These crispy onion rings are dipped in buttermilk, then breaded and fried until perfectly crispy and golden brown. They are sure to become a family favorite.
Consider dipping these in restaurant buttermilk ranch and serving with the crispiest chicken tenders. You can use the same oil to fry both!
Is there anything better than a perfectly crispy onion ring as an appetizer or side? I order these every time I go to Freddy's or Red Robin, but they are even better when made at home.
Here's Why This Recipe Works
- Double Dipped. The onion rings are double-dipped for the best coating. This means they are dipped in buttermilk, then the flour mixture, followed by a second dip into buttermilk and a final toss in breadcrumbs.
- Seasoned. These onion rings aren't just salted after being fried. The flour is seasoned with spices that adhere to the onion rings so that every bite is flavorful.
- Easy to fry. Onion rings fry up quickly and evenly, in 2-3 minutes. You don't need a deep fryer or anything fancy. A deep pot and a couple of inches of oil work great.
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Tips and Tricks
- A trick for testing your oil for frying. If you don't have a thermometer (I use an electric thermometer, but a candy thermometer works too), you can test the oil by dipping a bamboo skewer into the oil. Make sure it touches the bottom of the pan. If you immediately see bubbles coming up against the skewer, the oil is ready.
- Test fry one onion ring before doing an entire batch. Once the oil temperature reaches 360-375 degrees, do a test batch with one onion ring. If the onion ring browns too quickly and the onion is raw and crunchy inside, the oil it too hot. Lower the temp and wait a few minutes before trying again.
- Reheating onion rings. If you have leftovers, you can easily reheat the onion rings on day 2 in the oven or air fryer.
🥛Ingredients
- Buttermilk: I prefer using buttermilk over milk for dipping. Buttermilk is thick and sticks to the onion rings as you dip them into the flour and crumbs.
- Flour: Use whatever flour you'd like. My go to is all-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch: The combination of cornstarch and flour gives them a light and crispy coating.
- Spices: Get creative here and add spices to taste. I use garlic powder, seasoning salt, and paprika.
- Bread Crumbs: I prefer using Panko, which is a Japanese-style bread crumb. I like the extra crunch this style of crumbs adds to the onion rings, but you can use any style of breadcrumbs.
- Onions: cut and separated into ¼"-½" rings.
You will also need oil for frying. Ideally, you'll want a deep skillet or Dutch oven with about 1" of oil.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🧅How To Make Crispy Onion Rings
Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients.
Slice onions into ¼"-½" rings. Mix seasonings, cornstarch, and flour together in a bowl. Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl and add bread crumbs to a third bowl. Heat oil in a skillet or Dutch oven to 375 degrees (anywhere between 360-375 degrees is okay).
Step 2: Dip each ring into cold buttermilk, then dip it in the flour mixture.
Step 3: Dip once again in buttermilk and finally into the breadcrumbs. Place dipped rings onto a plate until ready to fry.
Step 4: Fry onion rings for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through. Onion rings are done when they are golden brown.
🧂Finishing Up
Place fried onion rings on a rack to allow excess oil to drip off. I use a rack over a baking sheet. You can also place them onto a platter lined with paper towels.
Sprinkle hot onion rings with salt, if desired.
Onion Rings FAQs
Vegetable oil is a great all-around oil for deep frying and frying, as it has a high smoke point. Peanut oil is another great option. It's best to save olive oil and coconut oil for pan frying or sautéing, as it has a lower smoke point.
If you'd like to omit the breadcrumbs altogether and dip the onion rings into the flour mixture twice, you can do that as well. That would give you more of a crispy batter onion rings vs. a crispy crumb onion ring.
A deep fryer is ideal for frying onion rings as it regulates the heat automatically, but don't go out and buy one just for this recipe. Onion rings cook quickly and you don't need a lot of oil. A decent pan and a thermometer will help you keep the oil close to 375 degrees.
If you have leftovers, you can easily reheat the onion rings on day 2 in the oven or air fryer.
Recipe Pairings
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Crispy Onion Rings
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 1 ½ cups cold buttermilk
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Slice onions into ¼"-½" rings.
- Mix seasonings, cornstarch, and flour together in a bowl.Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl and add bread crumbs to a third bowl.
- Heat oil in a skillet or Dutch oven to 375 degrees. Line a platter with paper towels or place a rack on top of a baking sheet to allow oil to drip off. Set aside.
- Dip each ring into cold buttermilk, then dip in flour mixture.Dip once again in buttermilk and finally into the breadcrumbs.
- Place dipped rings onto a plate until ready to fry.
- Fry onion rings for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through. Onion rings are done when they are golden brown.
- Place fried onion rings on a rack to allow excess oil to drip off. Sprinkle hot onion rings with additional salt, if desired.
Brandy says
Hey everyone, Brandy here. These onion rings are so yummy and I love that I can reheat in the air fryer for a few minutes and they are just as crispy!