These gluten free onion rings are crispy, golden, and actually stay crunchy—no soggy coating, no falling apart in the oil.
If you’ve tried making gluten-free onion rings before and ended up with a coating that slides off or turns soft instantly, this recipe fixes that with the right batter and technique.
They fry up light and crisp on the outside with a tender onion center, giving you that classic diner-style bite without any gluten or junk ingredients. If you’ve made my crispy chicken nuggets before, this uses that same crispy coating approach that actually sticks and holds its crunch. The main difference, I added a key ingredient to help with texture: club soda.
These are the kind of side you make once… and then start adding to everything if they last long enough to make it to another dish! They’re perfect for adding to burgers, salads, and sandwiches. .
This post may contain affiliate links, please read our disclosure policy for details.
Why you’ll love these gluten-free onion rings:
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ultra crispy coating that sticks (no sliding off)
- Light, crunchy texture—not heavy or greasy
- Gluten free but tastes like classic diner onion rings
- Made with simple, clean ingredients
- Perfect side for burgers, BBQ, or family meals
Ingredients
Please see recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe details.
1. Onion Rings
The star of the show in this recipe. I recommend using yellow onions or sweet onions for this recipe. They fry up beautifully and pack a delicious flavor profile.
2. Gluten-Free One-to-One Flour
A high-quality gluten-free one to-one flour blend provides a flour base for the batter/slurry. I prefer Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this recipe because it produces consistent results and fries up evenly.
3. Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder is a light, grain-free starch that works as a natural thickener for sauces, gravies, puddings, and baked goods. It creates a silky, glossy finish without the heaviness of cornstarch and is easier on sensitive stomachs, making it a great clean-ingredient swap for gluten-free and allergen-friendly cooking. If you’d like to sub it out, this can easily be replaced at a 1:1 ratio with Tapioca Flour or Cornstarch.
4. Salt & Other Seasonings
A small amount of salt balances the flavor and deepens the savory flavors within the nuggets. Smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic power, and black pepper all work together to create an amazing flavor profile. You can adjust the ratio of these seasonings to your preference.
5. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is my go-to healthy fat because it helps crisp up the nuggets without using seed oils. Avocado oil also has a high smoke point, which means your crust will brown beautifully without burning or tasting greasy. If you need to sub it out, try using olive oil or melted tallow.
6. Club Soda
Club soda is the powerhouse ingredient within this recipe. It acts like a leavening agent in the batter which uses carbonation to create pockets of air and results in a crispier onion ring post frying. The bubbles from the soda get bigger as they react to the heat which creates a light and crisp outer layer making these gluten free onion rings not feel gluten free at all!
Gluten Free Through the Seasons
Nostalgic mix of winter, spring, summer & fall favorites – WITHOUT gluten.
Hands down the most versatile seasonal gluten-free cookbook that is loaded with 150+ tried and true nostalgic recipes that are made with clean ingredients! This book comes in both digital and printed formatting.
Look no further for the perfect book to bake through with your family all year long (or gift to a friend who’s gluten-free)!
Making the Gluten Free Onion Rings
Step by step tutorial.
1. Peel and slice the onions horizontally to create ring cuts.
2. Separate ring cuts into a bowl and store until ready to dip and fry.
3. Mix up the batter slurry and pour it into a gallon sized freezer bag coating the onion rings.
4. Using tongs, remove the onion rings from the bag and either store spaced out on a parchment lined baking tray or fry immediately.
5. Make sure the oil is 350F before adding battered rings into it to fry. Fry until golden brown.
6. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Helpful Tools & Appliances
Gluten Free Onion Rings
Ingredients
- 2 Yellow Onion Sliced into Rings
- 36 oz Avocado Oil for frying
Batter
- 1 cup Gluten Free Flour one-to-one
- 1 cup Arrowroot Powder
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup Club Soda
- 1 ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper Ground
Instructions
- Slice the onions horizontally into thin round pieces.
- In a gallon sized plastic bag, mix together all of the batter ingredients. Mix well and then add in the onion rings. Squish the bag around to coat all of the onion rings.
- Heat the oil up to 350°F and fry the rings until golden brown.
- Place the onion rings on a drying rack. Once cooled, enjoy!
Additional Allergens/Suggested Modifications
This recipe is naturally free of: eggs, dairy, nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, seed oils and sesame.
Recipe Tips
Soak onion slices in cold water for 10–15 minutes to reduce sharpness
Pat onions completely dry before coating
Use a gallon sized plastic bag that seals for the onion rings to be coated easily in the batter.
Keep oil at ~350°F for consistent crispiness
Don’t overcrowd the pan—this drops oil temp and causes soggy rings
Place cooked rings on a wire rack, not paper towels, to stay crispy
Storage Options:
- Best fresh: These are best right after cooking
- Fridge: Store leftovers up to 2 days
- Reheat: Use oven or air fryer to bring back crispiness (avoid microwave)
- Make ahead: Prep batter and sliced onions in advance, fry fresh, or…
- Freezer: Not ideal after frying, but can freeze pre-coated rings by coating them and laying them out on parchment paper without touching to prevent sticking. Once frozen, place them in a plastic gallon sized bag for an easy grab and fry option.
Recipe FAQs
Get on the List
Subscribe to Receive the Gluten Free Pantry Must Haves Ebook
Did you make this recipe?
We’d love to see! Tag @farmfreshfamily on Instagram!
