There’s nothing quite like a heaping pile of crispy onion rings to make a basic burger feel like a special meal. The combination of sweet, soft alliums encased in a crisp coating of fried batter and paired with your favorite dipping sauce is heavenly!
If you’ve ever thought that perfect onion rings weren’t achievable at home, I’m here to teach you how you can make it happen! They’re actually quite simple to make. Just heat some oil in a Dutch oven, mix up a quick batter made of pantry staples, dip the onion slices into the batter, and fry. For more easy sides, try my hush puppies, homemade potato chips, and air fryer french fries next.
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients to get started. You can find the full list of ingredients with quantities in the Onion Rings recipe.
Large sweet onions — generally speaking, any yellow onion will do. If possible, try to use extra-sweet varieties like Vidalia or Walla Walla for the best results.
Vegetable oil — any neutral oil with a high smoke point is great.
All-purpose flour and cornstarch — adding starch to the flour will give the batter extra crunch when fried. Potato starch is a great 1:1 substitute for cornstarch as well.
Salt, garlic powder, and paprika — a few simple seasonings help to amplify the sweetness of the onions and the buttery-rich flavor of the batter.
Baking powder — not to be confused with baking soda, this powdered leavener helps the batter puff up so it’s light and crisp instead of thick and hard.
Milk and egg — these act as our batter binder. Feel free to use any percentage of dairy milk or any unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk you prefer.
Onion Rings Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot (at least 5 quarts)
- Deep-fry thermometer
- Rimmed baking sheet fitted with wire rack
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet onions (550g)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup milk (120mL)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Peel the onions but leave them whole. Slice each onion crosswise into rings that are about ¼ inch thick.
- In a 5-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 1½-inches of oil over medium heat until a candy thermometer registers 375°F. Line a sheet tray with paper towels or parchment paper, then place a wire rack inside. (The paper towels allow for easier clean up.)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
- In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk the milk, ½ cup cold water (120mL), and egg until fully combined.
- When the oil is nearly at 375°F, whisk the cold liquid mixture into the flour mixture until no lumps remain.
- Once the oil is hot, place a few onion slices into the batter and turn until well-coated. With a fork, remove each ring, letting the excess drip off, then carefully place it in the hot oil.
- Continue working in batches to dip and fry the onion slices for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping occasionally until golden brown and crispy. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil’s temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Remove the onion rings from the oil using a spider strainer or large slotted spoon and place them on the wire rack to drain.
- Sprinkle with more salt to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
- For added flavor, use a seasoned salt in place of regular salt!
- If the batter is too thin and does not coat the onions well, whisk in 1 more tablespoon of cornstarch or as much as you need to get the batter to coat the onion slices.
Nutrition
How To Make Onion Rings
1. Prepare by peeling the whole onions. Slice each onion crosswise into rings. Heat about 1½ inches of oil in a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Prepare a baking sheet lined with paper towels and place a wire rack over it to facilitate easy cleanup and draining.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together–flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
3. In a separate container, combine the milk, cold water, and egg. Whisk the wet ingredients until they are fully blended. When the oil temperature is almost to temp, mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, whisking until the batter is smooth.
4. Dip several onion rings into the batter, ensuring each one is thoroughly coated.
5. Lift the battered onion rings out one at a time with a fork, allowing any excess batter to drip off before gently placing them into the hot oil. Fry the onion rings in batches, flipping occasionally, until they are brown and crispy.
6. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to remove the onion rings, then transfer them to the wire rack to drain off any excess oil. Season the onion rings with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
What Kind Of Onion Makes The Best Onion Rings?
Technically speaking, you can use any variety of bulb onions (including red onions or white onions), but sweet yellow ones will taste the best. Some of the best onions include Vidalia, Maui, and Walla Walla. Look for large ones that are firm with no soft spots and are free of mildew on the skin.
Use Sparkling Water For Extra Crispy Onion Rings
For an extra light, crispy batter, use cold sparkling water in place of milk. This will create a tempura-like coating for some of the best onion rings around. Make sure to use unflavored seltzer, club soda, or sparkling mineral water.
How To Serve
These crispy fried onion rings are even better with your favorite dipping sauce. I’m partial to the vinegary-sweet balance of ketchup, but creamy ranch dressing, honey mustard, or fiery sriracha are all great choices, too.
I generally like to serve them as a side dish for my air fryer chicken tenders or chicken nuggets or use them as a fun topping for my smash burgers or turkey burgers.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers
Like most crispy fried foods, a fresh onion ring is always going to be better than a reheated one. That said, you can certainly put up any extras. Allow any leftovers to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet with the wire rack inserted and bake at 350ºF for about 5-10 minutes. Or, air fry them at 350ºF for 5-7 minutes or until crispy again. Check out my Air Fryer Onion Rings recipe for more tips!
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Mind the temperature of the oil. If the oil is too cold, the batter will become oil-logged and greasy, and if it is too hot, the batter will burn before the onions have time to cook. For this reason, you’ll want to have a candy or deep-frying thermometer attached to the side of the pot with the temperature gauge in the center of the oil (make sure it’s not touching the bottom of the pan). Aim to keep the temperature of the oil consistent between 350°F and 375°F, adjusting your burner as needed.
- You can hold the onion rings warm in a preheated 200°F oven while frying subsequent batches to keep them warm. Keep in mind they will lose some of their crispiness as they sit, so it’s best to eat them fresh out of the pot! If you go this route, consider placing them on a wire rack set on a baking sheet to prevent the bottoms from becoming soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
I typically reach for an inexpensive option like vegetable oil or canola oil, but you’re welcome to use premium options like avocado oil if you prefer. Peanut oil is another favorite!
Absolutely! This will yield similarly light, tempura-like results as using sparkling water. Note that the flavor of the beer will impact the flavor of your batter—I recommend using a light lager rather than a bitter IPA or dark ale unless you love the flavor of those beers.
You don’t need to, but you definitely can! Soaking sliced onions helps to leech out some of their sharper, more sulfurous flavor notes. If you’re using potent red or white onions rather than sweet varieties, this can be a particularly good move. Soak in cool water for about 10 minutes, then drain and pat very dry before dipping in the batter—if they’re still damp, the batter will slide right off.
If you’ve tried this Onion Rings recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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