Frozen Onion Rings in Air Fryer

Cooking crispy frozen onion rings in air fryer is way better than in the oven! You can use your Ninja Foodi to make this side dish that is lightly breading right out of the freezer which is more fun than air fryer onions with a serious crunch to them.

This cooking hack is another game changer for us! They’re pretty good baked in the oven BUT they seriously taste like they’re from a restaurant this way. You’ve got to try this easy air fryer recipe tonight (your kids will think you are a hero if you do).

When we first got this hot air machine I experimented with all sorts of things but frozen foods made the biggest difference. There is just no other way to get that deep fried crisp without any oil….until now….we will never bake them again after figuring out the correct temperature and timing.

I mean grilled or caramelized onions are the bomb too right? BUT those take quite a bit of time and we don’t always have that, for sure. If you buy these babies already breaded though most of the work has been done for you and all you need is to get the middle tender and outsides to crunch.

Ninja Foodi Frozen Onion Rings.

Who makes the best frozen onion rings?

You will probably have a choice in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. Here is a list of the best brands out there according to a recent poll:

1. Alexia Foods onion rings are the best….what we used here
2. Heinz Ore Ida has some too that are deemed to be second best
3. McCain golden crisp rings are great
4. Fishery natural battered onion rings
5. Simplot ale rings round out the list

You may only have one or two choices at your store but if you have them all these seem to fair best in the order listed above. Of course you will likely have the choice of your local store brand there too. I wouldn’t say that for this food it would be a huge difference between the two, except for the price.

What you need to get started

You need a bag of your favorite frozen onion rings (or you could make 1/2 at a time with the same temp. and timing)

Air fryer basket and the machine itself of course. The larger the basket the more you can make as they need to be in one single layer to get as crispy as possible. Ok and if you want a dip you can use ketchup or our hot honey sauce for heat.

Yes you can go through the process of making homemade crispy fried onions. Sometimes you just want a quick and crispy side dish to serve with frozen air fryer corn dogs though. The timing here is really handy to have.

Tips for Success

Now the machine isn’t going to matter as far as the temperature and cook time. What will make a difference is the size of the basket. If you have a really large version you can cook more at a time since there is more area to spread them out. You do not want them to overlap, that defeats the purpose.

Keep in mind that some brands come already seasoned like frozen waffle fries styles do and others are plain needing a bit of salt and pepper when done.

How Long to Cook Frozen Onion Rings in Air Fryer

As we always do when cooking frozen food in an air fryer, this one is no different. Go ahead and preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. for 5 minutes. This is important so it’s the same temp. the entire time they’re crisping, and they’ll finish in less than 5 minutes!

• I will start by saying, timing will vary slightly.
  • For this brand 4-5 minutes was perfect.
  • If yours are thicker and larger in size it may be closer to 6-8 minutes total.
  • I didn’t find a need to shake the basket halfway thru, just ensure there is only one layer and they are NOT overlapping.

We will never ever bake them again after making them this way. Same goes for air fryer frozen chicken nuggets, they’re so much better! Air fryer benefits are endless. Less fat with no oil needed but the same crunch as deep fried.

What should you serve with air fryer onion rings?

Air fryer ribs is a favorite for protein as the main meal. If I want easy peasy all the way around I might make these and frozen egg rolls in air fryer together for a finger food meal. If you love seafood, everyone loves our air fryer frozen shrimp recipe here.

Other Frozen Air Fryer Recipes you’ll Love

After you make these you’ll want to make ALL THE THINGS from your freezer in it!! Start with making a few frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer in it. These and air fryer frozen taquitos will crunch just like at a restaurant. Then go on to make some frozen pizza in an air fryer, even your kids can do that.

Even frozen chicken tenders in air fryer turn out better than in the microwave. You can make plain ol’ onions with no breading too, they’re great on cooked frozen hamburger patties in air fryer.