Oven Baked Onion Rings w/ Spicy Dijon Aioli

I don't eat fried food very often, but if given the opportunity and the mood is right, I will get down with some onion rings. So, why not make them at home without using any oil, and instead coating them in a crispy breadcrumb coating and baking them to perfection?

So, yeah, that's what I did! And I also normally wouldn't use mayo (or vegan mayo) as a dip, but I wanted these to feel like I was eating at a restaurant so I went with a very classic tasting simple aioli. It SO felt like we were at a pub on game day. As Bill put it, "these are legit."

So here ya go, super easy baked onion rings with a spicy dijon aioli dip. They make me want to invite people over for football games and serve them alongside jackfruit nachos. Mmmm...

​Oven Baked Onion Rings with Spicy Dijon Aioli

Onion Rings
2 medium sized onions
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (or almond meal, cornmeal, other breading), plus more as needed
Spices (optional): sea salt, black pepper, paprika, any other spices of choice

Spicy Dijon Aioli
2 TBSP vegan mayo
1/2 TBSP dijon mustard
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
1 clove garlic, crushed/pressed


Preheat the oven to 450 F.
In one bowl, mix the flour, water, and spices until smooth and runny. Add the breadcrumbs to another bowl and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully peel the outer layer of the onions, and using a sharp knife make cuts on the onion, creating rings that are about 1/2" thick. Once the circles are cut, use your thumbs to separate the rings so that you are left with a pile of individual rings.

Now, coat the onion rings using a two step process: 1) Dip the onion ring into the flour+water mix, and 2) carefully set it in the bowl with the breadcrumbs. Carefully flip the onion ring and/or sprinkle some of the dry breadcrumbs on top so that the ring as fully coated (or as close as you can get). You'll want to designate one hand for the wet bowl, and one hand for the dry, as you don't want the breadcrumbs getting too wet and clumping together. I found it really helpful to use a chopstick to handle the onion rings with, but you could also use a fork or the opposite end of a spoon.

Lay them in a single layer across the parchment paper covered baking sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for about 5 more. You want a nice golden color, but there's a fine like when they turn brown and start to taste burnt so pay close attention towards the end of the baking. 

While they're baking, add the aioli ingredients into a small dish and use a fork or whisk to fully combine. Taste, and add additional spice or flavor as needed.

Serve the onion rings immediately. Enjoy!

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