Crunchy Onion Rings with Kefir Ranch Dip

Crunchy Onion Rings with Kefir Ranch Dip

4
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 20 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
An air fryer turns breaded, battered onion rings crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside with zero greasy spatter. The ranch-style dip is made with kefir, a tangy, unsweetened fermented dairy product (often sold as a drink) that’s high in protein and packs a probiotic boost. The dip doubles as a dressing for veggies, so feel free to make extra for your salads.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

5 spray(s)

Light mayonnaise

6 Tbsp

Garlic

1 clove(s), finely chopped

Chives

3 Tbsp, chopped

Fresh parsley

2 Tbsp, chopped

Unseasoned rice vinegar

½ tsp

Plain 1% low fat kefir

1 cup(s), or low-fat buttermilk, divided

Table salt

¾ tsp, divided

Black pepper

tsp

All-purpose flour

½ cup(s), divided

Egg

1 item(s), large, large

Cayenne pepper

¼ tsp

Granulated garlic

¼ tsp

Panko breadcrumbs

1¼ cup(s)

Uncooked onion

3 medium, (about 1 lb), cut into 1⁄2-inch slices and separated into rings (reserve the smaller rings for another use)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, garlic, chives, parsley, vinegar, ½ cup of the kefir, ¼ tsp of the salt, and the black pepper.
  2. Spread 1⁄4 cup of the flour on a sheet of wax paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, ¼ tsp of the salt, the cayenne, granulated garlic, the remaining ½ cup kefir, and 1⁄4 cup of the flour until smooth. Spread the panko on another sheet of wax paper.
  3. Working with 5 rings at a time, coat the onion rings with the flour. Dip the coated rings into the batter, letting the excess batter drip off, then coat with the panko, pressing to adhere the crumbs. Arrange the rings in a single layer on a baking sheet. Repeat to coat the remaining onion rings.
  4. Preheat an air fryer to 360°F for 3 minutes. Lightly coat the air-fryer basket with cooking spray. Arrange a single layer of onion rings in the basket. Coat the rings with cooking spray and cook in the air fryer for 5 minutes. Turn the rings over and coat with cooking spray. Continue to cook the onion rings until crispy, about 4 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining onion rings. Serve the onion rings with the dip.
  5. Serving size: about 6 onion rings and 2 tbsp dip

Notes

Shopping tip: Almost any type of onion is good for onion rings, including white, yellow, and sweet onions like Vidalia, Maui, Walla Walla, or Texas Sweet. Choose onions that are very hard and firm, with no soft spots.