Air fryer onion rings are one of those classic foods that seem to go well with just about everything.
French fries are darn good too, don’t get me wrong, but when I have good onion rings that are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender in the middle, nothing compares.
Luckily for us, there are some brands (like Alexia, Nathan’s, and Red Robin) that make pretty great frozen versions, so you don’t have to start breading individual slices of onions to get your onion ring fix.
When you cook frozen onion rings in the air fryer, magic happens!
The power of the air fryer makes an already delicious snack even better: more golden, crispy, and all-around irresistible. Did we mention it’s also faster?
Table of Contents
Level Up Your Frozen Onion Rings
✦ You can find the exact measurements of the recipe ingredients and customize the serving size in the recipe card after the detailed step-by-step instructions section.
The ingredients are as simple and straightforward as they come! We’ve also included some simple recipes for dipping sauces down in the recipe card, and you can find the ingredients needed for those sauces in the card as well.
- 1 pound onion rings
- 2 tbsp ketchup (if desired)
Other Dipping Sauce Options:
- Herb and mayo
- Traditional fry sauce
- Spicy mayo
- Honey mustard
As a general rule, use whatever is available in your pantry.
Recipe Video
How to Cook Frozen Onion Rings in an Air Fryer?
Onion rings in the air fryer are crisp in no time at all! You’ll have them ready in 15 minutes or less, with no preheat required!
Step 1: Open bag of frozen onion rings.
Step 2: Air fry frozen onion rings for 10-15 minutes at 380ºF (193ºC).
💡 Pro Tip: For easier flipping, don’t overfill the air fryer basket.
Add the onion rings to the air fryer. They don’t have to be in a single layer, though having them in a single layer will allow them to cook faster.
Air fry the onion rings for 10-15 minutes or until they are thoroughly browned and crunchy, flipping them halfway through.
✦ I used a 6-quart air fryer to test this recipe. Cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer and the number of servings you are making. For optimal results, begin with the lower end of the suggested cooking time.
Step 3: Prepare your favorite dipping sauce.
If making a homemade sauce, prepare the sauce while the onion rings are cooking.
Here, we’re making herb mayo—a sauce I fell in love with at a local restaurant back home. Surprisingly, it’s incredibly easy to make!
You can also go with a traditional fry sauce. Just combine ketchup and mayo.
Or if you want something with a kick, spicy mayo is just a mixture of kewpie mayo and sriracha.
Last but not least, you can also make a traditional sweet dipping sauce (honey mustard). You just need 1 tablespoon of honey, mustard, mayo and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Step 4: Serve & enjoy!
When the onion rings are done, remove them to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce (store-bought or homemade) of your choosing!
What Goes Well with Onion Rings?
Other than spectacular dipping sauces, onion rings go well with a lot of things! Here are some ideas:
- Serve on the side of (or inside of) a grilled cheese! Onions and cheese go really well together, in any form!
- Cut into pieces and serve on top of a salad with grilled chicken! The texture and flavor of the onion rings will nicely complement any salad.
- Enjoy on the side of eggs or a frittata. Adding onion rings to your next brunch is sure to please a crowd.
- Adding hot, crispy onion rings to a sandwich can bring some warmth and crunch to an otherwise cold sandwich!
The Best Frozen Onion Rings
Here are some of the best frozen onion rings brands:
| Photo | Product |
|---|---|
| Alexia Crispy Onion Rings |
| Nathan’s Thick-Sliced Battered Onion Rings |
| Red Robin Crispy Onion Rings |
| McCain Battered Onion Rings |
| Ore-Ida Gourmet Onion Rings |
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook frozen onion rings in the air fryer, simply open the bag and place them in the fryer basket. Set the temperature to 380ºF (193ºC) and cook for 10-15 minutes. You don’t need to thaw or preheat the air fryer. Make sure not to overcrowd the basket as this can make the flipping hard and affect the cooking time.
From frozen to crispy, it will take about 10-15 minutes to cook onion rings in the air fryer at 380ºF (193ºC). No preheating required.
This ingredients checklist is interactive; you can use it as your grocery list.
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen onion rings
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
Herb & Mayo Sauce
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
Traditional Fry sauce
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
Spicy Mayo
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons kewpie mayo or regular mayo
Honey Mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Open bag of frozen onion rings.
- Add the frozen onion rings to the air fryer basket and cook it for 10-15 minutes at 380ºF (193ºC), flipping halfway. Space them out for even cooking. No preheating required.
- Prepare herb mayo dipping sauce or any sauce of your choice. Combine mayo, garlic powder, dried rosemary and dried basil in a small bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until they are well combined.
- Serve and enjoy your air fried frozen onion rings with a side of your favorite sauce!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Some air fryers don’t count the preheating time, like the Instant Pot 6-quart that we tested this recipe with. Be sure to factor that in, when setting your cooking time to avoid overcooking your air fryer frozen onion rings.
- If you flip the onion rings while they are still saggy, they will break apart. Wait until they become firm before flipping them.
- To ensure optimal airflow, avoid overfilling the air fryer basket.
- I used a 6-quart air fryer to test the frozen onion rings. Cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer and the number of servings you are making. For optimal results, begin with the lower end of the suggested cooking time.
Nutrition
Share or save this recipe for later:
Have you tried air frying frozen onion rings?
Leave us a note, and give this recipe a star rating. Good or bad, we appreciate your opinion. Let’s improve this air fryer recipe as a community!
Are you on Instagram? Share your photo and tag us at @fryitco. We can’t wait to see what you’ve made!
Or you can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel. We’re constantly uploading easy and tasty air fryer recipe videos, ASMR style.
You can also find us on Facebook & Tiktok 🙂. See you there!
Thank you for your support!
Web Story
Excellent! My go to recipe! Simple and straight forward for an old geezer like me!!