Easy onion rings
A pub-style side, or serve as a starter or nibble with ketchup, light soured cream or a spicy dipping sauce such as sriracha or American-style mustard. These can be baked in the oven or made in an air fryer – either way they’re healthier than traditional deep-fried onion rings.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, sliced into rings about 1.5cm/⅝in thick
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 1 free-range egg
- 1 tbsp milk (dairy or unsweetened non-dairy)
- 60/2¼dz panko breadcrumbs
- cooking oil spray
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6, or the air fryer to 180C.
Carefully separate the onion slices into rings; some rings should be one onion-layer thick, others two layers.
Put half the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Put the remaining flour in another shallow bowl and whisk in the egg and milk to make a smooth batter. Put the panko breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.
Dip the onion rings into the seasoned flour, making sure they are thoroughly coated all over. Lightly tap off excess flour. Put the floured rings into the batter and flip a few times to coat completely, shaking off excess batter. Finally add them to the breadcrumbs and press crumbs all over them.
Spray a baking sheet or the inside of your air fryer with cooking oil. Add the onion rings in a single layer – if air frying you’ll need to do them in batches. Spray the tops of the onion rings with more oil.
Bake in the oven for 18–20 minutes, turning after 8–10 minutes. Air-fry for 10 minutes, turning halfway through. Keep the first batches of air fryer onion rings warm in a low oven while you cook the rest, then serve immediately.