Frozen Onion Rings in the Air Fryer

Frozen Onion Rings in the Air Fryer are so quick and easy. You can achieve crispy and golden onion rings in the air fryer in about 15 minutes!

Our air fryer frozen onion rings require literally no prep time. And the best part is that you don’t have top put them in the air fryer in a single layer. I like to make the entire bag of onion rings at one time. We like to feed everyone at the same time so cooking our onion rings in batches is not an option for us. Just dump the entire bag into the bottom of the air fryer basket and cook em’ right up. I don’t even preheat the air fryer.

My air fryer was a Christmas gift from my daughter. She asked what I wanted and that it what I asked for. I am so glad I did because I really like how food retains moisture when air fried. It is a 7.2 qt air fryer and it’s the perfect size for us. We can make just about any main dish or side dish we want. I think it would work well for a family of 4.

I have never been big on deep frying foods at home. We love the taste of fried foods and so we occasionally get fried food out. In an effort to eat healthier we have made little changes here and there, like replacing vegetable oil with avocado oil, olive oil or canola oil. We were so happy that air frying allows us to satisfy our craving for yummy fried food without the use of oil.

I am really getting into using the air fryer instead of the deep fryer and I can’t wait to try other foods such as french fries, curly fries, and sweet potato fries. We have made delicious air fryer pork chops, chicken and steak. Air frying is one of my favorite ways to cook a steak, and the best steak I have ever made came out of my air fryer.

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amount.

Ingredient Notes

Frozen Onion Rings – choose your favorite brand.

No-Stick Cooking Spray – just give the basket a little spray before you put the onion rings in it.

How to Make Air Fryer Onion Rings

1. Spray the the air fryer with nonstick cooking spray and then pour the bag of onion rings into the bottom of the basket. Spread them out a little so they aren’t in one big pile. 
2. Cook on 400° for 5 minutes, move the onion rings around a bit, cook for 5 more minutes then move the onion rings around again and then cook an additional 3 – 5 minutes or until the onion rings are golden and crispy.

Cooking Tips

Cook in 5 minute increments stirring each time. Do this twice and then cook an additional 3 – 5 minutes. Adjust the cooking time if necessary for the last cooking session based on how you like your onion rings. We cook ours 15 minutes total.

Air fryers vary so cooking times may be different for your specific air fryer.

What are the best frozen onion rings?

This is personal preference. We love Nathan’s but will use another brand if Nathan’s aren’t available that day.

Mashed has rated frozen onion rings from worst to best. I am sharing their list below from best to worst.

1. Nathan’s Famous Thick Sliced Battered Onion Rings
2. Alexia Onion Rings
3. Member’s Mark Battered Onion Rings
4. Cavendish Farms Crispy Sweet Onion Rings
5. Brew City Beer Battered Thick Cut Onion Rings
6. Ian’s Onion Rings
7. 365 Crispy Breaded Onion Rings
8. Ore-Ida Gourmet Onion Rings
9. Fred’s Batter-Dipt Thick Cut Onion Rings
10. Simplot Bent Arm Ale Onion Rings
11. Green Giant Veggie Rings
12. Market Pantry Crispy Onion Rings
13. Kroger Minced Breaded Onion Rings
14. Red Robin Crispy Onion Rings
15. Great Value Onion Rings

I have never seen many of these brands and sometimes the Walmart I shop at only has Nathan’s and Great Value brands. Nathan’s is my favorite brand because they look to be breaded in a batter and not bread crumbs like some of the other brands.

I have never made homemade onion rings and with so many great choices in the frozen foods aisle it is just one of those foods that I will probably never make from scratch.

Variation

Sprinkle cooked onion rings with a little salt while they are still warm.

Dipping Sauce Suggestions

Use your favorite dipping sauce or try one of these:

Buttermilk Honey Mustard Dressing

Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing

Ranch Dressing

Barbecue Sauce

Ketchup – regular or make spicy ketchup by adding 1 teaspoon hot sauce and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder to 1/2 cup of ketchup.

Blooming Onion Dipping Sauce (food.com has an easy recipe)

Storage & Reheating

Store leftover onion rings in an airtight container. Reheat in the air fryer on 400° for 3-5 minutes, shake or stir and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until the onion rings are warm.

 

Final Thought

Frozen Onion Rings in the Air Fryer make a great appetizer or quick snack. They are also an easy side dish that goes perfectly with hamburgers, hot dogs or any other meaty main dish.

We love potatoes and I have a recipe for Sliced Potatoes in the Air Fryer that you should check out. 

 

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