The concept of an onion ring seems insane until you take your first bite. Transforming a tear-inducing onion slice into something this delicious is nothing short of culinary magic. Unfortunately, this magic trick often relies on carb-ridden ingredients and unhealthy oils, sacrificing health for satisfaction.
However, there is a better approach that allows you to make your onion rings keto-friendly, healthy, and satisfying. We’ll show you how with this recipe.
Are Onion Rings Keto? How Many Carbs Do They Have?
Most onion rings are not low carb, keto-friendly, or healthy. Though each onion ring product will vary, they all tend to rely on some form of high-carb batter/breading and unhealthy oil.
The batter/breading turns what was once a healthy onion into something that will slow your keto progress, with up to 5 grams of net carbs per ring.
Simply by using low-carb ingredients as the onion ring coating, you can drastically reduce the carb content to a fraction of net carbs per serving. All it takes is the right combination of ingredients and culinary techniques.
The Secret to Crispy & Healthy Onion Rings: The Double-Coating Method
The most important technique you’ll be using is a double-coating method. It requires taking each raw onion ring through the same steps carefully.
First, you’ll dredge each ring in coconut flour to make it as dry as possible. This will set you up for the next two steps: dipping the ring in egg wash then the keto coating (i.e., the ground-up pork rinds and parmesan cheese).
Once you apply the first coat to each ring, bring them back to the egg wash, followed by the coconut flour, egg wash, and the pork rind parmesan coating. After the second coat, they will be ready for baking.
This process can be meticulous, but it will help ensure a crisp, cohesive coating around each onion ring. Just make sure your pork rinds don’t get soggy during the second coat because this can prevent them from sticking effectively.
Other Keto Onion Ring Cooking Methods: Can I Use My Air Fryer?
Baking is all you’ll need to get a crisp, satisfying onion ring. However, if you have an air fryer, it may be worth trying because it can yield a crispier onion ring. To cook these onion rings in the air fryer, preheat it to 400 degrees and cook for about 16 minutes.
If you prefer a fattier bite with each onion ring, you can also pan-fry or deep fry them in a healthy keto oil/fat, such as coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, lard, or tallow.
Make sure the oil is hot before placing each ring in. Fry until golden brown and turn with tongs to brown the other side. Let them cool on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
Keto Tips for Restaurant-Style Onion Rings
To take your onion rings to another level, try implementing these simple tips:
- Refrigerate before cooking. Refrigerating the double-coated rings for about a half-hour can help hold the coating together during and after cooking.
- Give them space. Regardless of what cooking method you use, make sure the rings have visible space between them. This will help ensure a crisp coating.
- Serve with a delicious keto dipping sauce. One key aspect of the best onion rings is what it is served with. Whether you prefer a simple low carb ketchup or a creamy garlic aioli, we have plenty of recipes you can whip up while your onion rings are cooking.
- Follow the directions carefully. Doing something incorrectly or out of order can yield a soggy subpar onion ring.
Adding Onion Rings to Your Keto Diet
This keto onion ring recipe can be made as a side, appetizer, or even as a snack. Whether you have them with a bacon cheeseburger or serve them at your next family party, they will provide you with a great way to add some extra fat, fiber, and veggies to your keto diet.
That being said, it is also important to consider how the carbs and calories in these keto onion rings fit within the broader context of your keto diet. Although they are keto-friendly, they can still slow your weight loss results when overeaten.
Yields 4 servings of Low Carb Onion Rings
The Preparation
- 1 medium onion, white or yellow
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 ounces pork rinds
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
The Execution
1. Pre-heat oven to 425F and gather ingredients.
2. Cut the onion into half-inch slices.
3. Break the onion apart into individual rings and set aside.
4. In a food processor, pulse the pork rinds and parmesan cheese until a fine consistency appears, similar to breadcrumbs. Place the “breadcrumbs” in a bowl and set aside.
Alternatively, you can crush the pork rinds by hand and mix in the parmesan cheese.
5. Beat the eggs and water together in a bowl. Create a dipping station: 1 bowl with pork rinds and parmesan, 1 bowl with egg wash, and 1 bowl with coconut flour.
6. With each ring of onion, dip into the coconut flour, then the egg wash, then the pork rind mixture.
7. Repeat this process with each ring of onion until all onion rings are coated.
8. Repeat the breading process again, starting with the egg wash. Dip the breaded onion rings into the egg wash, then coconut flour, then egg wash again, then pork rind mixture.
9. Repeat the double-breading with all onion rings until each onion ring is well coated. If the pork rind mixture becomes clumpy, you can re-process it in your food processor.
10. Place the double-coated onion rings on a wire rack and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
This makes a total of 4 servings of Keto Onion Rings. Each serving comes out to be 237 calories, 12.1g fats, 6.7g net carbs, and 20.1g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 1 medium onion | 41 | 0.2 | 9.5 | 1.3 | 8.2 | 1.3 |
| 1/2 cup coconut flour | 240 | 6 | 36 | 20 | 16 | 12 |
| 2 large eggs | 143 | 9.5 | 0.7 | 0 | 0.7 | 13 |
| 1 tablespoon water | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 ounce pork rinds | 309 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 1/2 cup parmesan cheese | 215 | 14.5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
| Totals | 948 | 48.2 | 48.2 | 21.3 | 26.9 | 80.3 |
| Per Serving (/4) | 237.0 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 20.1 |
Low Carb Onion Rings
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion white or yellow
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 ounce pork rinds
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425F.
- Cut the onion into half-inch slices.
- Break the onion apart into individual rings and set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the pork rinds and parmesan cheese until a fine consistency appears, similar to breadcrumbs. Place the "breadcrumbs" in a bowl and set aside. Alternatively, you can crush the pork rinds by hand and mix in the parmesan cheese.
- Beat the eggs and water together in a bowl. Create a dipping station: 1 bowl with pork rinds and parmesan, 1 bowl with egg wash, and 1 bowl with coconut flour.
- With each ring of onion, dip into the coconut flour, then the egg wash, then the pork rind mixture.
- Repeat this process with each ring of onion until all onion rings are coated.
- Repeat the breading process again, starting with the egg wash. Dip the breaded onion rings into the egg wash, then coconut flour, then egg wash again, then pork rind mixture.
- Repeat the double-breading with all onion rings until each onion ring is well coated. If the pork rind mixture becomes clumpy, you can re-process it in your food processor.
- Place the double-coated onion rings on a wire rack and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
