Crispy Low-carb Onion Rings for Air Fryer OR Oven let you ditch the deep fryer AND excess carbs. Baked up ridiculously crunchy with a coating that includes crushed pork rinds and parmesan cheese, this faux-fried treat will satisfy your cravings!
I serve these pork rind onion rings with whatever dipping sauce suits my mood at the moment, today it was kimchi aioli. You’ll totally be winning the keto game with this for a game day appetizer or anytime side dish. Makes 4 servings, 136 calories, 5.5g fat, 6.9g net carb and 8.6g protein
Who knew pork rinds (along with Parmesan cheese, coconut flour and an egg wash) could be used to make a crunchy, crispy coating for onions and other baked foods – trying a similar coating soon for asparagus and as a topping for fish so stay tuned!
When it comes to choosing the pork rinds for these baked keto onion rings, I hit up a variety pack of pork rinds I had on hand and have made several batches that are switched up in seasoning a little bit depending on the flavor of pork rind I crushed up. If you want to make life REALLY EASY, you can also skip the pork rind crushing step and just use a product where all the work has been done for you, like this Pork Panko
Pro tip for prepping the keto onion rings: Use a separate hand for dipping the onion in the egg-cream wash and a separate hand for dunking in the two sets of dry ingredients. This will help keep your fingers from getting so gunked up.
I love a large capacity air fryer and double rack because I can fit ALL THE BAKED ONION RINGS in there at once. But if you have a smaller one, don’t fret – the recipe is quick enough that you cook them in two sessions (that way, you’ll have more hot ones ready once you finish eating the first batch)!! The recipe turns out amazing in the traditional oven too, especially if you use a mesh crisping tray to ensure hot air circulates all around the pork-rind onion rings while baking.
This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission for purchases, but the price to you remains the same. Thank you for supporting The Fit Fork.
Crispy, crunchy and quick, these baked onion rings are lower in carbs thanks to a coating that includes keto-friendly ingredients like crushed pork rinds, Parmesan cheese and coconut flour. A delicious appetizer, game day snack or side dish for steak, burgers and more!
- 1 medium to large white or yellow onion peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp. half-and-half or cream
- 1- ounce pork rinds
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
-
Pre-heat oven or Air Fryer to 425 F degrees.
-
Slice onions into approximate ½” slices, discarding any small rings in the center (chop up and save for another use).
-
Whisk together eggs and cream in shallow bowl.
-
Crush pork rinds into a coarse powder by placing in a zip-top baggie and flattening with a rolling pin or in food processor.
-
In another bowl, add the crushed pork rinds, Parmesan cheese and paprika.
-
In a third bowl, add coconut flour.
-
Dip each onion ring in coconut flour mixture, then egg mixture, and then pork rind-cheese mixture. Repeat process with each ring to double coat them.
-
Place onion rings in a single layer on a mesh baking tray or in the Air Fryer basket, lightly sprayed with oil. To maximize space, put smaller onion rings inside bigger rings (as long as they are not touching).
-
Bake in oven OR Air Fryer for about 12 to 15* minutes, until crispy and turning golden brown. For maximum crispiness, open basket and lightly spray tops with oil spray half way through cooking time.
-
Serve warm with dipping sauce of choice.
-
*Oven temperatures can take up to 5 minutes longer.
