Deliciously crispy onion rings are great with dipping sauce – or without. I won’t judge.

Easy Crispy Onion Rings

My crispy onion rings have been called the best onion rings ever by everyone I have made them for. What makes them even better is that they are easy to put together – and are easily made gluten free, or with pantry staples. The thin crispy coating guarantees that all the breading won’t slip off your onion. I promise you that these will be a hit at your next get together.

Easy Batter -No Dipping required

If you can slice an onion and seal a plastic bag you can make these. Slicing the onion is the hard part, if you have a handy slicer gadget, you will save yourself time. I’ve made these both with and without a mandolin and you can too. The coating comes from shaking flour and buttermilk in a plastic bag (or sealed container, your choice). There is no need to to individually dip the onion rings. Just toss them with the flour and buttermilk in the bag. You won’t believe how easy these are!  With a plastic bag, a pot to fry in and a little time you can make these crunchy rings of deliciousness too.

Quest for the perfect Crispy Onion Ring

Crunchy onion rings have been a staple in my extended family. My grandmother made these, and my mom continues to make them too. When I was a kid, my dad would order the onion rings at any new restaurant we would visit. Inevitably, he would state that the restaurant’s onion rings just aren’t as good as the ones my mother made. Dad still orders onion rings wherever he goes. I gave up on that quest. Why spend the money and eat extra calories if you know what you like and can easily make the perfect crispy onion rings at home!

Serving Ideas

I have a habit of binging on onion rings fresh out of the fryer – sprinkled with salt, they are delicious. You could dip them in your favorite dipping sauce, ketchup, ranch dressing, siracha… Mine never seem to make it that far!

If I’m feeding more than 4 people as a side dish or appetizer I will double this recipe and use 2 onions. Substitutions Slicing up a sweet onion makes the onion rings all the more delicious, but I’ve used a normal onion too. Believe me, they are still great. This recipe has changed a bit since may grandmother made them. I discovered that buttermilk is a fantastic substitute for normal milk and using rice flour instead of wheat flour makes for extra crunchy onion rings, and gets rid of the starchy flour taste. I love when my dietary restrictions open the door for new food discoveries – or even new changes to old favorites.

Crispy Onion Rings

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• Prep Time: 11 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 minutes
• Total Time: 14 minutes
• Yield: 4 Side servings
• Category: Side

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Description

These easy onion rings don’t require any time consuming dipping for the batter.  If you like crunchy onion rings where the onion doesn’t slip out, these are for you.   Using rice flour instead of wheat flour makes for extra crunchy onion rings, and gets rid of the starchy flour taste.  As a bonus – they are gluten free!

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Ingredients

• 1 sweet onion
• 1 – 2c rice flour
• 1/2 c buttermilk or 2% milk 
• salt
• oil for frying

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Instructions

1. Preheat fryer
2. Carefully slice onion into thin rings – a bit thinner in width than a wooden pencil
3. Separate slices into rings and place in a gallon sized plastic bag or a large covered mixing bowl with 1/4 c flour and shake. 
4.  Add 1/4 c of the buttermilk to the bag and shake again
5. Add remaining flour, and shake.  The onions should be well coated and slightly dry.  If necessary add more – the moisture content of an onion, or a larger onion can make a difference. 
6. Add a small portion of the rings to the fryer, taking care not to over crowd it.  Stir gently once to separate the rings and fry until golden brown. 
7. Remove rings to paper towels to drain and repeat process for remaining rings. 

Notes

1. Onion size can impact the amount of flour and buttermilk necessary to properly coat the onion rings.  Please refer to the picture below to help guide you.  Below is what your onion rings will look like when they are ready to fry. 

   

2. A mandolin will make slicing much easier. 
3. Milk can be used as a substitute for buttermilk.