These Healthy Baked Onion Rings are light and crunchy and so delicious! This is a great way to get your snack on without blowing your diet. They're the perfect vegan snack, appetizer, and side dish!
Homemade Baked Onion Rings
I don't know about you, but I love fried food. And what's not to love? It's salty, crunchy, and never seems to fill you up so you're always coming back for more.
But you know what I don't love? All the fat or how it makes your entire house smell like hot grease.
There has to be a better way! Enter this crispy, crunchy, healthy baked onion rings recipe breaded with quinoa and baked until golden brown and perfect. No pots filled with boiling hot oil.
No splatters. No mess. Just easy, clean cooking!
I love serving these on game days like the Super Bowl or for just a family dinner on a weeknight. They're easy to make and are a veggie side dish the entire family will love!
Key Ingredients
- Quinoa Flour and Arrowroot Powder — This makes up the first part of your dredge, along with the dry spices. Toast the quinoa flour for maximum flavor.
- Dry Seasonings — Smoked paprika (regular paprika is OK if it's what you have in your pantry), cayenne pepper, and sea salt.
- Buttermilk and Eggs — This makes up the second part of your batter, the wet dredge. This adheres to the flour and arrowroot powder and helps the third component stick to the onions and crisp up. For a dairy-free buttermilk alternative, combine unsweetened milk of choice with 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, and proceed with the recipe. For a vegan egg option, combine 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water, and allow to rest until bloomed.
- Cooked Quinoa and Quinoa Flakes — These comprise the last step of your breading. It results in a thick, but crispy, breading perfect for baked onion rings that's also naturally gluten-free!
- Sweet Onions — Two in total, sliced a quarter-inch to a half-inch thick.
- Spicy Dipping Sauce — You'll need Greek yogurt (or vegan sour cream), gluten-free ketchup, horseradish, minced chives (or green onions), smoked paprika, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
How To Make Baked Onion Rings
- Preheat oven to 420 degrees — And line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prep Batter Ingredients — Combine quinoa flour, arrowroot powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt in a shallow bowl. Whisk buttermilk and eggs together in a separate shallow dish. Pulse quinoa and quinoa flakes in a blender until crumbly, and place in a shallow dish.
- Prep Onion Rings — Dredge onion rings in the flour mixture, and then dip into the buttermilk mixture. Drain excess batter, and dredge into the quinoa mixture. Arrange prepared onion rings on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. Spray well with olive oil, and cook until golden brown (about 20 to 25 minutes,) making sure to flip halfway through and re-spraying.
- Serve — Garnish onion rings with sea salt while still hot from the oven, serve with your favorite dipping sauce, and enjoy!
How To Make the Best Onion Ring Sauce
Just combine all the ingredients listed above in a small bowl, and refrigerate until time to serve. The longer it sits, the better it is because the ingredients will marinate longer. So, prepare an hour before serving to overnight.
Variations
- If you like a stronger onion flavor, try white onions instead of sweet onions.
- Make them spicy by adding chili powder or red pepper flakes to the dry ingredients or serving with spicy ranch!
- Have fun with the garnishes! Try diced chives, crumbled feta or Cotija cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, or pico de gallo. Or change up the dipping sauce. The options are endless!
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
- Store cooled onion rings in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze cooled, cooked onion rings in an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheat thawed onion rings in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, or in the air fryer for approx. 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Either way, remove them from the heat source one they're golden brown and re-crisped.
Frequently Asked Question
Are onion rings healthy?
Fried onion rings, like any deep-fried foods, are not inherently healthy due to the gluten-laden breading and oil used to fry them. However, these quinoa-crusted baked onion rings are healthy! Baking them eliminates any oil or fats used to fry them, and the quinoa crust is naturally gluten-free. You can snack on these without any guilt!
More Recipes To Try
- Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
- Smoked Almonds
- Quinoa Baked Zucchini Chips
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Avocado Fries
Healthy Onion Rings with Spicy Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Healthy Baked Onion Rings
- 3/4 cup quinoa flour toasted
- 3/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk **see vegan option
- 2 eggs or Flax Egg - 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 6 tablespoons warm water
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
- Olive oil spray
- 2 large sweet onions sliced
Spicy Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt or Vegan Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp ketchup gluten-free
- 2 tbsp tablespoons prepared horseradish to taste
- 1 tbsp finely minced chives
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
For the Spicy Dipping Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until serving.
For the Healthy Baked Onion Rings:
- Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a shallow dish combine quinoa flour, arrowroot powder, paprika, cayenne and salt. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs in a separate shallow dish.
- Place quinoa and quinoa flakes in a blender and pulse until crumbly. Place in a shallow dish.
- Dredge onion rings into the flour mixture, then dip into the buttermilk mixture. Drain excess batter and dredge into the quinoa mixture.
- Arrange on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. Spray WELL with olive oil. Cook until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping the onion rings over about half way through and re-spraying. Serve with dipping sauce.
Amber
These were so good! Thank you.
Janet Paula
I cannot get quinoa flakes in the country where I live. What can be used as a gluten free substitute? Thanks.