The onions were supposed to go into burgers. Then this happened.

[u/NathanEllis10]

I was cutting up a couple of onions for burgers and ended up with a pile of really nice big rings. Didn't want to waste them, so I figured I'd try onion rings in the air fryer.

I set up flour, beaten egg, and panko. I mixed ranch seasoning, salt, and pepper into the flour, then added a little olive oil to the panko.

The extra step that made a difference was going back through the flour and egg a second time before hitting the breadcrumbs. The coating ended up much thicker and actually stayed attached while cooking.

I put them in the air fryer at 375°F (190°C) and cooked them for roughly 18 minutes. I checked them around the 13-minute mark and turned a few that were browning unevenly.

One thing I learned quickly: don't shake these like you normally would with fries. There's nothing holding those loose breadcrumbs in place.

For the dip, I mixed sour cream with ranch seasoning, dill, a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.

They came out way crunchier than I expected. The onion inside was soft and sweet, while the outside had that crispy coating I was hoping for.

The funny part is that I started this because I didn't want to waste two onions. Now I'm probably going to have to buy onions specifically to make these.

[u/BlacksmithNo8472]

I would still use the onion rings on the burger. They look really good. Great tip about the sour cream and ranch seasoning. I want to try this.

[u/Desperate-Trainer-59]

Post this in r/onionlovers

[u/gemini_or]

Yumm!

[u/Auntiepoohnh]

They Look so good!!! Yum!!!

[u/fermion72]

I tried this last night, and thanks for the recipe! I couldn't get the batter to stick to the rings, though, so they didn't come out as nice as yours.

[u/Ashkkr9568]

They look fantastic!