Crispy Onion Strings

These crispy onion strings are the absolute BEST! The brown and crispy outside and the deliciously moist onion inside make this the perfect topping for any burger or salad!

I love adding delicious toppings to my meals! These crispy onions strings are the best and go with everything. Try using them on this juicy air fryer hamburger, this delicious green bean casserole, or this delicious cobb salad.

A black plate with cripsy onion strings.

Crispy Fried Onion Strings

I have been dying to make this recipe for so long, and now that I have finally done it, I don’t know why I waited! These crispy onion strings are so good! I love onion rings but these onion strings are a whole other level of delicious and versatile. They are crisp and browned on the outside, and the sweet onion on the inside is flavored to perfection. Once I cooked these, I had a hard time not eating them all straight off the plate!

There is always a recipe that I needed to use these for, and now I have them! I love eating these plain as an easy appetizer dipped into fry sauce! I have also had them on salads, burgers and soups… Really, the possibilities for these are endless! They make my mouth water just thinking about them, and now I make them so often that onions have become a staple item on my grocery list! Try these out. You will LOVE them!

Ingredients to Make Crispy Onion Strings

You are in luck because not only is this ingredient list short and simple, but it’s full of ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Oil: This is for frying your onions in! Vegetable oil or canola oil work great.
Onions: I like to use sweet onions like vidalia onions. Make sure that your slices are all about the same size so that they all cook evenly and at the same time.
Buttermilk: You can use storebought buttermilk or you can easily make it at home with this recipe and it’s just as good!
Flour: All purpose flour works great to coat your onions.
Seasonings: To make these onions so delicious you will use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and ground black pepper.

Make Onion Strings in 3 Easy Steps!

If you can count to 3, you can make these crispy onion strings because that’s all of the steps it takes to have these ready to enjoy! And trust me, once you try them, you will be hooked!

Prep Oil and Mix Coating Ingredients: Heat oil in a skillet to 350 degrees. In a small bowl add the buttermilk. In another bowl combine the flour, garlic powder, onion, paprika, salt and pepper.
Dredge the Onions: Slice up the onions with a sharp knife. Using tongs dredge the onion slices in the buttermilk, and then to the flour mixture. Add to the hot oil.
Fry: Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Pat them with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

What to Dip These In

I mentioned before that you can use these crispy onion strings as an appetizer and you may think that’s crazy! But just you wait. Once you try these onion strings in different dipping sauces then you will always want these on your table!

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

Yum Yum Sauce

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

The Famous Fry Sauce

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

Copycat Chick fil A Sauce Recipe

A hand picking up some onon strings from a black plate.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Everyone always asks, “How do I keep my crispy onion strings from getting soggy?” And the answer is simple… The air fryer! It’s like the air fryer was made for this recipe! Here is how you can store your leftovers and heat them up to taste as good as they did on day one!

In the Fridge: Once your cripsy onion strings have cooled down then you can place them in an airtight container and put them in your fridge, they will last for 3-4 days. They WILL get soffy but don’t worry, you can wake them right up!
To Reheat (and make them crispy again!): Cook them in your air fryer at 36- degrees for 4-6 minutes. Flip them and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until they are crispy.