Air Fryer Onion Rings

This air fryer onion rings recipe was created in partnership with Vidalia Onions. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We love frying foods in our home but fried foods just aren’t the best option for the healthy lifestyle we are trying to maintain. We recently got a new kitchen gadget and I’m in love. I’m literally obsessed with our air fryer. I’ve been experimenting with recipes that I can make in there for a healthier alternative. Onion rings are a favorite of mine so of course when Vidalia onion season rolled around, I had to try making them in the air fryer. Vidalia onions are only available from April – August every year so I had to take advantage of the season.

Let me tell you that it’s probably one of the easiest dishes I’ve made in the air fryer to date. In under 15 minutes, you have got the crunchiest and tastiest onion rings without all of the grease and guilt. I love using Vidalia onions to make onion rings for a few reasons. They are sweet but mild compared to other onions. The flavor is incredible. Honestly you can’t compare the flavor of other onions to Vidalia. They are hands down the best.

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Ingredients

• Vidalia onion rings, sliced thick
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Cut your onions into thick slices. Separate the slices into rings.
2. Combine flour, breadcrumbs, paprika, salt and white pepper into a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk.
3. Dredge the onion rings in the flour mixture then the buttermilk then the flour mixture again.
4. Place onion rings in a single layer into the air fryer basket.
5. Cook at 425 degrees for 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for Getting Crunchier Onion Rings

I like when my onion rings are super crunchy. Usually the recipe above gets them just how I like but sometimes our guests have asked for more of a crunch. If you’re onion rings aren’t coming out as crunchy as you’d like you can try two things. The first is adding a bit more breadcrumbs into your mixture. The second thing is the spray the onion rings with cooking spray about halfway through the cooking process. Both methods work the same and it really comes down to personal preference.

Onion rings make for a great appetizer, snack, or a side dish. They’re always a hit every time we make them especially when we use Vidalia Onions. Once your onion rings are complete you can pair them with your favorite dips, add it as a topping on a salad, or even get creative using it as an ingredient in green bean casserole.