Basket Of Onion Rings Recipe

Slice onions into rings

Peel the onions and trim the stem ends. Slice each onion crosswise into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick rings. Gently separate the rings into individual circles, discarding the small inner pieces if you prefer uniform rings.

Soak to reduce pungency and help crisping

Place the separated onion rings in a bowl and cover with cold water and ice cubes. Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain and pat rings very dry with paper towels. Dry rings thoroughly so batter adheres and oil doesn’t splatter.

In a medium bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth and slightly frothy. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a separate large bowl whisk the 1.5 cups flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne until completely combined and free of lumps.

Reserve about 1/2 cup of the dry mixture in a shallow dish for dredging if you want an extra dry layer before wet dipping.

Heat oil

Pour oil into a large heavy pot or deep fryer to a depth of about 2–3 inches (roughly 1 liter suggested for a 4–6 quart pot). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, test by dropping a pinch of the dry batter into the oil — it should sizzle and rise to the surface within a few seconds.

Dredge and batter the rings

Working in batches of 6–8 rings to avoid crowding, first lightly toss the dried onion rings in the reserved 1/2 cup flour/dry mixture so they have a thin dusting. Shake off excess. Dip each floured ring into the buttermilk-egg mixture, letting excess drip away, then immediately dredge in the remaining dry flour mixture (or press into panko for extra crunch). For a thicker, craggy crust, dip once more in the wet batter and then into panko or the dry mix again.

Fry

Carefully lower a few battered rings into the hot oil using tongs or a spider strainer. Fry in batches for 2.5–4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Monitor oil temperature and adjust heat to maintain around 325–350°F (160–175°C). Overcrowding will drop the temperature and make rings greasy — fry in small batches.

Drain and season

Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer cooked rings to a wire rack set over a baking sheet (or paper towels) to drain. Immediately sprinkle with fine sea salt while the rings are hot so the salt adheres.

Keep warm

Keep finished batches warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) on the wire rack while you finish frying remaining rings so they stay crisp.

Serve the onion rings in a basket or platter with lemon wedges and ranch or aioli on the side for dipping. Best served hot and fresh.