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Crispy, golden, and perfectly seasoned, these homemade Onion Rings are everything you want in a classic appetizer! Made with a simple batter that fries up light and crunchy every time, they’re even better than the restaurant version.
There’s nothing quite like a batch of hot and crispy Onion Rings fresh from the fryer! Each bite has that perfect crunch on the outside and tender, sweet onion inside. This easy onion ring recipe gives you that classic restaurant-style flavor right at home.
With a light, airy batter that fries up beautifully golden and crisp, these onion rings are the ultimate side dish for burgers, sandwiches, or game-day snacks. You can use white, yellow, or sweet onions depending on your flavor preference, and they’re ready in minutes.
Serve with homemade ketchup, ranch dressing, Canes sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce for the ultimate snack or side.
Ingredients Needed
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Buttermilk – you can make Homemade Buttermilk in just minutes, so don’t worry. But you could also use regular milk in a pinch.
- Flour
- Salt & Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Onions
How To Make Onion Rings
baking sheet ready for oil” class=”wp-image-88935″/>- Breading Station. Start by setting up 2 shallow bowls. Fill one with buttermilk, and mix together the flour and spices in the other one.
- Bread Onions. These are double “breaded” so place an onion ring in the milk, then dredge in the flour, gently shaking off the excess, and repeat with the milk and ending with the flour. Place on a baking sheet while you continue dipping.
- Fry. Fill a shallow heavy bottom pan with about 1-2 inches of oil. Once the oil reaches about 360º F add a few onion rings. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until they are golden brown.
- Drain. Remove the onion rings once they are golden and place on a wire rack over a baking sheet for the grease to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Oil. Vegetable oil or canola oil are the best for frying. They will not add flavor and can get hot enough without burning.
- Temperature. You want to use a thermometer to test the temperature of your oil. If it is too hot the breading will burn, if it is not hot enough the onions will just soak up the oil and they will be greasy.
- Batches. Be careful not to over fill your pan. Adding onions to the oil will drop the temperature, and you don’t want to it to fall too much. You also don’t want the onions to stick together, so give them a little bit of space so you get perfectly crispy onion rings.
- Batter. This onion ring recipe makes for a light and crispy coating, not a full fledge batter. Going back and forth from the wet to dry, will mean your flour will get some clumps in it. That is ok, those end up being the crackly coating on the onions.
- Onions. I like to use yellow or white onions for these. They are sturdy enough and sweet, and work great for onion rings.
- Soaking. This recipe doesn’t call for soaking the onions before you coat them in batter, but if you want to make a milder flavor you can. Add the onions to a bowl of cold water and soak for 30 minutes. This will remove some of the “bite” and make the onions more mild.
Storage
Onion rings are best served immediately. If you do have leftovers you can store in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can reheat in an air fryer or the oven to get them crispy again.
More Tasty Appetizer Recipes
Onion Rings
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Fill a heavy bottom pan with about 2 inches of oil. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 360º F.Vegetable oil for frying
- Meanwhile. set up a shallow bowl with the buttermilk. And a 2nd shallow bowl with the flour and spices.1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Dip sliced onions into the milk, then into the flour. Gently shake off the excess and place back into the milk and then into the flour mixture for a second time. Place onion rings on a baking sheet while you coat the rest.1 large onion
- Carefully add the onions to the hot oil and cook for about 2 minutes per side until they are nice and golden brown. Work in batches to not over crowd the pan.
- Remove from the oil and place on a wire rack over a baking sheet for the grease to drain away. Season with salt if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
