• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Simply Low Cal
  • Recipes
    • Air Fryer
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Main Dish
    • Dips, Dressings & Sauces
    • Drinks
    • Instant Pot
    • Salads
    • Side Dish
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soup
    • Snack
  • Recipe Roundups
  • Tips & Digital Downloads
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Recipe Roundups
  • Printables
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Recipe Roundups
    • Printables
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Side Dish

    Healthy Onion Rings

    Published: August 30, 2021 - Last updated: February 9, 2023 by Erika

    healthy onion rings thumbnail picture.
    Jump to Recipe
    healthy onion rings pin.

    This post contains affiliate links. I make a commission from sales. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, read my disclosure policy.

    Say no more to greasy onion rings. These Healthy Onion Rings are baked in the oven with less oil, less fat, and less mess. The results are exceptionally crispy and delicious homemade onion rings in under 30 minutes.

    baked onion rings on a plate.
    Jump to:
    • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients You’ll Need
    • Step-By-Step Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • Variations
    • Storing & Freezing
    • Recipe FAQ‘s
    • Recipes You’ll Love With Onion Rings
    • Healthy Onion Rings

    Check out my Plantain Croutons and my Air Fryer Carrot Chips for more delicious snack ideas.

    I love onion rings, but I don't love when they're greasy. Restaurants typically deep fry onion rings, so I made these oven-fried ones a non-greasy alternative. They're quick, easy, and taste like restaurant-quality hand-breaded fried onion rings.

    You'll love how simple this is. After slicing, you'll coat the onions in flour, yogurt, and breadcrumbs before baking them in a hot oven. A quick stay under the broiler creates the ultimate crunch on the surface, and that's all there is to it!

    This recipe is great for gatherings. Serve your onion rings with various dipping sauces for an appetizer no one can resist. Alternately, you can serve your onion rings on the side of burgers, hot sandwiches, hot dogs, wings, and just about anything else. Enjoy!

    top view of onion rings.

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • No oil! These onion rings are baked instead of deep fried.
    • Kid and adult approved. Everyone loves crispy onion rings!
    • These onion rings are a delicious and healthy alternative to French fries.
    • Great as a healthy side, snack, and appetizer.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    onion rings labeled ingredients.
    • Onion: Sliced into ¼-inch thick slices. You can make homemade onion rings with yellow or white onion, keeping in mind white onion has a more intense oniony flavor. Sweet onions are also an option. Try with Maui or Sweet Vidalia.
    • All-Purpose Flour: Onion slices are first dredged in flour, giving the wet onion ring batter (nonfat yogurt) something to cling to.
    • Plain Yogurt: Helps make a thick, extra crunchy onion ring breading and adds a subtle tangy flavor. You can use regular, low-fat, or nonfat yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt works as well.
    • Breadcrumbs: The final layer of the breading. You can use plain breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs. You can also use panko breadcrumbs, but the texture of the breading will be different.
    • Salt: Enhances the flavors.

    Step-By-Step Instructions

    four image process making onion rings.

    Step 1: Prepare for baking.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

    Step 2: Prepare the dredging station.

    You'll need three shallow bowls. Add flour to the first bowl, yogurt to the second, and breadcrumbs to the third.

    Step 3: Batter onion rings.

    First, dredge onion slices in flour, shaking off excess. Then, dip them into the yogurt and press them into the breadcrumbs, coating them evenly. As you work through the batch, place the breaded onion slices on the prepared baking sheet.

    Step 4: Bake, then broil.
    Sprinkle with salt, then bake until the onions are tender-crisp (15-20 minutes). Next, set the oven to broil and continue cooking until the breading is golden and crispy (2-3 more minutes).

    NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!

    onion rings in a dip.

    Expert Tips

    • Cutting onions into rings - Trim the stem and root and remove the peel. Then, trim a very thin slice on one side, creating a flat surface to keep the onion from rolling as you slice. Next, cut crosswise into ¼" thick rounds with the cut side facing down.
    • Soaking onions - If you're using a pungent onion like white onion, you can soak the slices in cool water for 15 minutes to ease the intense, raw oniony taste. You can also soak onions in milk to mellow out the flavor.
    • Bake on a rack - Place onion rings on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet. This lets the heat come in direct contact with both sides, giving you an even golden crisp on the top and bottom.

    Variations

    Healthy onion blossom - To cut an onion into a "blossom," first cut off the non-woody end. Then, with the woody root end facing down, cut down the middle lengthwise, stopping about a ½" before cutting all the way through. Make a second cut down the middle widthwise, again stopping about a ½" from the bottom. Finally, gently pull the segments apart to create the blossom.

    Healthy onion petals - Prefer petals to rings? First, trim away the non-woody end. Then, cut the onion in half lengthwise with the woody end facing down. Firmly hold the halves in place and make a second cut down the middle widthwise, creating four segments. Pull apart the layers in each piece to make petals.

    Dipping sauces - We can't forget about the sauce! Pair your crispy baked onion rings with condiments like ketchup and ranch, or make zesty onion ring sauce with mayo, horseradish, ketchup, and paprika.

