When was the last time you had onion rings? If it was more than 5 minutes ago, a batch of crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings is in order! Thanks to a double dredge technique (and the magic of the air fryer), these onion rings are crunchy outside, nicely coated, and never soggy.

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Why You’ll Love This Healthy Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe
- The Onion Rings are Actually Crispy. When it comes to onion rings (and Air Fryer French Fries), I don’t accept anything but crispy, crunchy perfection! While this recipe takes a little longer to prep than Air Fryer Potato Chips, these golden air-fried onion rings are worth it.
- It’s Better for You. These healthy onion rings are my lightened-up version of the beloved deep-fried treat. With their powerful convection cooking power, air fryers (this is the one I own) create knockout copycats of foods that are usually fried, like Air Fryer Pickles, Air Fryer Chicken Wings, and Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks.
- It Makes Any Meal More Fun! Whether you’re serving Grilled Chicken Tenders or Turkey Burgers, adding a side of these homemade air fryer onion rings instantly makes the meal feel exceptional. They’re crispy, tasty, and feel wonderfully homey and nostalgic. They’ll be a hit with kids and adults alike!

How to Make Air Fryer Onion Rings
The Ingredients
For the Onion Rings
- Onions. Their natural sweetness comes out once air fried.
- All-Purpose Flour. Starting with flour helps give the eggs something to stick to so they adhere.
- Panko. Ultra crispy and less likely to end up soggy with oil, panko is my go-to for a perfect, crispy breading.
- Eggs. Helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the onions.
- Spices. Garlic powder and salt are two can’t-miss additions to these onion rings. While optional, we also love adding a pinch of chili powder and cayenne pepper to ours. It gives the onion rings a hint of smokiness and spice.
For Dipping
- Your favorite BBQ sauce, or try my homemade Barbecue Sauce
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip
- Vegan Queso
- Buffalo sauce
- Honey Mustard Sauce from my Chicken Tenders recipe
The Directions
- Prepare Your Dredging Station. Flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in a line.

- Dredge. Coat the onion rings in the flour, then eggs, then panko breadcrumbs.

- Get Ready to Air Fry. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

- Add Onion Rings to an Air Fryer. Mist the tops with nonstick spray.

- Air Fry. Air fry onion rings at 360 degrees F for 7 to 9 minutes. Remove them to a plate, adding a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining onion rings. ENJOY!

Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate onion rings in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Recrisp leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- To Freeze. Lay leftovers in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen air fryer onion rings to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, slice the onion as directed. Store the onion rings in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to finish the recipe.

Leftover Ideas
Use leftover onion rings to upgrade your favorite burger. Try adding them to a Portobello Mushroom Burger.
For a unique and scrumptious breakfast, fry an egg inside a leftover onion ring.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Burger. These onion rings would be delicious with a Blue Cheese Burger, Vegan Burger, or Air Fryer Hamburgers.
- Chicken. Please everyone at your table by serving onion rings with Baked BBQ Chicken, Honey Garlic Chicken Wings, or my homemade Chicken Tenders Recipe.
- Sandwich. A Chickpea Salad Sandwich, Steak Sandwich, or Spicy Chicken Sandwich would be excellent.
- Salad. Serve these onion rings as a fun side dish with Greek Salad, BBQ Chicken Salad, or Steak Salad.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Air Fryer. The one I own and love.
- Mixing Bowls. This set would be perfect for helping you batter the onion rings.
- Tongs. Great for transferring the onion rings to and from the air fryer.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- One Layer at a Time. When air frying the onion rings, stick to single layers. Stacking and crowding them won’t produce the same crispy results.
- Don’t Forget the Dip. These onion rings are certainly scrumptious on their own, but pairing them with a dip makes them extra fun! Choose your favorite or see some of my suggestions in the blog post above.
- Double Dredge. My secret to ensuring these are the crispiest onion rings is the double dredge. The base layer of flour helps the eggs stick to the onion, which creates an extra layer of crispiness under the panko.
Air Fryer Onion Rings
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Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus additional for serving
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced crosswise into 1/2- to 3/4-inch rings
- Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil
- Homemade BBQ Sauce for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- In a small, shallow bowl, place the flour. In a second small bowl, beat the eggs. In a third bowl, combine the bread crumbs, chili powder, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and cayenne. Last, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it handy to use as a work surface.
- Separate the onion slices into rings. Working a few at a time, dip the onion rings in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumb mixture, turning the rings and patting the panko as needed to adhere (smaller rings are easier than larger ones).
- Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rings.
- Preheat your air fryer to 360°F. Coat the air fryer basket with nonstick spray.
- Place the onion rings in a single layer in the basket, then mist the tops with more nonstick spray.
- Air fry the onion rings for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden and crisp (no need to flip them). Remove from the basket to a serving plate and immediately season with a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining onions. If you’d like to serve all batches hot at once, set the air fried rings aside as they finish, then reheat them all together in a single batch in the air fryer for a minute or two (it’s OK to stack when reheating). Enjoy hot with BBQ sauce or dip of choice.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate onion rings in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Recrisp leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F.
- TO FREEZE: Lay leftovers in a single layer on a baking sheet, then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen rings to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
Nutrition
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This recipe is a complete waste of time. Flour does not stick to an onion, panko turns in to a clumpy mess that you cant do anything with.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Dave. It has worked well for myself (and others) so I wish it would have worked well for you too.
How do I make onion rings in my air fryer from scratch
Hi Yvonne! The recipe for the air fryer onion rings is listed in the post, above the area where you commented. You can also find it by clicking the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the screen. Hope this helps!
I had an issue with the flour not sticking. I let the sliced onion sit out for an hour. It helped, I also had issues with the panko and tried using a box of chicken fry seasoning. It worked better!! Didn’t notice a chicken taste at all. The chicken fry mix looked like fix fry seasoning. I’m gonna try that next and skip dredging in flour.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Lee. The method has worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!
These are really good! Took some patience but worth it
So glad to hear it Raymond!