Save My college roommate Sarah and I discovered our apartment had a working deep fryer during our second month living together, and suddenly onion rings became our Friday night tradition. We would stand over the hissing oil, taking turns daring each other to try new batter variations, while the whole building smelled like carnival food. The best ones always came from the nights we followed her grandmothers tip about using ice-cold sparkling water in the batter.
Last summer I made three batches for a backyard barbecue, and our neighbor Paul literally came over to the fence to ask what smelled so good. He ended up staying for two hours, eating his weight in onion rings and telling us about his college days working at a drive-in restaurant. Now every time he sees us in the yard, he shouts across asking if the fryer is plugged in yet.
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Ingredients
- Large yellow onions: The sweetness really shines through the frying process, and cutting them into half-inch rings gives you that perfect batter-to-onion ratio
- Cold sparkling water: This is the game changer—keep it icy cold because those bubbles create the lacy, tempura-like crunch that makes these special
- Cornstarch: Adding this to the flour keeps the batter light and prevents it from becoming doughy or heavy
- Paprika and garlic powder: Even if you keep it mild, these spices give the batter a savory depth that plain flour just cannot achieve
- Panko breadcrumbs: Totally optional but they create this incredible shaggy crunch that makes people ask what you did differently
- Vegetable oil: You need about three inches of oil in your pot to get that even frying without crowding the rings
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Instructions
- Prep your onions:
- Peel those onions and slice them into half-inch rings, then separate them with your fingers and set aside any tiny centers for snacking while you cook
- Make the batter:
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, paprika, and garlic powder in a medium bowl until combined, then gradually pour in that ice-cold sparkling water while whisking until you have a smooth, thick batter
- Heat the oil:
- Get your oil up to 350 degrees in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer—I use a kitchen thermometer because guessing has cost me too many burnt batches
- Dip and coat:
- Dip each onion ring into the batter, let the excess drip off for a second, then press them into the panko if you are going for that extra crunch
- Fry to golden:
- Carefully lower the rings into the hot oil and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, turning them once halfway through, until they are that perfect golden brown and you cannot wait another second
- Drain and serve:
- Lift them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain on paper towels while you fry the rest, then serve them immediately while they are still hot and ridiculously crisp
Save My mom finally asked for the recipe after trying them at Christmas, and she admitted she had been using boxed pancake mix for years because she thought homemade was too complicated. Now she texts me photos every time she makes them, with the rings arranged in perfect circles on paper towels like little golden wreaths.
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Getting Even More Crunch
I learned from a short-order cook that double-dipping—lightly coating rings in flour before the batter—creates this incredible crust that does not fall off. The flour layer acts like glue, and honestly, that extra thirty seconds of prep makes people think you have been making onion rings professionally for years.
Seasoning Tricks
Salt them immediately while they are hot and the oil is still glistening—that is when the seasoning actually sticks instead of falling off onto your plate. I keep a small bowl of seasoned salt mixed with garlic powder and paprika nearby just for this moment.
Keeping Them Crispy
If you are making these for a party, set your oven to 200 degrees and keep the finished rings on a wire rack over a baking sheet inside. The circulating air keeps them crisp without continuing to cook them, which is the mistake I made my first few times hosting.
- A wire cooling rack is infinitely better than paper towels for keeping everything crispy on all sides
- Never cover them with foil or they will steam themselves into sadness
- Let the oil come back to temperature between batches or you will end up with soggy, oily rings
Save There is something so satisfying about pulling that first ring out of the oil and seeing it perfectly golden, knowing you are about to make everyone at the table incredibly happy.
