Today I’m going to show you how to make easy baked onion rings. My panko onion rings are simple, delicious, and the perfect healthier alternative to traditional crispy onion rings! 

Baked Onion Rings

Are you looking for a side that is light, crispy, and delicious? How about a side dish that feels indulgent and conjures up feelings of nostalgia. Onion rings are typically a deep fried diner staple, but you can make these treats at home. It is even possible to create a healthier version as opposed to the deep-fried traditional variety. 

I’ve made traditional onion rings before, and it was no joke. Deep frying is a lot of trouble for one little batch of onion rings, so I don’t make them often.

I could just go and buy a fry daddy, but having one of those actually in my house would not be good for my waistline, which is already struggling. 

Why bake instead of fry?

Baking or roasting vegetables is an excellent way to bring out the natural sugars within. You will find that this is especially true in these oven baked onion rings. Do you want to know the best part? These are so easy to prepare you won’t miss the frying!

Another reason we are making baked onion rings versus fried ones is for a crispy texture. When we fry things they get crispy, sure, but they also get soggy when they are submerged in oil. 

For crispy onion rings, baking is a great option for flavor, texture, and of course they are a little more healthy as well!  

These rings DO use oil for cooking and I mean, they have potato chips in the crust. This isn’t health food, nor is it meant to be. But not deep frying does shave a few calories off the top, if that’s a thing that means something to you. Beyond that though, this method just makes a REALLY great ring and you don’t have to worry about the mess and inconvenience of deep frying.

Baked Onion Rings Shopping List

You will need a variety of ingredients for these baked onion rings. Most of them are obvious but the seasonings you won’t want to miss out on!

Panko onion rings are a little different in that they’re lighter and crispier, but the bread crumbs themselves are usually not seasoned. We will fix that problem with a variety of seasonings. 

• 2 large sweet onions (Such as Vidalias or Walla Walla)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 egg whites
• flour
• 2 cups panko crumbs
• salt
• white pepper (or black pepper in a pinch)
• smoked paprika
• garlic powder
• cooking spray
• avocado or vegetable oil

How to bread onion rings

Soak the rings

Begin by slicing up a large Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweet Onion into ⅓ – ½ inch rings. Remove the tiny middle pieces and set aside for a different use. Put them into a large freezer bag and pour 2-3 cups of buttermilk over them as well as ½ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, and ½ tsp seasoned salt.

Let those soak for several hours, or overnight in the fridge. Strain the onions, reserving the buttermilk mixture.

Mix up the breading

Next put 10 saltines and 3 large hand fulls of kettle cooked potato chips into a food processor or blender. Pulse these until they are finely crushed. You can also use a large ziploc for this and just smash and bash them until they are adequately crushed. Combine this mixture with ½ cup of panko bread crumbs.

Now combine the reserved buttermilk and mix well with one beaten egg. Set aside.

How to make crispy baked onion rings

• ONIONS MATTER – Select sweet onions such as Vidalia and cut them into ½ inch rings. Any bigger and they’ll take too long to cook, and any smaller and they won’t hold their shape well enough.
• DON’T SKIP THE SOAK – Soak the slices in buttermilk for a few hours or overnight. There’s no substitution for this soak and it really impacts the end result.
• PREHEAT THE OIL – Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and then place your oiled cookie sheet inside to preheat as well. Don’t skip this step or you’ll end up with mushy rings!
• DON’T DOUBLE UP! – Place a single layer of the coated onions on a baking sheet. You cannot put more than one layer on the sheet. Just in general and in life, SINGLE LAYER on the baking sheets, you guys. 
• DON’T FORGET THE FLIP – Bake each batch of onion rings for approximately 15 minutes then turn over each onion ring and bake for another 15 minutes for a total of 30 minutes 

How to store and reheat any leftovers

For best results, eat your onion rings fresh. If you can’t eat them all in one sitting, store them in a plastic container lined with paper towels. When you reheat them, do it in your oven or air fryer for the best results. 400° for 5 minutes should do it. 

You could also freeze these after they are breaded on a cookie sheet, and then bake them as you want them. This is great if you just want to cook one to go on top of a burger on occasion.

Are oven-baked onion rings healthy?

Not really. These aren’t DEEP fried, so there’s that, but they are not health food either. There’s panko, potato chips, and oil frying these in the oven. So a great treat if you are craving something crunchy and salty, but definitely don’t try and call it a vegetable. 

More great recipes to love!

• Smoked Mac and Cheese
• Smash Burgers
• Traeger Smoked Pork Loin
• Smoked Ham
• Traeger Pork Chops
• Spatchcock Chicken
• Smoked Salmon
• Smoked Tri-tip
• Fried Walleye
• Chicken Marsala
• Homemade Bolognese
• Grilled Venison Backstrap
• Camarones a la Diabla
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes