We probably ordered hamburgers too, but all I remember to this day was how much I loved those onion rings. As far as I knew at age 5 or 6, Bob’s was the only place on the planet to get them.
Extra-Crunchy Homemade Onion Rings
I still love onion rings, don’t you? This recipe is as close as I can get to my memory of my favorite onion rings—crunchy and delicious. We adapted the recipe from one by Ina Garten. The main changes we made were to double-dip the onion rings in buttermilk and flour to make them extra crunchy, and to fry them at a slightly higher temp. We also increased the proportion of cornmeal. (Crunch factor!)
Vidalia onionsWhite onionsMaui onionsWalla Walla onions
Want Spicy Onion Rings?
Kick the heat up a notch by adding any of the following to the onion ring batter:
1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 to 2 teaspoons hot paprika Or keep the batter as is and make the spicy mayonnaise as a dipping sauce from this Black Bean Burger With Spicy Mayonnaise recipe
How to Make Onion Rings in the Air Fryer
Lower the fat and calories of your onion rings by using our Air Fryer Onion Rings recipe.
How to Keep Crunchy Onion Rings Warm
Keep the fried onion rings warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you fry the rest of the rings. Keep the onion rings separate from each other. Don’t pile them on top of each other, or they will get soggy.
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Stir the onions into the buttermilk mixture and make sure every ring is completely coated in buttermilk. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Heat the oil to 375°F. Use a good candy thermometer or instant thermometer (such as a Thermapen) to measure the heat of the oil. You may need to tilt the pan in order to cover the thermometer’s sensor completely and get an accurate reading. Be very careful whenever handling hot oil. No running kids in the kitchen. No distractions. Do not answer the phone if it rings. Pay attention. Have the pan’s lid close by. Test the oil by dropping a small pinch of flour into the hot oil. If the flour sizzles the oil is ready. If it burns, remove the pot from the heat and let the oil cool down a little. If the coating seems a bit thin (it might) or if you want extra crunchy onion rings, dip the onion rings again in the buttermilk mixture and dredge them again in the flour. This double coating will make the onion rings extra crunchy. When you add the onion rings to the pot, the oil temperature will naturally lower. Adjust the heat so that the temperature of the oil in the pan stays between 350°F and 390°F. Add more oil if needed between batches. Let the oil heat back up to 375°F before starting a new batch. Serve immediately. Note: It’s best not to pour the leftover oil down the drain. Better to pour into an empty jar and discard with your trash.