    Try the healthy homemade sauces featured in these recipes:

    • Baja Sauce
    • Creamy Avocado Sauce
    • Cilantro Lime Sauce
    • Skinny Chipotle Sauce

    Storing & Freezing

    Storing: Let cool, place onion rings in a zip-top bag, press out as much air as possible, and keep refrigerated for 2-3 days. To reheat leftovers, place them on a baking sheet and back under the broil until the breading crisps back up.

    Freezing: Cool completely, then place onion rings on a baking sheet and set the baking sheet in the freezer until the onion rings are frozen. Keep the frozen rings in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen for 10-15 minutes.

    Recipe FAQ‘s

    Are our onion rings healthy?

    Classic onion rings are fried in heavy oils, so they aren't exactly healthy, but these baked onion rings are made without any oil, making them a less greasy and much healthier choice.

    Can I make these onion rings gluten-free?

    I've only made them with regular flour and regular breadcrumbs, but you should be successful using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs instead.

    Do onion rings need to be chilled before cooking?

    No, but this is an excellent trick for getting the breading to stay in place. First, place the breaded onion rings on a cooling rack, then place the rack in the fridge for about 30 minutes (this gives each layer of breading time to firm up and cling to the onion slice).

    Recipes You’ll Love With Onion Rings

    • instant pot turkey burger thumbnail.
      Instant Pot Turkey Burgers
    • air fryer crispy chicken caesar wrap thumbnail picture.
      Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Caesar Wraps
    • zucchini sliders thumbnail picture.
      Zucchini Sliders
    • Instant Pot bbq chicken sliders thumbnail picture.
      Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders

    If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to signup for my newsletter.

    healthy onion rings thumbnail picture.

    Healthy Onion Rings

    Erika
    Say no more to greasy onion rings. These healthy onion rings are baked in the oven with less oil, less fat, and less mess. The results are exceptionally crispy and delicious homemade onion rings in under 30 minutes.
    4.58 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 Servings
    Calories 142 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • Large yellow onion sliced into ¼-inch slices
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
    • ½ cup breadcrumbs
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
    • You'll need three shallow bowls. Add flour to the first bowl, yogurt to the second, and breadcrumbs to the third.
    • First, dredge onion slices in flour, shaking off excess. Then, dip them into the yogurt and press them into the breadcrumbs, coating them evenly. As you work through the batch, place the breaded onion slices on the prepared baking sheet.
    • Sprinkle with salt, then bake until the onions are tender-crisp (15-20 minutes). Next, set the oven to broil and continue cooking until the breading is golden and crispy (2-3 more minutes).

    Notes

    • Cutting onions into rings - Trim the stem and root and remove the peel. Then, trim a very thin slice on one side, creating a flat surface to keep the onion from rolling as you slice. Next, cut crosswise into ¼" thick rounds with the cut side facing down.
    • Soaking onions - If you're using a pungent onion like white onion, you can soak the slices in cool water for 15 minutes to ease the intense, raw oniony taste. You can also soak onions in milk to mellow out the flavor.
    • Bake on a rack - Place onion rings on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet. This lets the heat come in direct contact with both sides, giving you an even golden crisp on the top and bottom.
    • Storing: Let cool, place onion rings in a zip-top bag, press out as much air as possible, and keep refrigerated for 2-3 days. To reheat leftovers, place them on a baking sheet and back under the broil until the breading crisps back up.
    • Freezing: Cool completely, then place onion rings on a baking sheet and set the baking sheet in the freezer until the onion rings are frozen. Keep the frozen rings in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen for 10-15 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4gCalories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 323mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8g

    All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keyword Healthy Onion Rings
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    signature

    More Side Dish

    • air fryer corn fritters thumbnail picture.
      Air Fryer Corn Fritters
    • cucumber edamame salad thumbnail picture.
      Cucumber Edamame Salad
    • air fryer butternut squash thumbnail picture.
      Air Fryer Butternut Squash
    • keto mashed cauliflower thumbnail picture.
      Keto Mashed Cauliflower

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michele

      August 30, 2021 at 4:37 pm

      We love onion rings at our house, and I'm so excited to see a healthy version. Will definitely be giving this a try this weekend.

      Reply
    2. Sara Welch

      August 30, 2021 at 5:22 pm

      Onion rings are always a hit in my house and this was no exception!! So delicious and crispy; and healthier than the deep fried version!

      Reply
    3. Vicky

      August 30, 2021 at 5:52 pm

      I love that I can still enjoy onion rings even when I am trying to eat healthy. They are one of my favorite sides, but typically are so greasy. Love your variation!

      Reply
    4. serena

      August 30, 2021 at 6:00 pm

      I can't wait to try this! I love onion rings, just not all the grease.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Hi and welcome! My name is Erika and I’m a huge foodie with an appetite for almost anything. I love all foods, especially desserts! I try to cook things that are simple, practical, and delicious. Read More…

    My Recent Posts

    • air fryer corn fritters thumbnail picture.Air Fryer Corn Fritters
    • Mediterranean naan pizza thumbnail picture.Mediterranean Naan Pizza
    • air fryer bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts thumbnail picture.Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
    • Instant Pot pork loin roast thumbnail picture.Instant Pot Pork Loin With Apples And Onions
    • Instant Pot chicken quinoa soup thumbnail picture.Instant Pot Chicken Quinoa Soup

    Footer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Work With Me
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    40 shares