Funyuns – Tasty Onion Flavored Rings

Last Updated on June 13, 2021 by Jim Edwards

Do you like crunchy, salty snacks? Funyuns are ring-shaped onion and salt flavored corn snacks popular in the United States. If you love hot fried onion rings, you will LOVE Funyuns! Their shape is unique since they resemble fried onion rings but they come in a package you can keep in your kitchen and enjoy anytime you have an onion ring craving. And of course they are named Funyuns because they are a FUN onion snack!

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History of Funyuns

Initially, these were referred to as OnYums. However, it eventually became a copyright issue with Rudolph Foods. This is when Jim Albright, a copywriter, and lecturer at the University of North Texas, came up with the term ‘Funyuns.’ Since then, the product has been known as Funyuns. It is a play on Fun + Onions. And they have done a masterful job of creating what look like fried onion rings that you can eat any time.

Pepsico Company via Frito-Lay first introduced this snack in 1969. Frito-Lay worker George Bigner invented this product.  

How Are Funyuns Manufactured?

Even though Funyuns are used as an alternative to fried onions in various recipes, you will be shocked to know that there are no real onions used to make this snack. A pinch of onion powder is used with some other flavors in the recipe. Onion powder rather than real onions makes it much easier to get consistent flavor and taste in the manufacturing process.

In the manufacturing process, cornmeal dough is forced through the specially shaped extruder and then onto a conveyer belt. They are then fried for a minute at approximately 300-350 degrees temperature. In the end, they are decorated with seasonings to give them their onion flavor.

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Video: The Funyuns Manufacturing Process

Here is a fascinating look at the process. You can see how they are manufactured, seasoned and bagged up. Honestly, I get hungry and start to crave Funyuns every time I watch this video!

Related: Ultimate Guide to Pringles

Funyuns Ingredients

You must be curious about the crispiness and munchy-crunchy sweet and salty taste of Funyuns and what the ingredients are, right? I was too. And did some research for you – and here are the ingredients:

• Vegetable oil
• Cornmeal
• Salt
• Sugar
• Corn starch
• Butter Milk
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Natural flavors
• Corn Flour
• Maltodextrin
• The corn protein (Hydrolized)

Each pack contains 13 pieces of Funyun rings which weigh 28 grams only. It has 140calories in it with no cholesterol. In addition, it has 6g fat, 280mg sodium, 40mg potassium, and 19gram carbohydrate.

According to the manufacturer, the product is 100% gluten-free. However, it is manufactured on the same line where some products with gluten are produced. Thus, if you have gluten sensitivity, just note that it is not certified as gluten-free.

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Funyuns Flavors

Mostly, funyuns are preferred in their original flavor, but in the past they have had some very interesting flavors.

• Original Funyuns: This has been created since its conception in 1969 and continues to be manufactured to this day.
• Wasabi:  Its manufacturing started in 2001 but soon got seized within a year.
• Flamin’ Hot:  Its manufacturing began in 2007 and is famous worldwide even today. If you love Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, this flavor is for you.
• Chile & Limón: This flavor gained recognition in 2014, but its production also stopped after five years due to lack of demand.
• Steakhouse Onion: This was also popular for a short period of 4 years (2015-2018) but production stopped in 2018. Honestly, I really liked this one especially when eating a steak – hope they bring it back!

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Related: The Ultimate Pork Rinds Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How Popular are Funyuns?

Funyun is very popular among the young generation as well as among the older generation. It has also been advertised in various TV series like Breaking Bad and How I Met Your Mother.

Are Funyuns Unhealthy?

They are mostly made of Cornmeal and contain 0 cholesterol. This is undoubtedly a better option than other snacks with high cholesterol and fat.

Are Funyuns Discontinued?

A few flavors of Funyuns were discontinued, as we mentioned above in the flavor section, but Frito-Lay is still manufacturing the product. Currently as of 2021, there are 2 flavors – the original Funyuns and Funyuns Flamin’ Hot.

Related: See our Ultimate Guide to Cheetos

Can Dogs Eat Funyuns?

Onions and garlic are not suitable for dog’s health. But Funyuns only contain a tiny amount of onion and garlic powder. Personally I would not give them to my dog. Honestly, they aren’t going to make your dog’s breath any better with the onion flavor. You should really ask your veterinarian about this one. (And if you do, please shoot me a message!)

How do you Spell Funyuns?

F-U-N-Y-O-N-S

Are Funyuns Available Everywhere?

Funyuns are available all over the globe. It is most popular in the US, and it can be found in online stores in countries such as India, China, Iran, etc.

In Brazil, they are named Cebolitos. So, if you are looking for Funyuns in Brazil, look for Cebolitos instead.

Do Funyuns Contain Real Onions?

Funyuns are made by extruding cornmeal through a ring shape using an extrusion process to make them resemble a round fried onion ring. They are then seasoned with a salt and onion powder mix.

What Changes Have Occurred In The Marketing Of Funyuns?

There has been a change in the packaging of Funyun snacks. Before, the package used to have a transparent area that allowed you to see the Funyuns inside the bag.

Later it was changed with an image of the snack. In the current packaging, the bag shows a photo of the rings that are inside.

You can learn more about Funyuns on their website.

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Video: Review of Funyuns Original Flavor

Of course we have to wrap this Funyuns review with a video review of them.

Reed gives a nice review. Hint: he really likes them!

Related: See our Popchips Review