Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings

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These air fryer frozen onion rings make a quick and easy side dish or appetizer that is ready in under 10 minutes. Crispy and golden onion rings that taste like they were deep fried without the calories.

It is incredibly easy to make almost any type of frozen food in the air fryer. For other frozen air fryer recipes, try these air fryer toaster strudels or these air fryer coconut shrimp. 

These onion rings make a great side dish or appetizer. For other appetizers, try these goat cheese croquettes.

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Dipping Sauces
• What To Serve With Onion Rings
• Storage
• Reheating
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• They are crispier than in the oven. Making onion rings in the air fryer gives the onion rings a crispiness that you won’t get from baking them in the oven.
• An air fryer is healthier than deep frying. An air fryer mimics the taste of fried onion rings without using any extra oil.
• Easy, simple & ready in less than 10 minutes. These are one of the simplest side dishes to make and almost all the cooking time is hands off.
• Inexpensive & Affordable. You can buy a bag of frozen onion rings at a relatively low price. Making onion rings at home is a lot cheaper than buying them out at a restaurant.
• They’re versatile. There are many ways to enjoy onion rings and a variety of tasty dip recipes to try with them.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Frozen Onion Rings: You can use any brand of frozen onion rings. If you have a favorite, use that brand, or use whichever is available at your grocery store. Here are some brands of frozen onion rings that would work for this recipe:
  • Alexia Onion Rings
  • Nathan’s Onion Rings
  • Trader Joe’s Sweet Onion Rings
  • Red Robin Crispy Onion Rings
  • Brew City Onion Rings
  • Ore-Ida Gourmet Onion Rings
  • McCain Golden Crisp Rings

Equipment

• An air fryer that allows you to set the temperature.
• Tongs to flip and remove the air fried onion rings.

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 350F and set the timer to 5 minutes.

Step 2: Once the air fryer has preheated, add the onion rings to the basket. Air fry for 5 minutes, flipping the rings or shaking the air fryer basket halfway through.

Dipping Sauces

Onion rings go exceptionally well with a variety of dipping sauces. Make your favorite sauce or make a handful for a variety of flavors. Here are some ideas of sauces to try:

• Honey
• Mayonnaise
• Ranch Dressing
• Tartar Sauce
• Honey Mustard
• Blooming Onion Ring Sauce
• Fry Sauce

What To Serve With Onion Rings

There are a number of ways to serve onion rings. They make a great appetizer all on their own. They can also be an easy side for many main course meals. Here are some foods that pair well with onion rings:

• Hamburgers & Hotdogs
• Chicken Wings
• Vegetable Wrap
• Quesadillas
• Sandwiches & Paninis

Storage

Don’t make these air fryer frozen onion rings ahead of time. They taste best when fresh out of the air fryer.

However, if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheating

To reheat onion rings that you have stored in the fridge, preheat the air fryer to 320F and set the timer for 3 minutes. If you find the onion rings to be dry, spray them lightly with an oil mister to bring back the crispiness.

Expert Tips

• Don’t crowd the basket. It is ok if the onion rings overlap in the air fryer basket, but don’t fill the basket more than halfway full.
• Use the preheat setting. Using the preheat option on an air fryer allows the onion rings to cook more evenly.
• Use an oil mister. Some brands of frozen onion rings are dryer than others. If this is the case, use an oil mister to lightly spray the onion rings with olive oil or vegetable oil.
• Don’t use Pam or other aerosol sprays. Aerosol sprays can cause chipping in your air fryer. Use a mister such as this evo aerosol mister instead.
• Don’t thaw the onion rings before adding them to the air fryer. Thawing the onion rings will make them soggier and less crispy. Toss them straight from the freezer into the preheated air fryer.
• Adjust the cooking time based on the size of the onion rings. For extra large or thick onion rings, you may need to add a couple minutes. For thinner onion rings, check them a couple minutes before the cooking time is finished to make sure they don’t burn.

FAQ

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📖 Recipe