Onion Rings
Classic battered onion rings — crispy beer-battered rings, sweet tender onion inside. Better than fast food, surprisingly easy at home. The trick is the right batter and oil temperature.
Prep Time
18 min
Cook Time
19 min
Servings
6
Calories
513 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Onion1 ½ medium
- Flour3 cups
- Oil3 tbsp
- Salt1 ½ tsp
- Black Pepper¾ tsp
- Cooking Oil1 ½
- Garlic4 ½ cloves
All quantities scaled automatically from 6 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Onion1.5 medium
- Flour3 cups
- Oil3 tbsp
- Salt1.5 tsp
- Black Pepper0.75 tsp
- Cooking Oil1.5
- Garlic4.5 cloves
Instructions
- 1
Peel 2 large sweet onions, slice into ½-inch rings. Separate into individual rings. Soak in buttermilk with 1 teaspoon salt for 1 hour.
- 2
Make the batter: whisk 1.5 cups flour, ½ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon black pepper. Slowly whisk in 1.5 cups of cold beer (or sparkling water) until smooth.
- 3
Heat 3 inches of oil to 360°F (use a thermometer). Lift each ring from buttermilk, dredge in dry flour, then dip in batter.
- 4
Lower carefully into the hot oil. Fry in batches of 5-6 for 2-3 minutes until deep golden brown.
- 5
Drain on a wire rack. Sprinkle with flaky salt while still hot.
- 6
Serve immediately with ranch, ketchup, BBQ sauce, or sriracha mayo. Best within 5 minutes of frying — they soften fast.
Watch how to make Onion Rings
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Buttermilk soak. Tenderizes onions and helps batter cling.
- 2.Cornstarch in batter. Provides the crispy crunch.
- 3.Beer (or sparkling water). Carbonation creates the airy crispy batter.
- 4.Sweet onions. Vidalia or Walla Walla for the best flavor.
🔬 Why It Works
Great onion rings depend on tender onion (buttermilk soak), crispy airy batter (flour + cornstarch + carbonation), and proper frying temperature. The carbonation in beer creates microscopic air pockets that expand into the airy texture. Cornstarch reinforces the crispness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beer vs sparkling water?▾
Best onion?▾
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