Are you a fan of onion rings? Then you are in for a real treat! Frozen onion rings in air fryer are the way to go when craving for your favorite snack but want to avoid the hassle of making it from scratch.
It’s true that you can take up on the whole process of making homemade crispy fried onions. However, sometimes you just want a quick and crispy side dish, so the timing, is a real game changer here.
And let’s be real honest, as much as we’d like to admit that making your own, tastes better; the store bought version just beats all the odds.
And what better way than using an air fryer. This genius appliances are a must and just because you already own a toaster, coffee maker, Instant Pot, food processor and a slow cooker, doesn’t mean you can’t fit in an air fryer as well.
So, if you wish to learn how to cook frozen onion rings in the air fryer, you are in the right place. Check out the complete process, tips and tricks and much more and by the end of this article you’ll feel like you are a master chef, one that can at least rock delicious frozen onion rings in the air fryer!
Can you cook frozen stuff in an air fryer?
Absolutely yes! All frozen foods are perfectly fine to cook up and use in your air fryer.
If you recently realized that air fryers are a must have kitchen appliance, then good for you. For some it isn’t a simple decision, specially when you think you own so many apparatuses already.
Well when it comes to the air fryer, you simple won’t regret it. Air fryers are fantastic for frozen food. Frozen foods are great for quick and easy meals and make excellent appetizers for movie nights at home.
Technically speaking, we could call air fryers portable convection ovens. A traditional oven heats the air around your food, cooking it. A convection oven, however, moves the hot air around so that it cooks even faster.
An air fryer works the same way by blowing superheated air through and around your food, hence the name. The “frying” aspect comes from the fact that you use a little bit of to no oil, which helps create a crispy layer. While the results aren’t identical to a deep fryer, you get a similar mouthfeel, all without the insane amounts of grease. Doesn’t it sound just great!
Following the same line of though, this is why air fryers are consider a healthier way to cook food, since it cuts fat content.
In addition to being higher in fat and calories, frying food can create potentially dangerous compounds like acrylamide.
Air-frying your food instead of using a deep fryer may help lower the acrylamide content of your fried foods.
And the very best part is that you can air-fry almost any frozen food that’s usually fried or baked. You can literally cook all kinds of foods in your air fryer. This includes meat, veggies, frozen foods, etc.
This is one of the biggest reasons that people purchase this kitchen appliance. Frozen foods are a total convenience food item and using your Air Fryer to cook them up is super easy.
Knowing that you don’t have to heat up your oven for a small batch of frozen onion rings is just great.
How to make frozen onion rings crispy?
Frozen onion rings made in the air fryer come out so crunchy and delicious, you won’t believe so you’ll have to try for yourself. Is simply a breeze since the end result is so beyond what you’d expect and way faster than using the oven!
Using the air fryer yo won’t have to worry about the texture of your onion rings, their crispiness is guaranteed. What you need to focus on, is in following all the right steps and leave all the work to your air fryer.
All you’ll be needing is your bag of frozen rings and the air fryer, and you are good to go.
- Place the frozen onion rings in the air fryer basket and spread out evenly. No oil spray is needed.
- Air Fry at 400°F/205°C for 10 minutes. Shake and gently stir about halfway through cooking. If cooking larger batches, or if the onion rings don’t cook evenly, try turning them multiple times on following batches.
- If needed air fry at 400°F/205°C for an additional 1-4 minutes or until crisped to your liking.
Check out this additional tips so you can get the absolute best crispy onion rings
- Cook Frozen , do not bother thawing and oil is not necessary.
- Remember not to overcrowd the air fryer basket and shake or turn if needed.
- Recipe timing is based on a non-preheated air fryer. If cooking in multiple batches of onion rings back to back, the following batches may cook a little faster.
- Recipes were tested in 3.7 to 6 qt. air fryers. If using a larger air fryer, the onion rings might cook quicker so adjust cooking time.
- Keep in mind to set a timer to shake/flip/toss
How long should I air fry frozen onion rings?
This is a real great question, sometimes and depending on the model and the brand of your onion rings; cooking times may vary and you don’t want to end up with anything other than crispy and delicious onion rings.
A good standard would be to cook your onion rings between four and five minutes.
That being said, if your onion rings are really thick and large in size, these may take between eight and ten minutes.
It is key to preheat the air fryer. This is important so it’s the same temperature the entire time they’re crisping.
If your air fryer is preheated or if you are cooking multiple batches, you may need to reduce timing by a few minutes.
How do you cook frozen onion rings in a ninja air fryer?
There are three main types of air fryers; there’s the paddle-type air fryer, the basket-type air fryer and the countertop convection oven.
The paddle-type air fryer models save you the hassle of pulling your food out at just the right time to shake and stir it. Instead, a paddle inside the machine moves through the basket to help the air get through more easily.
Convection oven air fryers are similar to toaster or convection ovens, with racks to place food on and added air frying functionality.
Though there are many air fryers on the market, it is highly recommended to use basket style air fryer for your frozen onion rings.
The basket air fryers are popular because the basket usually has a handle for easy tossing.
As the name implies, these air fryers cook your food in a basket. Since the basket has holes all around, it’s easier for air to get through your food, although you’ll still have to stir it at least once during the cooking process. One of the downsides of these models is that the holes prevent you from making anything too soupy or saucy.
A great basket air fryer is the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL. According to kitchen appliances pros, the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL was the top performer in the traditional, basket-style air fryer test.
The Ninja Air Fryer Max XL scored the highest in performance. It produced crispy and even frozen fries, homemade fries, and chicken wings that were moist on the inside. The model comes with a broiling rack for even quicker and juicier results. It also features several cook settings, including max crisp and air broil, which reach 450°F, and dehydrate, which reaches a low of 105°F. The different settings are programmed with unique maximum and minimum temperatures.
In order to make your frozen onion rings into crispy delight, using the Ninja air fryer, you need to
Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. for 5 minutes.
Add 1 layer of frozen onion rings into your air fryer basket (do not overlap) and cook for 4 minutes. There’s really no need to shake the basket halfway thru, just ensure there is only one layer and they are NOT overlapping.
Check at this time, if they’re thick you may need more time. Add 2 minutes at a time until they’re crispy on the outside and warm in the middle of each one. Enjoy immediately.
What temperature do you cook frozen onion rings at?
Most recipes signal the adequate cooking temperature is to cook at 400° F | 204° C for 8-10 minutes, shaking halfway through. Add additional time if you prefer your onion rings crispier.
