Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings

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You won’t believe how crispy these Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings get, without all the extra oil they’d soak up in the deep fryer. You can now make perfectly crispy onion rings in the air fryer, quickly and easily.

» Try these Air Fryer Bagel Bites for a quick and tasty snack.

Onion rings on a plate
air fryer frozen onion rings

Whether you have kids who like to snack, you’re hosting a party and need quick and delicious party food ideas, or just enjoy crispy onion rings, you’re in for a treat.

These are really one of the easiest snacks to make because you can buy them frozen in a bag and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to cook them. You can make the whole bag at once in the air fryer (depending on the size of your basket) or just pop a few in at a time.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Onion rings – All you really need for this recipe is a bag of your favorite frozen onion rings.
  • Cooking spray oil – Optional. Most frozen onion rings have enough oil on them already.

Equipment Information

  • Air fryer: I use this 4-quart basket-style air fryer. It’s large enough to fit a meal for 4-6. But some things need more space in the air fryer basket, so they cook evenly.
  • Kitchen tongs: It’s very easy to remove food from your air fryer with kitchen tongs. I use these kitchen tongs that are silicon coated so they don’t scratch the interior.

Why Use an Air Fryer

An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.

How to Make Onion Rings in the Air Fryer

This recipe is specifically for making frozen onion rings that you purchased at the store. You can use any type of store-bought frozen onion rings. They all cook in about the same amount of time in the air fryer.

Place as many onion rings as you want to cook in the air fryer basket. It’s okay if they overlap.

Frozen onion rings in the air fryer basket

Start by pre-heating the air fryer to 400° F (200° C). This will help the onion rings get super crispy. No need to spray the basket. Frozen onion rings already have enough oil on them.

Cook for 8 minutes, turning the onion rings or shaking the basket halfway through cooking to ensure they get evenly browned and crispy. If after 8 minutes, they aren’t as dark and crispy as you like, continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes.

Cooked onion rings in the air fryer basket

That is all that there is to it. They come out perfect every time.

What About Homemade Onion Rings?

I’ve tried to make my own homemade onion rings by dredging them in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. While they do turn out okay, it seems that the breading doesn’t stay on well and they aren’t as good as I want them to be.

Usually, onion rings are breaded with a wet batter then tossed directly into the hot oil in a deep fryer. You can’t mimic that in an air fryer, so if you do want to make your own onion rings, you’ll have to go the dredging route.

  1. Slice the onion and break apart the rings
  2. Dust each ring with flour.
  3. Dip the rings in egg.
  4. Dip the rings in breadcrumbs.

Place the onion rings on the basket or racks and cook at 375°F for 10 minutes. Then after 6 minutes of cooking, flip them over so they brown evenly.

Cooked onions can add flavor to many things. Try these Air Fryer Onions as a topping on brats or burgers.

Onion rings on a plate

What Oil & Oil Sprayer is Best for the Air Fryer?

The biggest issue most air fryer lovers face is finding the right oil and oil sprayer to use on food cooked in the air fryer. A fine mist of oil will help the entire piece of food crisp evenly, so it’s very important.

My personal preference is to use canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil. I use both a refillable spray bottle like the Evo one pictured below and non-propellant extra virgin olive oil, which has not harmful aerosols or chemicals.

Dips to Serve With Onion Rings

The perennial favorite dipping sauce for onion rings is ketchup, of course, but there are lots of other great choices to mix things up a bit. Try serving your onion rings with:

  1. BBQ Ranch dressing
  2. Honey Sriracha Sauce
  3. Yum Yum Sauce
  4. Fry Sauce (ketchup, mayonnaise, and relish)

Once you see how easy it is to make these air fryer frozen onion rings, you’ll want to keep a bag of them in the freezer at all times, so you can crisp some up on a whim.

Onion rings on a plate

What Brand Onion Rings to Try

Some of our favorite brands are

  • Trader Joe’s Beer Battered Vidalia Sweet Onion Rings
  • Brew City Beer Battered Onion Rings
  • Ore Ida Gourmet Onion Rings
  • Red Robin Crispy Onion Rings

How To Store and Reheat Onion Rings

Frozen onion rings are always better eaten fresh. If you happen to have some leftover transfer them to an airtight container or Ziplock bag and store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

To reheat them add them to the air fryer basket and cook at 350° F for 2-3 minutes.

Tips & Notes

  • Don’t thaw frozen onion rings before cooking.
  • No need to spray the basket. Frozen onion rings already have enough oil on them.
  • Since onion rings can be many different sizes you may have to add a few minutes to the cooking time to make sure they all get done evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you cook frozen onion rings in an air fryer?

They will cook for 8 minutes at 400° F. If the basket is really full you may need to shake the basket and add a few more minutes.

Why are my onion rings not crispy?

There might be too many onion rings in the air fryer basket. In order for foods to get crispy in the air fryer the air needs to be able to circulate around the food. Try cooking them in smaller batches.
You can also spray the onion rings with a fine mist of cooking oil. That will help them crisp up as well.

Can I reheat leftover onion rings in the air fryer?

Yes, place them in the air fryer and cook at 400° F for 4-5 minutes.

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Onion rings on a plate

Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings

You won't believe how crispy these Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings get, without all the extra oil they'd soak up in the deep fryer. You can now make perfectly crispy onion rings in the air fryer, quickly and easily.
4.9 from 43 votes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 200 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400°F | 200°C.
  • Add onion rings to the air fryer basket or tray (how many you can fit depends on the capacity of your air fryer). No need to spray the onion rings with oil.
  • Cook for 8 minutes, flipping the onion rings halfway through. Add additional time if you prefer your onion rings crispier.
  • Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

All air fryers have different wattage and may cook at different rates. You may need to adjust the time or temp for the best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 440mgPotassium: 90mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gCalcium: 10mg
Keyword Air Fryer, Frozen
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10 thoughts on “Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings

  1. Harlee Jenkins says:

    5 stars
    I used Nathan’s frozen O/Rs. I only put 5 in at a time (just making for me as a side). I used 10 min as it was already programmed in, turned them at 5 min. I did not spray with anything. They came out crispy and not full of oil like in my Fry Daddy. I am thrilled…look forward to the next batch.

  2. jasper kane says:

    Do I need to defrost the onion rings before cooking them in the air fryer? Or can I cook them straight from frozen?

  3. Jake says:

    I sprinkled some smoked paprika on the onion rings before cooking them and it gave them a nice smoky flavor.

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