Onion Rings Recipe

Slice and separate

Peel the onions and cut off the stem ends. Slice each onion into 3/8–1/2-inch thick rings. Gently separate the rings into individual circles, keeping larger rings for frying and setting smaller rings to one side for smaller servings.

Place the separated rings in a medium bowl of cold water and let them sit for 10 minutes to remove excess surface starch and reduce sharpness. Drain and pat completely dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Drying thoroughly helps the batter adhere.

Mix dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp paprika until evenly combined.

Combine wet and hydrate

In a separate bowl, lightly beat 1 egg with 2 tablespoons milk. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Pour in 3/4 cup cold sparkling water a little at a time, whisking gently to form a smooth batter. The batter should be slightly thick but still pourable — similar to heavy cream. If too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons more cold water. Keep the batter chilled until ready to use (place bowl over another bowl with ice if your kitchen is warm).

Prepare dredges

Place 1/2 cup additional all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl for dredging. In another shallow bowl, combine 1 cup fine breadcrumbs with 1/4 tsp salt and mix. These three stations — flour, batter, breadcrumbs — should be in order next to the fryer.

Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, dredge each dry onion ring first in the flour, shaking off excess, then dip into the batter allowing excess to drip back into the bowl, and finally press into the breadcrumbs to coat thoroughly. For extra-crispy coating, you can repeat the batter and breadcrumbs step once more (double-dip) for larger rings.

Heat oil

Pour about 1 to 1 1/2 cups oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet or a deep pot (enough to give 1 to 1 1/2 inches depth). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small piece of batter — it should sizzle and rise immediately without burning.

Fry in small batches (4–6 rings at a time depending on pan size) to maintain oil temperature. Add rings gently to the oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove rings and transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet or paper towels to drain. Season immediately with a light sprinkle of salt.

Allow oil to return to temperature between batches. If you doubled the coating, fry a touch longer (3–4 minutes) until they are crisp and no raw batter remains. Keep finished rings warm in a low oven (200°F / 90°C) on a rack while you finish remaining batches.

Arrange onion rings on a platter with dill pickle slices on the side. Serve with optional ketchup or burger sauce and lemon wedges. Best enjoyed hot and crisp.