Do you know what a burger is without onion rings and fries? A very sad burger. The onion It is a subtle but essential ingredient in many dishes, and the Fried Onion Rings they could be the best version of this vegetable.
It would be a waste to throw away the onion rings when you can’t eat them all at once. That’s why we’ve put together this complete guide on how to reheat onion rings.
What is the best way to reheat onion rings? The best way to reheat onion rings is with the help of an air fryer.but you can also use oven, toaster oven, or stove.
The Best Ways to Reheat Onion Rings
Although fried food is very easy to reheat, it can also go very wrong if you don’t do it correctly. In fact, reheating onion rings the wrong way can make them soggy and very unpalatable.
If you have leftover onion rings from a previous meal, and plan to reheat them the next day, you can let them sit in the fridge overnight in an airtight container.
Keep in mind that you can only reheat the onion rings once, so if you don’t plan on eating them all at once, take only the amount you need out of the fridge and leave the rest in the container.
You can keep the fried onion rings in the fridge for up to 3 days, but we recommend that you do not exceed the first 24 hours. Freezing fried foods isn’t a good idea either, so make sure you eat all your onion rings within the allotted time frame.
If you really need to freeze them, put them in a freezer-safe bag and make sure they don’t overlap. Of course, before reheating frozen onion rings you have to thaw them. For this you can use the refrigerator or the defrost option of your microwave.
You can reheat the shredded onion rings on the stove, or use the oven/toaster or air fryer. Each method requires a different process, so we are going to go over each of them in detail.
If you want to reheat onion rings and keep them crisp, read our complete and detailed guide below.
How to Reheat Onion Rings in the Air Fryer
If you’re the proud owner of an air fryer or 4-in-1 microwave with air fryer, you’ll be glad to know that this is the best way to keep onion rings crisp and flavorful after reheating.
And, of course, there is nothing better for fried food than a frying machine. However, it’s not enough to just throw your onion rings into the air fryer and let it do its thing.
Here are the steps to reheat onion rings in the air fryer:
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Coat the onion rings with cooking spray. This will help warm them up well.
- Arrange the onion rings in the air fryer basket, not overlapping each other if possible, for more even heating.
- Cook or microwave them using the designated setting for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Be sure to check the onion rings every 2-3 minutes, and flip them halfway through the cooking time.
- Reheat them until they take on a golden color. By this time, they should be crisp enough and ready to be served.
Don’t have an air fryer? No problem! You can also reheat onion rings in the oven with great results.
How to reheat onion rings in the oven
Let’s face it, having an air fryer at home is becoming less and less common with all the microwaves and multifunctional ovens we have today. So unless you have specific culinary needs that require an actual air fryer in your kitchen, your best bet for reheating fried onion rings is in the oven.
The oven isn’t far behind the air fryer when it comes to onion rings, and it’s the perfect tool for reheating a ton of different foods.
The nice thing about reheating onion rings in the oven is that it doesn’t require any additional oil, although if you want to use a little cooking spray it won’t hurt.
Here are the steps to reheat onion rings in the oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- (Optional) Microwave the onion rings for just 10 seconds, to warm them up a bit.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on your baking tray.
- Arrange the onion rings on the tray, being careful that they do not overlap, otherwise some parts will not cook sufficiently.
- Cover the tray with aluminum foil.
- Put everything in the oven, keep the temperature at 350 degrees and adjust the cooking time to 10-15 minutes.
- Check the onion rings every few minutes and move or flip them as you see fit.
- When they’re golden and crisp, you can take them out and serve right away (be careful not to touch the foil with your bare hands).
Can’t use the oven for some reason? If you have a countertop toaster oven, you can use that too, if you follow our guide below.
How to Reheat Onion Rings in a Toaster Oven
If you find your traditional oven too big for the job, or if you just want to save some money on your energy bills, the toaster oven is a good alternative for reheating breaded onion rings.
Although it may seem less powerful, the biggest difference between a normal oven and a toaster is the interior space. Since the toaster oven is smaller than the traditional oven, the cooking time will also be less.
Here are the steps to reheat onion rings in a toaster oven:
- Preheat your toaster oven to 350 degrees.
- (Optional) Microwave the onion rings for just ten seconds, to warm them up a bit.
- Arrange the onion rings on a wire rack roasting pan, or on a baking sheet, taking care not to overlap, otherwise some parts will be undercooked.
- Place the cookie sheet on the top rack, so the onion rings are elevated, as during reheating they will produce oil which could cause them to soggy on the bottom.
- Keep the temperature at 350 degrees and adjust the cooking time to 6-7 minutes.
- Check the onion rings every two minutes and turn them regularly so they reheat evenly.
- The results of using a toaster oven are very similar to baking, so you can pop the onion rings out once they’re browned and crisp, and serve right away.
We’ve covered all the appliance-related methods for reheating onion rings, but you can also just use your kitchen for this purpose. Read on for the easiest method to keep onion rings crisp.
How to reheat onion rings in a skillet
You might think that letting the oven or air fryer do all the work is the easiest way to reheat leftover onion rings, but using a skillet is actually the quickest and easiest way to get good results.
It doesn’t take a lot of cooking skills to reheat onion rings in the skillet, so don’t worry, you can get great results even if you’re a novice cook. All you need is a frying pan and some frying oil, because with this method you are actually frying the onion rings again.
Here are the steps to reheat onion rings in a skillet:
- Place a suitable size skillet on the heat at medium heat.
- When the pan is hot, add the oil to fry. Don’t overdo it, but be generous, because if the onion rings don’t have enough oil, they will burn. Ideally, the frying oil level should be high enough to soak ⅓ of the onion ring (placed flat).
- Once the oil is heated, add the onion rings. If the oil is at the right temperature, they should start to frizz as soon as you put them on.
- Move them frequently and turn them regularly, so that the entire body of each ring is completely submerged in the oil.
- When the onion rings are golden and crisp, they are ready to eat. They should only take a few minutes (less than 5 if the oil is well heated).
- Place a few pieces of kitchen paper in a deep plate and place the onion rings on the paper, so that the extra oil is well absorbed before serving.
While this isn’t exactly reheating, but recooking, it’s probably one of the best ways to get crispy, flavorful onion rings.
Can the onion rings be reheated?
Fried foods are best eaten freshly cooked, but when necessary you have several ways to reheat them: you can use the oven, toaster oven, stovetop, or air fryer.
The air fryer is the best method for reheating onion rings and keeping them crisp because, after all, it’s made for deep-fried foods. The oven and toaster oven work pretty much the same, and you can get a nice crisp and flavor with both.
When you are in a pinch, you can place your onion rings in a pan and fry them again on the fire with the help of the frying oil. It will be like cooking them all over again, it will only take a few minutes and you will be guaranteed a great result.
Can onion rings be reheated in the microwave?
You can, but you shouldn’t. The microwave is the quintessential kitchen appliance for reheating food, but in the case of fried foods it is the worst tool you can use.
The best thing about onion rings is their crunchy texture. When you reheat onion rings in the microwave, you turn them into a soggy mess you won’t want to eat. You basically screw them up.
If you have a microwave with an air fryer, you can use that feature. Otherwise, do not reheat the onion rings in the microwave.
Here are some great ways to reheat onion rings, all tested and approved by our team of experts, so trust us when we say you won’t need a microwave this time.