Crispy Perfection: How to cook frozen onion rings in air fryer
Last night I was hungry. When I opened the refrigerator, I saw that there were a lot of frozen onion rings at home. I cooked them with an air fryer. Unexpectedly, they were very delicious. Today, I will share with you how to cook frozen onion rings with an air fryer!
How to cook frozen onion rings in air fryer?
Cooking frozen onion rings with an air fryer is extremely simple. No need to thaw in advance or brush oil.
You only need to preheat the air fryer to 200°C first. Preheating in advance is very important, which can make the frozen onion rings heated evenly.
After the air fryer is preheated, take out the frozen onions. There is no need to thaw them. Just put them directly into the frying basket. Note that when putting them, spread the onion rings flat and do not stack them. Generally, put 10 - 12 at a time, which can be determined according to the size of your own air fryer.
After putting the frozen onion rings in, set the time of the air fryer for 8 - 10 minutes. Remember to shake the frying basket halfway through baking to let the onion rings be heated by the hot air in all directions. In this way, the baked onion rings are golden and crispy. Dip them in some ketchup. It's simply delicious. Try it quickly!
What temperature do you air fry onion rings at?
Air fryer
Generally, if I cook frozen onion rings with an air fryer, then I will set the temperature at 375°F - 425°F (about 190°C - 220°C).
When the air fryer bakes onion rings at 375°F, it takes 10 - 12 minutes to bake; at 375°F, the temperature is relatively mild. The baked onion rings have a golden yellow skin and are soft and tender inside.
If the air fryer bakes onion rings at 425°F, then it only takes 8 - 10 minutes. This temperature is relatively high. The baked onion rings will have a crispier skin and a burnt aroma. But when baking at this temperature, pay attention to observing the onion rings to avoid them from being burnt.
Oven
If you bake onion rings with an oven, then I will set the temperature at 160°C - 180°C. If it is a relatively thin frozen onion ring product, then about 160°C is sufficient. Generally, it takes 6 - 8 minutes to bake.
But if the onion rings are relatively large or relatively thick, then use 180°C. The baking time is 7 - 8 minutes. During the baking process, be sure to open the air fryer from time to time to check the state of the onion rings.
How long to air fry frozen onion rings at 400 degrees?
It takes about 8 - 12 minutes to bake.
400 degrees in an air fryer is a relatively high temperature. If the onion rings are relatively small or there are few of them, then it only takes about 8 minutes to bake; if the onion rings are relatively large, then the baking time will be relatively longer, about 10 - 12 minutes.
The specific time still depends on the size and quantity of the onion rings; if the onion rings are relatively large, or if you put more and they are slightly piled up, naturally the baking time will be extended. At the same time, during the process of baking onion rings in the air fryer, remember to turn them over halfway to ensure that the onion rings are heated evenly.
Can frozen onion rings be directly deep-fried?
Frozen onion rings can be fried directly.
Frozen onion rings have been pre-processed during production, and are coated with batter and other things, so they can be fried directly, but there are a few things to note when frying directly.
First of all, the oil temperature is very important. The oil needs to be heated to 170-180°C. You can use a kitchen thermometer to measure it. If you don’t have a thermometer, stick chopsticks into the oil and see small bubbles quickly popping up around it. This is about the temperature.
When putting onion rings, put them one by one slowly, don’t pour them in all at once, otherwise they will stick together easily. When frying, use chopsticks or tongs to gently turn them over so that they are heated evenly. Fry for about 3-4 minutes, and when you see the onion rings turn golden, you can take them out. After taking them out, put them on kitchen paper to absorb the oil, so that they will not be too greasy to eat.
Precautions
Directly fried frozen onion rings may cause the skin and filling to separate or the skin to be fried unevenly due to the large temperature difference. So if you have time, you can also put the frozen onion rings at room temperature to thaw for a few minutes. This way the fried onion rings may be better and the taste will be more crispy and even.
How can frozen onion rings be fried to be crispy and not soft?
If you want frozen onion rings to be fried crispy and not soft, the following techniques are very important:
Oil temperature is very important
Heat the oil to about 175 - 180℃. If the oil temperature is too low, the onion rings will easily absorb oil and become soft. You can measure it accurately with a thermometer. If there is no thermometer, insert a wooden chopstick into the oil. When there are dense small bubbles around the chopstick, it means the oil temperature is almost right.
Slightly thaw
Although frozen onion rings can be directly fried, if you want the onion rings to be crispy and not soft, you can take the onion rings out of the freezer in advance and place them at room temperature for 3 - 5 minutes to thaw slightly. This can make the moisture inside the onion rings more evenly distributed, and when frying, it is not easy to cause the skin and filling to separate due to too large a temperature difference.
Fry in small batches
Don't be too impatient when frying onion rings. Don't put too many onion rings at a time to avoid sticking together. At the same time, when putting them in, put them in gently to prevent oil from splashing out. During the frying process, you can gently turn the onion rings with long chopsticks or clips to ensure that each side is heated evenly.
Control the time well
The time for frying onion rings should not be too long. It is best to control it within about 3 - 4 minutes. When you see the skin of the onion rings showing a beautiful golden yellow color, you can take them out.
Absorb oil
The fried onion rings are relatively greasy if eaten directly. You can place them on oil-absorbing paper to absorb the excess oil. In this way, the onion rings will be more crispy when eaten. At the same time, note that after the onion rings are fried, eat them quickly and do not store them for too long to avoid softening.
Can expired frozen onion rings be eaten?
Expired onion rings are not recommended to be eaten.
From a safety perspective, it is best not to eat expired frozen onion rings. The food shelf life is set considering multiple factors. After expiration, the risk of microbial growth will increase, and there may be harmful things such as bacteria and molds. Eating expired onion rings is likely to make your stomach uncomfortable and cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If the onion rings have not expired for a long time and have been stored in a proper frozen environment all the time, and the packaging is also intact, and there is no abnormality in appearance and smell, then the risk may be a little smaller. But this is only a "possibility". I still do not recommend taking risks. After all, food safety is a major issue. You can't put your body at risk just because you are reluctant to throw away this little bit of food.
Where to buy frozen onion rings?
If you are in the United States, large chain supermarkets like Walmart and Target have super-rich frozen food sections where you can find various brands and specifications of frozen onion rings. There is also Costco, where there are often large packages of onion rings, which are very suitable for family purchases.
In Europe, in multinational chain supermarkets like Tesco and Carrefour, there are onion rings in the frozen section. And some local traditional supermarkets will also sell them. You can ask the clerk, and they will generally be very enthusiastic to show you the way.
If you are in Australia, Woolworths and Coles are good choices. Their frozen food sections have many local brands or imported onion rings, and the quality is very good.
In addition, some foreign online shopping platforms, such as Amazon, also sell frozen onion rings. You can choose according to reviews and brands. Some local fresh food delivery platforms are also good purchase channels. As long as you place an order on them, they can be directly delivered to your home.
