We’ve made the best crunchy, homemade onion rings super easy. Our batter uses cornmeal and buttermilk for an extra flavorful crunch.
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When I was a kid growing up in Los Angeles, my grandmother used to take me to the Miracle Mile Farmers’ Market. After the market we went to Bob’s Big Boy and ordered a batch of fried onion rings.
Extra crispy homemade onion rings
I still love onion rings, don’t you? This recipe is as close as I can get to remembering my favorite onion rings – crispy and delicious.
We modified the recipe from one by Ina Garten. The main changes we made were dunking the onion rings twice in buttermilk and flour to give them extra crunch and frying them at a slightly higher temperature. We have also increased the proportion of cornmeal. (crunch factor!)
Which onions are best for homemade onion rings?
The ingredients call for yellow onions, but you can use those onions as well.
- Vidalia onions
- White Onions
- Maui Onions
- Walla Wala Onions
Do you want spicy onion rings?
Increase the heat by adding any of the following to the onion ring batter:
- 1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoons hot paprika powder
- Or, leave the batter as is and make the spicy mayonnaise as a dipping sauce from this Black Bean Spicy Mayonnaise Burger recipe
How to make onion rings in the air fryer
Reduce the fat and calories in your onion rings by using our Air Fryer Onion Rings recipe.
How to keep crispy onion rings warm
On a baking sheet in a 200°F oven, keep the fried onion rings warm while you fry the remaining rings. Keep the onion rings separate from each other. Don’t stack them on top of each other or they will get mushy.
5 more easy, homemade appetizers
- Goat Cheese Bacon Pops
- Deviled Eggs with Sour Cream and Bacon
- Crostini with smoked salmon
- Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms
- Buffalo chicken dip
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Extra crispy onion rings
ingredients
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2 cups buttermilkor 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1 cup milk
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2 1/2 teaspoon kosher saltdivided
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2 big yellow onionspeeled, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings, rings separated (See How to Slice an Onion)
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1 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepperdivided
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1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
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1/3 Cup meal with cereals
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3 cups frying oil, such as peanut oilrapeseed oil or rice bran oil
method
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Brush the onion rings with seasoned buttermilk:
In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk (or yogurt and milk) with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Stir the onions into the buttermilk mixture, making sure each ring is completely coated in buttermilk. Leave to rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
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In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper:
In a separate bowl (large enough to dredge the onion rings), whisk together the flour and cornmeal along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
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Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan:
In a large (5 to 6 quart) heavy-bottomed saucepan, add 2 to 3 cups of oil. (Make sure the pot is absolutely dry inside before adding the oil, otherwise residual water will splatter as the oil heats.) Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot 3/4 to 1 inch.
Heat the oil to 375°F. Use a good candy thermometer or instant thermometer (such as a Thermapen) to measure the heat of the oil. You may need to tilt the pan to completely cover the thermometer’s sensor to get an accurate reading.
Be very careful when handling hot oil. No running children in the kitchen. No distractions. Don’t answer the phone when it rings. Pay attention. Keep the lid of the pan close.
Test the oil by adding a small pinch of flour to the hot oil. When the flour sizzles, the oil is ready. If it burns, remove the pan from the heat and let the oil cool slightly.
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Turn the onion rings coated with buttermilk in the flour mixture (twice):
Remove the onion rings one at a time from the buttermilk mixture and coat in the flour mixture.
If the breading seems a bit thin (it might be) or if you want extra crispy onion rings, dip the onion rings in the buttermilk mixture again and toss in the flour again. This double coating makes the onion rings particularly crispy.
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Fry in oil:
Using tongs, place the rings one at a time in the hot oil. Fry for a minute on each side until golden brown.
When you put the onion rings in the pot, the oil temperature will naturally drop. Adjust the heat to keep the temperature of the oil in the pan between 350°F and 390°F.
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Keep warm in the oven:
Place the fried onion rings on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. In a 200°F oven, keep the fried onion rings warm while you fry the remaining rings.
Add more oil between batches if needed. Allow the oil to reheat to 375°F before beginning a new batch.
Serve immediately.
Note: It is best not to pour leftover oil down the drain. Better pour it into an empty glass and dispose of it with your trash.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 1771 | calories |
| 170gr | Fat |
| 56g | carbohydrates |
| 11g | protein |
