Air Fryer Pork Rind Onion Rings

Oooh baby! If there’s one good thing that came out of 2020 it was discovering the air fryer! It’s like an easy bake oven for adults and I’m obsessed!

Before my healthier days, I favored chicken fingers, chicken wings, corn nuggets, and jalapeño poppers–basically all the things yummy and fried! I’m sure like many of you, I heard the hype swirling around air fryers but paid it no mind. However, I can tell you with 100% certainty, this was an overdue addition to my kitchen and a true GAME CHANGER!

We try our best to stay away from fried greasy foods, not always because we want to but because we know it’s necessary for good health and longevity. With that said, I’m pleased to bring you this faux fried blooming onion recipe! It’s not your Outback Steakhouse starter but good golly is it close! The fact it’s so quick and easy it is to prepare, with little clean up makes it even better!

I’ve been following a more Keto friendly diet that helped inspire this experimental pork rind crumb onion ring batter! I found these bad boys one sleepless night on amazon! 🙂

Now let’s get this party started!

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet onions
• 3/4 cup flour of choice
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup pork rind crumbs
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Preheat if necessary.

1. Cut both ends of onions and peel off the skin. Slice your rings into 1/4 or 1/2 inch rings, depending on how thick you want them. Separate rings and set aside.

2. You’ll need three bowls. One for flour, two for wet ingredients(eggs, milk beaten together) and third for your dry seasonings combined with the pork and panko crumbs.

3. Dip onion rings into the first bowl of flour, coating both sides. Dip onion rings into the egg mixture, completely covering over the flour. Now dip the rings in the third bowl of breadcrumb/pork rinds. Just keep repeating, flour-egg-bread, flour-egg-bread and you’ll get a good flow going!

**This will get a little messy so I suggest using tongs or a fork to transfer through the bowls, or maybe even some rubber gloves! If not, be ready to get your hands dirty!**

4. Spray inside of your air fryer with cooking spray. Place onion rings in single layers to be sure there’s no overlapping. Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to prepare in batches.  

5. Cook on 375 F for 10 minutes, flipping rings halfway through the cooking time. Allow to cool.

Due to failed attempts in the past using a regular oven, I definitely underestimated the crunch an air fryer would provide!

Keep this recipe on hand for a quick snack, party appetizer or side dish! Have fun with it! Get creative with different seasonings and sauces for dipping. I found a homemade blooming onion outback style dipping sauce you can find here.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to comment below your feedback or what customizations you made!