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    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Vegetarian Side Dishes

    Crispy Baked Coconut Onion Rings with Sweet Chili Sauce

    Published: Sep 1, 2014 · by Nicole · Updated: Aug 2, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Crispy Baked Coconut Onion Rings with Sweet Chili SaucePhotos by Emily Caruso

    If you've ever undertaken a long distance move, you're undoubtedly familiar with the last minute rush to use up the stash of food you've accumulated in your refrigerator and pantry. There's a whole lot of that happening in my house right now because we're moving next week and there's still so much food. So much food! How did we get this much food? Where did that wedge of brie come from? Why do we have a jar of bread and butter pickles in the pantry? And then you have brie and pickle sandwiches for dinner and lament what your life has become.

    This recipe was also born out of the need to use things up, but luckily for you, it turned out a lot better than the brie and pickle sandwiches, which we shall never speak of again. I had a big bag of shredded coconut in the pantry, along with panko, honey, sriracha, and rice vinegar, so I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to make these Crispy Baked Coconut Onion Rings. I got the idea from a restaurant in Raleigh called The Cowfish, which has both sushi and burgers. (And pretty amazing veggie burgers, I might add.)

    Crispy Baked Coconut Onion Rings with Sweet Chili Sauce
    These onion rings are super crispy and just slightly coconutty--the shredded coconut adds a hint of toasted coconut flavor, but it doesn't overpower the flavor of the sweet onion. It's always a little bit of a pain to bread vegetables, but like childbirth, you forget about all the pain once you've got a big plate of onion rings to dig into. Or something.

    No onion rings would be complete without a good dipping sauce and since these onion rings are Asian-inspired, they call for a good Asian sauce. You can use bottled sweet chili sauce, but Ashley's honey-based sweet chili sauce is completely worth taking the time to whip up. Store-bought sweet chili sauce tends to be a little more mild than I like, but when you make it yourself, you can add more or less heat to customize it to your own tastes.

    Recipe

    Crispy Baked Coconut Onion Rings with Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe

    Crispy Baked Coconut Onion Rings with Sweet Chili Sauce

    Crispy baked onion rings with a sweet-and-spicy dipping sauce.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Keyword: Crispy Baked Coconut Onion Rings with Sweet Chili Sauce, how to make onion rings, onion rings recipe
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 454kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    Onion Rings

    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ cup milk
    • 1 egg
    • 1 ½ cups panko
    • ¾ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
    • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 extra-large sweet onion sliced into ¼-inch thick rings
    • Oil mister filled with cooking oil I used grapeseed

    Sweet Chili Sauce

    • ½ cup honey
    • 1-2 tablespoons sriracha to taste
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Onion Rings

    • Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place oven-safe wire racks on two baking sheets and spray them with oil.*
    • Whisk together the flour and paprika in a shallow bowl or dish. In another dish, whisk the milk and egg. In a third dish, combine the panko, coconut, and salt.
    • Break the onion slices into individual rings. Dredge each ring in the flour mixture, then dip it in the milk mixture, and then press it into the panko mixture, making sure to coat all sides. Place the breaded ring onto one of the wire racks, and repeat until all the rings are coated. (To save space, put the smaller rings inside the larger ones on the racks.)
    • Once all the rings are coated, spray them with oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating sheets after 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

    Sweet Chili Sauce

    • Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

    Notes

    *If you don't have oven-safe wire racks, you can make the onion rings directly on your baking sheets. Spray the baking sheets with oil and flip the onion rings over halfway through cooking time.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 9gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 1167mgPotassium: 345mgFiber: 5gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 154IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 3mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
    « This Week's Meatless Meal Plan | 09.01.14
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    Snack Recipes, Vegetarian Appetizers, Vegetarian Recipes, Vegetarian Side Dishes onions, side dishes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathryn says

      September 01, 2014 at 9:55 am

      I spent most of my life thinking that I hated onion rings. Then I tried one and I was hooked! I love this take on them; the coconut sounds like a brilliant addition.

      Reply
    2. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says

      September 01, 2014 at 10:31 am

      Holy yum! I can't wait to give these a go!

      Reply
    3. Kare Raye says

      September 01, 2014 at 11:13 am

      I am so. in. love. with this recipe. Onion rings without the guilt! You are my hero. And with coconut! The sauce though, that's what really clinches it.

