Crispiest Onion Rings Batter
This is a tried-and-true recipe for the crispiest onion ring batter you’ve ever tried. The outside is deeply crisp and golden, while the onion inside turns tender and sweet
Servings 5 servings
Calories 267kcal
Cost $5
Ingredients
- 1 sweet onion
For the dredge
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch pepper
For the batter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup club soda or beer
- peanut or canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Measure the dry ingredients. Add them to a medium bowl. Mix well.
- Slice the onions to your desired thickness. We aim for about ½-inch thick. Use a mandolin if you have one.
- Separate the rings from the slices. Let the onions sit for a few minutes. Pat each ring dry on the cut end with a paper towel.
- Season a separate bowl with salt and pepper for the dredge. Dredge the onion in the flour mixture.
- Start a cast-iron skillet with ½-inch deep oil heating over medium heat. Heat the oil to 375°F.
- Once the oil reaches temperature, add the cold liquid to the bowl with the dry ingredients for the batter. Whisk the batter just until combined. Don’t overmix it or you’ll lose crispness.
- Shallow-fry the onion rings in the hot oil on one side until golden brown.
- Flip them with tongs and fry the other side until golden. Drain on paper towels.To keep the rings hot and crunchy when doing multiple batches, place the rack over a rimmed baking sheet and put the rings in a single layer in the oven at 200°F.
Notes
How to Keep the Batter From Sliding Off
The key to helping the batter stick to the slippery onion. is multi-fold. First, once the onion rings are separated, pat them dry with paper towels. This is important to remove excess moisture.
Next, dredge the onion rings in flour. Since the onions themselves are slick, you need an outer texture that will give the batter something to stick to.
Third, maintain the oil temperature throughout the cook. To aid this, don’t crowd the pan and don’t add too many to it at once. This will lower the oil’s temperature.
What oil should I use for frying?
Peanut oil is the best choice. If you don’t have peanut oil, use vegetable oil instead.
Can I reuse the batter?
No. The batter will become very thick and pasty and won’t work well for subsequent batches.
Can I use a deep fryer?
Yes. A deep fryer will work well and eliminate the need to flip them.
Nutrition
Serving: 2large rings | Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg