Onion Rings Recipe
This beer battered onion rings recipe is easy to make from scratch with simple secrets for light and airy batter that’s extra crispy. No beer? No problem! Check out my easy substitution options and get ready to make the best homemade onion rings!
Be sure to try my recipe for homemade French Fries next!
Onion Rings Recipe
If you’re looking for a no-fail recipe for the best homemade onion rings, you’ve come to the right place. I thoroughly researched each ingredient for this recipe to fully understand what role they all play to make sure these onion rings are light, airy, and crispy, with batter that actually sticks to the onion ring.
Check out all of my simple secrets below. Happy frying, friends!
Ingredients
See recipe card at bottom of post for ingredient amounts and full instructions
- Yellow Onion – You can also use Vidalia onions for a sweeter taste. Choose onions that are nice and firm.
- Cornstarch– See below on what role this plays
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Beer– Pale Ale is great, see below for other suggestions
How to Cut Onion Rings
Peel the Onion and slice the stem off.
Place the onion on its side. Cut a small slice on the bottom to create a flat surface to keep the onion in place.
Cut into 1/2 inch slices. A mandoline slicer helps to ensure even slices.
Separate the slices into rings.
What Temperature to Fry Onion Rings
- An oil temperature between 365°-375° is perfect for deep fried onion rings.
- Canola oil or Vegetable oil are the best to use for deep frying.
The Role of Beer in Beer Batter
- The carbonation in beer provides lift while the batter is deep frying in oil, which makes it light and airy.
- It also adds acidity to the batter which limits the amount of gluten that can develop when the beer is combined with the flour. Limiting gluten in the batter prevents it from becoming tough, and also makes it crispier
Cooks illustrated outlines this information in more detail.
Best Kinds of Beer for Beer Batter
The kind of beer that you use can be a matter of personal taste, but you really can’t go wrong with using a pale ale like Sierra Nevada. Here is a guide with 6 additional suggestions for the best beers for beer batter.
Beer Substitute
Seltzer/Club Soda water makes a great substitute for beer in beer batter. You can experiment with other carbonated beverages such as root beer and ginger ale.
How to Keep the Batter From Falling Off
Lightly coating each onion ring in cornstarch is the best way to ensure that the batter stays on the onion ring and that you have extra crispy results:
- Cornstarch provides a textured surface around the onion ring which allows it to grip and hold on to the batter so that it doesn’t slide right off.
- If also prevents gluten from developing, which yields crispier results. Additionally, it absorbs moisture, which also makes them extra crispy.
Soaking Onions in Ice Water
This is optional. Soaking onions in water for 15-20 minutes helps to neutralize the flavors of the onion and lessen the “bite”. It also brings out a sweet flavor and makes them a bit crunchier.
Easy Onion Ring Sauce
Combine equal parts BBQ Sauce + Ranch Salad Dressing. Taste, and add more of either one per your taste preferences. Optional: Heat for a few seconds in microwave prior to serving.
Reheating
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and can be reheated in a 350° degree oven or air fryer for up to 5 minutes, until heated through.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Oil Thermometer
- Deep Fryer
- Dutch Oven can be used on the stove instead of a deep fryer
- Spider Strainer
- Cooling Racks
What to Serve With Onion Rings
-
- Fried Chicken Tenders
-
- Honey Mustard Sauce
-
- Texas Roadhouse Steak Rub
-
- Crock Pot Chicken Wings
-
- Homemade French Fries
-
- Lemon Pepper Wings
Try These Next
-
- Homemade French Fries
-
- Perfect Fried Pickles
-
- Velveeta Queso
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Tried This Recipe?
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Onion Rings Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 jumbo yellow onion, about 1 pound
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 48 oz. vegetable oil, can also use canola
Batter
- 1 ½ cups flour, + 2 TBS as needed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 12 oz. can beer, can sub seltzer water
Instructions
- Place paper towels over a large baking sheet. Place cooling racks over the paper towels next to where you’ll be frying.
- Slice onions into ½ inch thick slices and separate the slices into rings. (See post for step by step photos and PRO tips for cutting onion rings.)
- Optional: Soak onions in ice water for 15 minutes and pat them completely dry before frying. This neutralizes the flavors and brings out a hint of sweetness instead of a harsher bite. It also makes them a bit crunchier.
- Coat each onion ring in cornstarch. The cornstarch helps the batter stick to the onions. It also absorbs moisture and prevents gluten from developing, which makes them crispier.
- Whisk the 1 ½ cups flour and remaining dry ingredients together until well-combined. Gradually pour in the beer, whisking continuously. Add up to 2 additional tablespoons of flour if needed. The consistency should resemble a thin pancake batter.
- Heat oil to 365-375 degrees. Dip 4-5 onion rings in batter and gently shake off any excess. Carefully lower them, one at a time, into the preheated oil.
- Fry for about 1 minute + 20 seconds. Flip them over when the first side is golden brown. Cook for another 45 seconds or so, then remove and place on cooling racks.
- Repeat until all onion rings have been fried. Serve with onion ring sauce.
- PRO Tip: To keep fried onion rings warm, place the cooling rack with the onion rings in a 200-degree oven.
Notes
Easy Onion Ring Sauce
Combine equal parts BBQ Sauce + Ranch Salad Dressing. Taste, and add more of either one per your taste preferences. Optional: Heat for a few seconds in microwave prior to serving.Nutrition
A hit with my mom! Even I liked them and I’m not a fan of onion rings. Will definitely be making these again as appetizers or weekend comfort snacks.
I’m so happy to hear that! My husband never liked onion rings either but he actually loved these! Thanks so much for the review!😍
My husband had a wild hair that he wanted onion rings. I looked at MANY recipes and chose this one. We followed it exactly. We will make them again, with a couple tweeks. I think I’d rather not soak them in water. We like the big onion flavor. I’m going to add more seasoning to the batter. Maybe try more garlic or Cajun spice. I DID like how the batter fried up. I don’t like the bread crumb outer coating. Thanks !!
You’re very welcome, thanks for the feedback!😃 Sounds like you got a couple of great ideas to customize this recipe to your liking. Enjoy!
Absolutely incredible! Best onion rings we’ve ever had. I made a double batch of batter and followed the onion rings with rockfish fillets. We don’t have fried food very often and this was an terrific treat. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re very welcome Donna! Thanks so much for the awesome review!😃 Reading this just reminded me that I haven’t had these in awhile. I might have to squeeze them into the rotation this week!
This was definitely the best onion ring recipe ever, I looked through several before committing, and I’m glad I chose yours. You gave so much good info, I’ll never have to search for one again. Thank you!
Would this batter work for fish
Hi Linda, absolutely! This would be a perfect batter for fish, yes!