The Finest Onion Rings

Fried onion rings on a plate with a side of ketchup.

These onion rings are coated in beer batter and deep fried until golden brown. Kitchen-made onion rings are even better than what you’d get at a restaurant, and they also happen to be fun to make!

I love to recreate some of my family’s go-to restaurant foods at home, including corn dogs, sweet potato fries, bacon mac and cheese and these light and crunchy onion rings.

There’s nothing better than a pile of of golden brown onion rings, and this kitchen-made version is the finest I’ve ever tried. I make these crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside snacks for appetizers and side dishes! Serve your onion rings with a turkey burger or with other snacks such as garlic parmesan wings, and watch the rave reviews come in!

Onion Rings ingredients

To make this onion rings recipe, you will need onions, buttermilk, flour, beer, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oil and parsley.

How Do You Make Onion Rings?

Start these onion rings by cutting your onions into slices. Separate the onion slices into rings. Place the rings in a bowl of buttermilk to soak for one hour. Whisk together flour, beer and spices to make a batter. Remove each ring from the buttermilk, then coat it in flour. Next take each floured onion ring and dip it in the beer batter. Place the onion rings in hot oil and fry until golden brown. You will need to work in batches. Drain the rings on paper towels. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve immediately.

Floured onions in a bowl of beer batter.

Tips For The Reliable Rings

I like to use a sweet onion such as Vidalia onions, Walla Wallas, or Maui onions. If you can’t find these varieties, use a standard yellow onion.
Fried onions are finest when served immediately after being cooked. However, they can be refrigerated and reheated. You can crisp them back up in the oven at 400 degrees F.
Use a spider strainer to place the rings into the oil and to remove them from the oil.
Choose a neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point such as canola oil or vegetable oil for frying.
For some extra savory flavor, mix some smoked paprika into the batter.

Quick TIp

It’s imperative to use a frying thermometer to make sure that your oil is at the correct temperature. If the oil is too hot, the rings can burn. If the oil is too cold, the batter will absorb excess grease and the end result with be heavy in texture.

Fried onions coming out of a pot of oil.

Recipe FAQs

How do you cut an onion for onion rings?

Peel your onions, then cut them into 1/2 inch thick slices crosswise. Separate the slices into rings. I like to use the larger outer rings only, and save the small inner rings for another use. The smaller rings will take less time to cook than the larger rings, so take that into consideration if you decide to use all the parts of the onion.

What beer should I use for beer batter?

The beer should be a lighter colored beer. Use a lager if you want a mild flavored batter to let the onions really shine. Use a lighter colored ale if you want a more complex tasting batter. I used a Belgian style wheat ale. The Belgian style wheat ale made for a tasty batter that was flavorful and golden when fried.

How do you get batter to stick to onion rings?

It’s important to make sure your onions are coated in flour before you dip them in batter. The flour provides a textured surface for the batter to stick onto, otherwise the batter would just fall right off a smooth onion.

Should I soak my onions before cooking?

For onion rings, I like to soak my onions in buttermilk because it tones down the sharp flavor of the onion and the buttermilk adds a lot of flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by combining 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, then let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Another option is to soak your onions in ice water.

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Beer battered onion rings on a sheet pan.

Flavor Variations

This recipe makes crunchy and tasty onion rings; however, you can change the flavors to suit your own taste:

Spicy: Add some hot sauce, cayenne pepper or chili seasoning to the batter.
Italian: Add Italian seasoning to the batter and try dipping the rings in warm marinara sauce.
Southwestern: Try some taco seasoning in the batter for a fantastic flavor.
Other fried favorites: Instead of onions you can fry up lots of crunchy snacks like fried ravioli, fried pickles, fried zucchini, fried calamari, fried green beans and fried mushrooms.

Serving Suggestions

I recommend serving your onion rings alongside burgers or a sandwich, such as a Cuban sandwich or slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches. You can also offer your rings as a side to kitchen-made chicken fingers or popcorn shrimp.

Don’t forget to make a dipping sauce to go on the side! Some of my favorites include fry sauce, honey mustard sauce, kitchen-made ranch dressing, kitchen-made BBQ sauce or blue cheese dressing.

Once you try these rings, you’ll agree that they’re even better than what you would get at a restaurant!

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Onion Rings Video

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Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen Fried onion rings on a plate with a side of ketchup.

These onion rings are coated in beer batter and deep fried until golden brown. Kitchen-made onion rings are even better than what you'd get at a restaurant, and they also happen to be fun to make! Time Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Serves 6

Ingredients

2 onions Vidalia, Maui or yellow
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour divided use
1 cup beer
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
oil for frying
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Peel the onions and trim off the ends. Cut the onions crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Separate the slices to create rings. Remove the smallest rings and reserve for a different use.
Place the buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the onions and soak for one hour.
Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot to 375 degrees F.
Place 3/4 cup of flour in a bowl.
In a medium bowl, mix together one cup of flour, beer, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Remove each ring from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off. Coat each ring in flour, then dip the rings into the batter.
Fry 6-8 rings at a time until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Drain the rings on paper towels.
Repeat the process with the remaining onion rings.
Sprinkle with parsley, then serve immediately.

Notes

It’s imperative to use a frying thermometer to make sure that your oil is at the correct temperature. If the oil is too hot, the rings can burn. If the oil is too cold, the batter will absorb excess grease and the end result with be heavy in texture.
Fried onions are finest when served immediately after being cooked. However, they can be refrigerated and reheated. You can crisp them back up in the oven at 400 degrees F.