Onion Rings Recipe

The process is simple. First, slice the onions and separate the rings. Then, make the cold beer batter. Next, dip and fry in batches in hot oil. Finally, drain on a wire rack and serve immediately. The full step by step method is in the recipe card below.

1 Prepare the onions: Peel and slice the onions into rings approximately 1 to 1.5 cm thick. Separate each ring carefully. Discard the very small inner rings or save them for another use. Pat the rings completely dry with paper towels. Wet onions cause the batter to slip off during frying. Furthermore, dry onions also absorb less oil during cooking.

2 Dust with flour: Place a few tablespoons of plain flour in a shallow bowl. Toss each dry onion ring in the flour until lightly and evenly dusted. Shake off any excess. This flour dusting is essential. Furthermore, it gives the batter something to grip onto. Consequently, the batter stays attached to the onion during frying rather than sliding off into the oil.

3 Make the batter: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, smoked paprika and garlic powder in a bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the cold beer. Whisk until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix. Furthermore, make the batter as close to frying time as possible and keep it cold. The colder the batter, the crispier the finished rings.

4 Heat the oil: Pour the oil into a large deep saucepan to a depth of approximately 6 to 8 cm. Heat over medium high heat until it reaches 180°C on a kitchen thermometer. Maintaining the correct oil temperature is the most important technical factor. Furthermore, oil that is too cool produces greasy soggy rings. Oil that is too hot burns the batter before the onion cooks through.

5 Fry in batches: Dip each floured ring into the batter. Let the excess drip off for 2 seconds. Lower carefully into the hot oil. Fry 4 to 5 rings at a time — never overcrowd the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crispy on all sides. Moreover, between batches allow the oil to return to 180°C before adding the next batch.

6 Drain and season: Remove the cooked rings with tongs and place on a wire rack set over a tray. Do not place on paper towels — paper traps steam underneath and makes the bottom of the ring soggy. Season immediately with flaky sea salt while the batter is still hot and the salt will adhere. Serve within 5 minutes for maximum crispiness.