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        September 04, 2014 at 1:03 pm

        I've made a lot of baked onion rings and I think panko is the way to go. And the coconut works well too because it also gets nice and crispy in the oven.

        Reply
    4. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

      September 01, 2014 at 11:29 am

      YUMM! These look amazing. I love how the texture of the coconut makes these look especially decadent. Cowfish (in both Raleigh and Charlotte!) is awesome! Their menu is super creative and the sushi is delsih! Thank you for sharing this - it made me actually want an onion ring again!

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        September 04, 2014 at 1:01 pm

        I know, I wish we had the chance to go there more often while we were here!

        Reply
    5. Tina Muir says

      September 01, 2014 at 12:49 pm

      This sounds wonderful! I love onion rings, I love coconut, and I love crunch....oh and sweet chili sauce too! Yummy! Now if only I could convince my other half to like onions 😛

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        September 04, 2014 at 1:00 pm

        I used to hate onions too! I'm still not a fan of them raw, but when they're cooked, that changes everything. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Lori @ RecipeGirl says

      September 01, 2014 at 9:36 pm

      Adding these to my must-try soon list! So awesome!

      Reply
    7. Millie | Add A Little says

      September 02, 2014 at 2:23 am

      These sound amazing with the coconut - will have to try them out!

      Reply
    8. Courtney @ The Fig Tree says

      September 02, 2014 at 11:33 pm

      Love that these are baked! I'm terrified of frying, so I very much appreciate that these onions rings are baked. The coconut coating sounds amazing! I cannot wait to try these. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        September 04, 2014 at 12:54 pm

        The one time I tried frying (well, other than pan frying in a tablespoon or two of oil), I burned myself and got oil everywhere. I'm not a fan!

        Reply
    9. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

      September 03, 2014 at 2:46 am

      They look so crisp and delicious that it's almost hard to believe that they are baked and not fried! Definitely need to try out the recipe.. love onion rings and these sound especially delicious.

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        September 04, 2014 at 12:53 pm

        I like using panko because it tends to get really crispy in the oven. Sometimes regular breadcrumbs don't!

        Reply
    10. Steve says

      September 03, 2014 at 8:45 am

      Are you kidding me? Onion rings with coconut AND sweet/spicy dipping sauce? I'm in love, but admit I will be frying these because #1 I believe onion rings should be fried, and #2 I don't have an oven.

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        September 04, 2014 at 12:52 pm

        Ha! Well, if you make them fried, let me know how they turn out. 🙂

        Reply
        • Steve @coolcathotfood says

          September 13, 2014 at 10:38 am

          Made 'em, posted about 'em. Made some mistakes and will have to make them again, but they still turned out pretty darn good.

          Reply
          • Kiersten Frase says

            September 18, 2014 at 1:59 pm

            They look amazing - I'm glad to hear they turn out well deep-fried too!

            Reply
    11. Rachel @LittleChefBigAppetite says

      September 03, 2014 at 9:51 am

      I don't think I would be able to control myself from eating the entire batch!

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        September 04, 2014 at 12:51 pm

        I probably could have eaten them all myself too. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Lucy says

      September 03, 2014 at 3:01 pm

      Love the idea of baked onion rings. My husband loves coconut fried shrimp so I know he would love these!

      Reply
    13. Joanne says

      September 03, 2014 at 3:47 pm

      So far the only thing I have used up from my fridge/pantry is beer. And I'm moving on Friday. Better get on it!!

      I think I must have some coconut lurking around somewhere...and I am always in the mood for onion rings!!

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        September 04, 2014 at 12:50 pm

        We still have lots of beer! I guess we're going to get crunk while packing boxes this weekend. I hope your move goes well!

        Reply
    14. Umm Haneefah @ The Halal Gourmet says

      September 03, 2014 at 4:10 pm

      Oh my veggies indeed! These must be made.

      Reply
    15. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      October 29, 2014 at 4:09 am

      How gorgeous are THESE! Just pinned them! Hope you're doing well my sweet friend!! xox

      Reply
    16. ania says

      July 01, 2017 at 3:26 pm

      I can’t wait to give these a go!

      Reply
    17. Veronica says

      November 20, 2019 at 8:16 pm

      4 stars
      These were pretty good, a little dry when baked on the rack but the ones we baked directly on the tray were much juicer. The sauce was the star!

      Reply
    4 from 1 vote

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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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