reheating onion rings

How To Reheat Onion Rings Without Making Them Soggy Or Oily

In short, there are three ways to reheat onion rings to taste like fresh: in a skillet, in the oven, or in an air fryer. Each method requires heating the onion rings for a few minutes and removing the excess oil.

Whether you made your onion rings yourself or ordered them from a favorite restaurant, you will agree with us that they are utterly delicious only while they are freshly prepared and warm.

Given their specific textures, many wonder if it is even possible to reheat onion rings and so, they simply throw the leftovers in the trash because of confusion. That would be a mistake especially for homemade onion rings.

We bring you a few methods by which you can reheat your favorite rings and restore their old glory.

Reheating Onion Rings In A Skillet

Maybe this method didn’t come to your mind first, but you can actually reheat onion rings in a frying pan. It’s actually a very quick and easy way and will result in delicious and crunchy rings that you’re used to. 

The process is almost like frying them again, but much shorter. Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Put the Oil in a Pan and Heat

You first need to heat the oil in the frying pan. Opt for vegetable oil as it can withstand a much higher frying temperature. This is also recommended during the initial frying. Do not use olive or other similar oils.

Step 2: Place Onion Rings in a Pan and Fry for a Few Minutes

When hot oil is ready, place the onion rings in a pan and fry just as you did during the initial frying, but in a shorter period of time. It will take you a few minutes for the rings to warm up well. 

You can flip them over to fry evenly on both sides. When you notice that they have reached the desired temperature, take them out.

Step 3: Pick up the Excess Oil Left on the Onion Rings

Take the warm onion rings out of the pan and place them on a paper towel. Pat them lightly with extra paper to soak up any excess oil that has accumulated during frying, so it will be tastier and healthier to consume.

Reheating Onion Rings In The Oven

The oven reheating onion rings is another great way to get the job done. Although it requires significantly more time, the big advantage is that it does not require extra oil, so you won’t need to soak your rings in it again. 

Also, the oven will perfectly preserve the onion rings’ crunchiness, resulting in a super tasty meal. 

Step 1: Preheat the Oven to 350 °F

You need to preheat the toaster oven to medium heat of 350 degrees F before you put the onion rings inside. Therefore, the temperature is medium to strong, by no means maximum because that way, you will only burn the rings.

Step 2: Arrange Onion Rings and Cover with Foil

Place the baking sheet on the baking tray first and then arrange the onion rings in one row. Don’t toss them on top of each other as they won’t be nicely crispy. 

When you have arranged the onion rings, cover them with aluminum foil.

Step 3: Bake for about 10 to 15 Minutes

When you have covered the onion rings with foil, put them in the oven to bake. It will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to warm up and restore its crunchiness fully. Make sure they are done. 

If they are warm, you can serve them immediately after taking them out from the oven. 

Heating Onion Rings In An Air Fryer

An air fryer is simply the perfect method of reheating onion rings. You don’t need to use extra oil, plus the hot air will perfectly dry the soggy onion rings and turn them into the crispy delicacy they were in the beginning. 

The procedure is more than simple and fast, so if you have this appliance in your kitchen, by all means, choose it instead of all other methods.

Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 °F

The first step is to heat the air fryer to a relatively high 400 degrees. This is necessary to get crispness and quick heating. 

Be sure to wait for the appliance to heat up completely before inserting the cold onion rings inside.

Step 2: Place Leftover Onion Rings in a Basket

Now it’s time to arrange the rings in the air fryer basket. We advise you not to crowd them but to arrange them airily in one layer. Cooking in a couple of cycles is better than having soggy onion rings.

It’s not necessary to add any grease, actually, but if you want, you can spray some olive oil on the onion to give it a little more flavor.

Step 3: Cook Onion Rings for 5 Minutes

The cooking time will be approximately 5 minutes. This should be ideal for the tasty onion rings to dry out, heat up and become crispy as they were. 

After 5 minutes, take it out and check if it is hot enough. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.


FAQs

Conclusion

Onion rings can be reheated even though you may not have known it until now. Many restaurants use this technique to prepare meals in advance and have faster, ready-made portions for their guests. So feel free to put the leftover onion rings you have from lunch in the fridge or freezer and save for later. 

What is essential when reheating is to restore the crunchiness that is so specific to onion rings. Without it, they just aren’t that delicious. Unfortunately, the microwave will not help you in this case, but you can choose between reheating in the oven or on the stove. Both methods work quite well.

If you’re lucky to have an air fryer in your kitchen, that should definitely be your number one choice of method. It’s fast and straightforward, and it will restore the crunchiness of your reheated onion rings.

You can reheat frozen onion rings with the same methods. Just make sure you thaw them first. If you leave them frozen, it might give you inedible results.

Up Next: Best Way To Reheat Potato Chips

reheat onion rings in oven

Image by depositphotos.com/AndreySt

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