If you're looking for the perfect no-stress side dish, you are going to love Air Fried Crispy Onion Rings. Perfectly crispy outer layer paired with perfectly cooked onion center, all achieved without the hassle of deep frying. And the best part is they're so easy to make! In just minutes, your air fryer will work its magic, turning those humble frozen onion rings into crispy delights that'll have you reaching for seconds.
Air fryer frozen onion rings were inspired by Air Fried Eggrolls and Air Fried Crispy Crowns and pair perfectly with Air Fried Corn Dogs or Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken.
{This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Page for details}
The air fryer is a popular choice for cooking frozen foods like onion rings. Not only does it produce crispy results of deep frying, but it also requires little to no oil, making it a much healthier option for foods like homemade Air Fryer Steak Fries, and our family loves transforming frozen broccoli into Crispy Air Fried Broccoil. Additionally, air fryers are quick and convenient, allowing you to whip up quick snacks, side dishes or a great appetizer in a fraction of the time it takes to preheat an oven.
Counter Top Instructions
Start by preheating the air fryer to the recommended temperature, typically around 375°F. My Instant Pot Vortex 6 qt air fryer beeps to indicate that it is preheated. While some air fryers feature preheat functions, others may require a few minutes to reach the desired temperature.
- Choose a quality brand of onion rings, our favorite brand is the Alexia onion rings.
- Arrange the frozen onion rings in a single layer in the bottom of the air fryer basket, ensuring that they are not overcrowded. This allows for proper hot air circulation and ensures even cooking.
- Typically, frozen onion rings cook best at around 375°F for 8-10 minutes, depending on the brand and size, but be sure to refer to the packaging or your air fryer's instructions for specific instructions.
- Halfway through the cooking process, flip the onion rings to ensure they crisp up evenly on all sides. This step helps prevent any uneven browning and ensures that each onion ring is perfectly crispy.
- Serve crispy air fryer onion rings with a side of ranch dressing, ketchup, barbecue sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.
Air Fry Range Instructions
If you need to serve a crowd, you may want to use the air fry feature on your full-size air fry range. Full-size air fryer temperatures and cook times will vary from the smaller air fryers. This method will take slightly longer, however, you can prepare a larger quantity at one time.
- Pre-heat the range using the air frying setting to 375° F ( °C)
- Place the frozen onion rings on the air fry tray or basket in a single layer.
- Set a timer for 12-15 minutes.
- Place the air fry tray in the middle position of the range with an extra large sheet pan on the rack below to catch any crumbs or drips from falling onto the bottom of the oven. This step will greatly reduce the chances of smoking.
- Turn or flip the onion rings halfway through the cooking process.
- Serve cooked onion rings immediately.
Top Tips
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket, as this can lead to uneven cooking and soggy onion rings.
- Check for doneness halfway through the cooking process and adjust the cooking time if needed.
- Experiment with different brands until you find the best frozen onion rings that give you great results.
- Air fryer onion rings cook in less time than baking them in the oven, keep a close eye on them the first time you make them.
Serving & Storage
Once your onion rings are golden brown and crispy, remove them from the air fryer and serve hot. Whether enjoyed as a crunchy snack or paired with your favorite dipping sauces, air-fried onion rings are sure to be a hit with your family. Due to the crispy nature of onion rings, I do not recommend storing leftover onion rings. If there is an abundance of food you don't want to throw out could store them in an airtight container and reheat them the next day in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes at a lower temperature for best results.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes To Try
If you need a quick weeknight dinner idea check out our favorite recipes for when I forgot to take the meat out of the freeze to defrost!
Snacks & Lunches
- Alexia Sweet Potato French Fries
- Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
- Crispy Corn Dogs
- Homemade Steak Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Tater Tots or crispy crowns
- Frozen Egg Rolls in the air fryer
Easy Air Fryer Dinner Ideas
- Air Fryer Orange Chicken
- Nashville Hot Chicken
- Sticky Finger Salad
- Crunch Wrap Supreme
- Fish Stick Tacos
How to Air Fry Frozen Onion Rings
Ingredients
- 6.5 oz Onion rings about half the bag
Instructions
- Start by preheating the air fryer to 375°F.
- Arrange the frozen onion rings in a single layer in the bottom of the air fryer basket.
- Air Fry for 8-10 minutes.
- Halfway through the cooking process, flip the onion rings to ensure they crisp up evenly on all sides.
- Serve crispy air fryer onion rings with a side of ranch dressing, ketchup, barbecue sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.
Leave a Reply