Air Fryer Onion Strings
These Air Fryer Onion Strings are such a fun play on the classic onion rings. The thinly sliced onion is coated in a smoky and spicy batter and fried to perfection.

The air fryer is a lighter alternative to traditional frying but without losing any flavor or texture. Dip these in your favorite sauce like a spicy mayo for a creamy finish.
Ingredients Needed
- Large yellow or white onion – The best varieties for crispy onion rings. Walla Walla, Vidalia onions, and sweet onions are great choices for a naturally mild, sweet flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Forms the flour mixture base for that crispy coating.
- Garlic powder – Enhances the savory flavor of these homemade air fryer onion rings.
- Smoked paprika – Adds a touch of smokiness for depth of flavor.
- Salt – Brings out the natural sweetness of the sliced onions.
- Cayenne pepper – Gives a subtle heat to balance the sweetness.
- Black pepper – Adds a classic kick of spice.
- Buttermilk – Helps tenderize the onion straws while enhancing flavor.Cooking spray – Helps the coating crisp up evenly without using a lot of oil.
Yes! Use an egg wash (beaten eggs with a little milk) instead.
Yes, bake at 400°F on a baking sheet lined with parchment for 15-20 minutes.
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Ranch, BBQ sauce, or a spicy sriracha mayo pair perfectly!
- I highly recommend cutting the onion with a mandolin slicer. It will give you even and thin slices which will be good for cooking.
- I made this recipe using a white onion, but yellow or brown or even a sweet onion will work too.
- Preheating the air fryer is important, so don’t skip this step.
- You can adjust the amount of cayenne pepper or omit it completely if you do not like spiciness. I found that 1/2 teaspoon gives a nice lingering taste. You can also add more if you really like spiciness.
- For the recipe, I used all of the flour mixture. There was about 1 cup of the buttermilk remaining after all of the onion rings were submerged.
Air Fryer Onion Strings
- Peel the onion and slice them thinly into rings. I recommend a mandolin slicer for this, to get even, very thin rings.
- Place the onion rings into a medium sized bowl. Then pour the buttermilk over the onion and coat evenly. Allow the onions to soak for 15 minutes.
- While the onions are soaking, preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for about 5 minutes.
In a second medium sized bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. - Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Dredge the onion rings in the flour mixture, a few at a time.
- Tap off any extra flour and place in an even layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray the onion strings with cooking spray.
- Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches.
- Once the onion strings are cooked to your desired crispiness, transfer them to a serving plate and season with a sprinkle of coarse salt. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce, such as sriracha mayo, ranch dressing, or barbecue sauce.
Air Fryer Onion Strings
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Ingredients
- 1 large yellow or white onion
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Peel the onion and slice them thinly into rings. I recommend a mandolin slicer for this, to get even, very thin rings.
- Place the onion rings into a medium sized bowl. Then pour the buttermilk over the onion and coat evenly. Allow the onions to soak for 15 minutes.
- While the onions are soaking, preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for about 5 minutes.
- In a second medium sized bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Dredge the onion rings in the flour mixture, a few at a time. Tap off any extra flour and place in an even layer in the air fryer basket.
- Lightly spray the onion strings with cooking spray.
- Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches.
- Once the onion strings are cooked to your desired crispiness, transfer them to a serving plate and season with a sprinkle of coarse salt. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce, such as sriracha mayo, ranch dressing, or barbecue sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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