These vegan onion rings may not be deep-friend, but OH do they satiate an onion ring craving! Perfect for eating straight out of the air fryer or on top of a BBQ burger.
I mention BBQ burgers because they are what prompted me to revisit an oooold recipe of mine for baked onion rings from my first book, Vegan Bowl Attack! In the book recipe I drizzle Smoky Tahini Sauce and BBQ sauce all over the rings for a tasty appetizer. I feel like I’ve improved the recipe here, and it helps that they’re made in an air fryer over a traditional oven, because it definitely cuts down on time.
With my first go at re-doing this recipe, I double coated the onion rings because I wanted a fair amount of breading on them. The problem with that is with the coating so thick, even at a high temperature, the onion rings didn’t get as crispy as I liked, plus the inner coating was still a bit doughy even though the onions were super-soft at that point. Not ideal!
So, with my next two rounds, I opted for a thicker flour-milk dredge and panko-cornmeal crust for the perfect color, flavor, and texture. Of course, I seasoned the breading, and honestly, the last two times I made these I ate them all in one sitting. Oops. Not the well-rounded meal I usually aim for, but absolutely worth it. My alternate name for this recipe is “How to Eat an Entire Onion in just 10 minutes”.
Substitutions + Tips:
- Yellow Onion – I feel like this is pretty standard to use, but white or brown could also work. I would not go the sweet onion route here.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour – gluten-free flour could also work, it may need more time to thicken the milk mixture/hydrate.
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk – you want one with the most neutral flavor, if possible. I recommend soy milk, rice milk, and certain oat milks.
- Panko crumbs – You can use gluten-free panko crumbs if necessary! I prefer panko to regular bread crumbs because they aren’t as finely ground and give a better crunchy texture.
- Cornmeal – I find that the cornmeal adds another layer of flavor, similar to a corndog batter, and some crunch.
- Spices – while I used paprika, parsley, and onion powder to season my breading, you can definitely go all out with a variety of choices; like something more Italian-leaning, Cajun, or smoky chipotle, the possibilities are nearly endless.
- Cooking oil spray – if you want a crispier exterior and better color on your onion rings, you are going to want to be liberal with the cooking oil spray. If you are avoiding oil, you can go without, but the onion rings will remain quite pale and slightly flour-y. The finer the cooking spray droplets the better, so that you get even coverage without having to douse the onion rings in oil.
- Another thing! I sprayed the onion rings in the mesh air fryer basket over my dry wood cutting board! That way the excess oil could be rubbed in to condition the board. Just a thought if you don’t want the overspray to just go in the sink.
More recipes you may enjoy!
- Vegan BBQ Ranch Fries
- Vegan Crab Rangoon [Epic Vegan Cookbook]
- 5-Minute Vegan Blender Queso
- Cilantro Onion Dip Party Platter
Air-Fried Onion Rings
These onion rings may not be deep-friend, but OH do they satiate an onion ring craving! Perfect for eating straight out of the air fryer or on top of a BBQ burger.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (45 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/3 cup (42 g) panko crumbs
- 1/4 cup (35 g) cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 yellow onion, peeled
- Cooking oil spray
Instructions
- In a shallow, small bowl place the flour, pinch of salt, and half of the milk to it. Whisk mixture until it's smooth, then add the rest of the milk and whisk until combined. Set aside to thicken while you prep the crumb coat and onions.
- In another shallow, small bowl place panko crumbs, cornmeal, onion powder, sea salt, parsley. and paprika and stir together until combined.
- Cut your onion into 1/2-inch thick slices across the bias. Pull the slices apart carefully; I like to have a few that are two layers, for a thicker onion ring. I like to keep the larger rings for onion rings with a few smaller ones, but use the center rings in other recipes. Have ready your air fryer basket, and if your air fryer needs to be preheated, set it to 375F while you coat the onion rings.
- First, dredge the raw onion in the milk-flour mixture and use a fork to pull it out, letting some of the excess drip off. Then transfer it to the crumb coat bowl and gently press it into the mixture, then flip it over and press again. You may need to spoon mixture over it to get it evenly coated. Gently tap the loose breading off and place it in the air fryer basket.
- Repeat the dredge and coat process until you have filled up your air fryer basket with a single layer of onion rings, then spray an even coat of oil on the rings, flip rings, and spray the other side. Air fry for 15 minutes, or until the edges are browning. Let cool for 3 to 5 minutes before eating.
- This recipe makes 2 servings as a side, because that fits well in the air fryer for a single basket/layer. You can easily double the recipe, if you are feeding more people or have more space in your air fryer!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 191Total Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 5g
In the photos you can see me serving the onion rings with BBQ sauce and my Smoky Tahini Sauce, so I wanted to give you the recipe for the tahini sauce so that you’re not missing out!
Smoky Tahini Sauce
"Tahini is made from sesame seeds, which are not only high in iron, but also full of flavor and even a little bitter (in a good way). Combine that with smoky spices and you have a delectable, savory sauce for topping bowls of all kinds." Reprinted with permission from Vegan Bowl Attack! Copyright 2016
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons (75 g) tahini
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 1 tablespoon (5 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Add more water for a thinner sauce, if desired. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
