Savory Chicken Donut Onion Ring
High-protein savory chicken donuts made with onion rings, air-fried to crispy perfection, and topped with sriracha mayo, BBQ sauce, and sesame seeds.
I have been doing a 30-Day High Protein Recipes Series on Instagram and I was trying to come up with a creative and nutritious dish that is fun to look at as it is to eat. Everyone loves donut, right? When you think of donuts, chances are you’re thinking of sugary glazes and sweet sprinkles. So I thought to myself, maybe I can make something that is shaped like a donut, but savory and high in protein. That’s exactly what I have done with these Chicken Donuts! Chicken seasoning is inspired by my Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Recipe.
If you are looking for other fun and delicious high protein recipes, check out Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken, Korean Spicy BBQ Chicken Lettuce Wrap, and Air Fryer Chicken Satay with Creamy Peanut Sauce.
What Is Chicken Donut
These savory chicken donuts are made by wrapping seasoned ground chicken mixture around onion ring, coating them in potato starch for a light crunch, and air frying them to juicy perfect. Topped with drizzle of sriracha mayo and BBQ sauce for that “glazed” donut look, and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds – these are fun way to enjoy a protein-packed snack!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- High in Protein, Low in Guilt – Each donut is made with lean ground chicken, offering a satisfying protein boost with low carb.
- Creative & Fun to Make – Wrapping seasoned chicken around onion rings not only looks cool, but it’s also a fun kitchen project that turns dinner into an experience.
- Air-Fried for a Crispy Finish – No deep frying needed! A light potato starch coating gives these donuts a crispy outer layer while keeping the inside juicy and tender.
- Bold, Flavor-Packed Seasoning – With garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and Chinese five-spice, every bite bursts with savory umami flavors.
- Visually Striking – With sriracha mayo and BBQ sauce drizzled like icing, and black sesame “sprinkles,” they look like donuts but taste like meat.
How to Make Chicken Donut Onion Ring
- Prepare Onion Rings: Slice your onion into thick rings, then remove the middle part.
- Make the Chicken Mixture: In a bowl or plate, combine ground chicken, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five spice powder, white pepper, salt, sugar, and egg white. Mix until well combined.
- Shape the Donut: Gently wrap the chicken mixture around each onion ring. Press the mixture evenly then make a hole in the center so it looks like a donut.
- Coat the Donut: Coat the chicken donut in potato starch on both sides.
Air Fry Chicken Donut
Place the chicken donut in a single layer in the air fryer basket and spray with cooking oil. Air fry at 400F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and fully cooked inside.
Substitutions
- Ground Chicken – you can try other ground meat like beef or turkey.
- Donut Glaze – you can also try gochujang mayo or teriyaki sauce for different flavor profiles.
- Toppings – green onion, cilantro, or white sesame seeds are other good options.
Equipment
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Savory Chicken Donut Onion Ring
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 large onion
- 3 clove garlic, grated
- 2 in ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 1 cup coarse potato starch
- cooking spray
- sriracha mayo
- BBQ sauce
- black sesame seeds
Equipment
Instructions
- Slice your onion into thick rings, then remove the middle part. I was able to get 4 thick onion rings from 1 large yellow onion.
- In a bowl, combine ground chicken, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five spice powder, white pepper, salt, sugar, and egg white. Mix until well combined.
- Gently wrap the chicken mixture around each onion ring. Press the mixture evenly to smooth it out, then make a hole in the center so it looks like a donut.
- In a plate, add coarse potato starch. Coat the chicken donut in potato starch on both sides.
- Place the chicken donut in a single layer in the air fryer basket and spray with cooking oil. Air fry at 400F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and fully cooked inside.
- Drizzle sriracha mayo and BBQ sauce and sprinkle black sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
