tasty is also what makes them not-so-great for you: deep frying. But have no fear, air fryer onion rings are here! My version cuts down on breading and oil, making them a lower carb, lower calorie, lower points option.
Typical onion rings are 300+ calories for just 6 rings, plus loads of fat and roughly 8 WW SP. Yikes. My version lets you have half an onion per serving (roughly a small plate full) for just 3 WW SP and under 150 calories. These are a kid friendly snack, delicious appetizer for a crowd, or just a killer snack when you’re hungry.
Making Air Fryer onion rings
These onion rings require a little bit of prep work and then they’re a breeze. Just create your assembly line and you can go from hungry to happy in just about 30 minutes.
Onions are the star here, so you’ll need a big sweet onion. Cut it into 1/2 inch thick slices and break apart the pieces so you have individual rings.
Its crucial that your rings are nice and dry, so you’ll want to dunk them in flour first, then egg mixture, then back in the flour.
For your flour mixture:
- All purpose flour (sub gluten free if needed)
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Salt
For your egg mixture:
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp milk of choice mixed with 1/2 tsp vinegar (this creates a faux buttermilk, but you can sub with real buttermilk if you have it)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour mixture above
Then, just dip each ring in the flour, then the egg, and then the flour again. Make sure you’re thoroughly coating each ring, and lay them on a well-sprayed air fryer tray, making sure they’re not overlapping. Spray generously with cooking spray (don’t want to see lots of flour). Then, just air fry at 370 for 10-12 min, flipping half way through. When they’re nice and golden brown, they’re done! Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (I’m a ketchup gal, but Ranch is also an excellent choice). You could even use my Tangy Dipping Sauce from my Air Fried Pickles recipe.
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 Onions large
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup Low fat milk
- 1 tsp White vinegar
- 3/4 cup Flour all purpose
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Peel onions and remove top and bottom. Cut the onions width wide to create 1/2 inch thick slices. Break up the rings.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic powder, paprika and stir together.
- In a small bowl, mix milk and vinegar. Add beaten eggs and 2 tbsp of the flour mixture and stir together so no clumps remain.
- Prepare air fryer tray, spraying well with cooking spray so your rings don't stick.
- To create your rings, first dip each onion ring in flour, then the egg mixture, then the flour mixture again. Shake off any excess flour and place rings on air fryer tray, making sure none are touching/overlapping.
- Spray generously with cooking spray (so you don't see any loose flour) and fry at 370 for 10-12 minutes, flipping them half way. *Note: If you have a tray style air fryer, you can skip the flip and they'll be fine. When they're golden brown, they're done! Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy.
2 thoughts on “Air Fryer Onion Rings”
I was so excited to try these and they turned out great! Loved that the ingredients and process were simple, and that it was so much healthier than frying them in oil. Our family looks forward to this being a regular item in the house!
Thanks so much for the kind words – so glad you all loved them!