Restaurant-Perfect Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings

Crispy, golden brown, sweet and savory, onion rings are the best. And there’s nothing like having a fresh plate delivered to you at a restaurant. But of course, we can’t always go out to eat, so sometimes you have to get by at home.

Where you can never quite get the onion rings to come out like they do at a restaurant. Well, now it’s possible. You can make restaurant quality air fryer frozen onion rings quickly and easily at home. Plus, as a bonus, I’m providing the recipe for my homemade remoulade sauce.

Once you try this, you won’t want to dip your rings in anything else.

What you will need

• Frozen Onion Rings. I recommend battered.
• Mayonnaise 1 cup.
• Yellow mustard 1 teaspoon
• Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon
• Garlic powder 1 teaspoon
• Cajun/Creole seasoning 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper 1/2 teaspoon
• Chipotle Hot sauce. 1 teaspoon. Again, you can swap this, but the chipotle flavor blends so well into the sauce.

Battered vs. Breaded

Now, I know some of you are wondering why I specified battered onion rings in the ingredients. There are a couple of reasons. First off, you can’t typically make any battered foods in an air fryer.

Deep-frying food in oil seals liquid batter around the food, cooking it in perfectly.  An air fryer just can’t get that hot that fast, and will only cause you a big mess if you try. That’s why air fryer frozen onion rings are a perfect solution to that problem. The batter is pre-dipped and frozen on, so it can’t get all over. And why are battered better than breaded? Simple; flavor.

While I do love breaded onion rings, the batter gives it an extra element that breaded simply cannot match. There’s a savory flavor to perfectly compliment the sweetness of the onion. Which sounds odd, I know, but onions are naturally sweet. They have such a strong flavor that it can be hard to tell, but it is there. Cooking brings out that sweetness. Plus, they’re light and crispy without the sharp bits that breading can bring to the table.

How Long to Cook Frozen Onion Rings In Air Fryer

Cooking is pretty straightforward. You want to get a single layer of rings, so no stacking. And I’d recommend a light coating of oil or cooking spray on your fryer basket. While the frozen batter won’t make a mess in the fryer, it can stick sometimes. The rings themselves take about 7-10 minutes on 400° F. I recommend going for five minutes, then five more, but checking them halfway through.

Make the Remoulade

Okay, while that is going, you should have just enough time to make the sauce. It’s easy enough to do in less than five minutes.

Put 1 cup of mayo in a bowl. Add in 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, yellow mustard, dijon mustard, and chipotle hot sauce. Then ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and mix it all together. It’s really that simple. Once that’s blended, wait till your rings are up, and then serve with the remoulade. 

You’re Done

That’s right, you can sit back and enjoy restaurant-quality air fryer frozen onion rings with a tangy, remoulade with just a hint of spice.