Instructions. On a rimmed tray, mix the panko, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. In a small shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Place the flour in another small bowl. Preheat the air fryer to 370°F. Dip each onion ring into the flour, then tap to remove any excess flour.
There’s been an ongoing battle in many kitchens when it comes to attempting to make the perfect crispy onion rings. Almost everybody likes to have super delicious and golden crispy onion rings just like from the restaurants. Homemade onion rings seem to be one of those things that are either a hit or miss when it comes to crunchiness and crispiness. In this post I'll cover a few simple tricks and also my recipe for making delicious crispy and crunchy restaurant style onion rings right at home! I know many an onion ring lover who has been through the roof with excitement to make their own only to be disappointed when there is comes out soggy, floppy or just plain greasy. Being the onion ring fan that I am, I became tired of fighting against the dreaded soggy onion rings! Below are a few tips that I find help make a huge difference when making onion rings. 1. Make sure the batter is cold. I find that making sure the batter is ice-cold helps make it stick to the onion rings while frying. Once the rings hit the hot oil the contrast of cold from the batter tends to keep them stuck to the onion ring – and makes them crisp. 2. Make sure your oil is the proper temperature. When frying onion rings, I find that the most effective temperature is at 375°F. When you fry anything, it’s best to use a candy or deep-fry thermometer that is attached to the side of your pot/frying vessel. Using a thermometer is much more accurate than just guessing if the temperature is right. Having the thermometer attached to the side of your cooking vessel while frying also helps you make sure that the proper temperature remains consistent, and you can adjust it if you need to. If the temperature becomes too low while you're cooking, the rings will soak up A LOT of oil and you don't want that to happen. 3. Chill the onion slices in ice cold water. Before coating your onion rings in the batter many people find that it works best chill your onion slices in ice cold water for at least 10 minutes. Make sure that when you take the onions out of the ice water, you also dry them off thoroughly using paper towels. 4. Coat the onion rings in cornstarch before dipping into the batter. This little extra bit of cornstarch on the surface of the onion rings is the “glue” that holds onto the batter. 5. Don’t lay the finished onion rings directly on paper towel! When your onion rings have finished cooking it’s important to avoid placing them directly on top of paper towel to drain. If you do this, the onion rings will soak up whatever oil ends up on the paper towel. What I do to prevent these soggy atrocities (lol!) is place some paper towel on a cookie sheet and then lay a wire cooling rack or cooking rack over top. Then as my onion rings finished cooking I place them on top of the metal rack so they can drain. This way those delicious crispy onion rings won’t sit in the oil and become soggy. I hope you find these tips helpful for the next time that you’re craving some delicious crispy onion rings! Below you can find my recipe with the details on exactly how I make mine. Print 4 large Vidalia or sweet onions, thinly sliced into rings and placed into ice water for at least 10 minutes 3 tbsps cornstarch Batter: 1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour 3 tbsp cornstarch pinch of cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 1/4 cup ice cold water (adjust this amount depending on how thick you want your batter Other Items needed: Large mixing bowl filled 1/4 full of ice. (once batter is mixed, you'll be placing that bowl into this one to keep the batter cold) Oil for frying – about 1″ high in large frying pan with high sides or a pot – you can also use a deep fryer if you have it Candy thermometer or deep fry thermometer – to clip to the side of your pan with the oil Large cookie sheet lined with paper towel with a metal cooking rack over it. This will be used to drain any excess oil once the onion rings are cooked. [adinserter name="Follow DDB on Pinterest"] Combine dry ingredients for the batter in a medium mixing bowl. Use a whisk to combine well. Begin heating the frying oil. Make sure that your thermometer is attached to the side of your cooking vessel. While waiting for the oil to heat up to 375°F, remove the onions from the ice cold water and thoroughly dry using paper towels. It's ok if there's a little moisture but try to get as much of it removed as you can. In a dry mixing bowl, toss the onion slices with the 3 tbsps of cornstarch. Try to get some of the cornstarch on each of the rings. Combine the ice cold water with the dry batter ingredients. Adjust the amount of water used depending on how you like your batter. Combine using a whisk. Make sure there are no lumps. Place the bowl of mixed batter over the large mixing bowl with the ice. This is important in making sure your batter stays at the proper temperature. Once the oil has reached 375°F on the thermometer, you can begin making the onion rings. Take about a handful of onions at a time and dip them into the cold batter. Make sure that they are coated all over. Drop each ring into the oil to cook. Try to avoid having them touch each other in the beginning stages of the cooking or they'll all stick together! Cook the rings for about 2-3 minutes, them flip over and continue cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes. Important Keep an eye on the temperature reading of thermometer while you're frying the rings. You may need to adjust the settings on your dial a few times throughout cooking so the temperature is correct. Once the rings have finished cooking remove them from the oil and lay onto the wire cooking rack with paper towel below it to drain. Continue the batter dipping and frying process until all the batter and onions have been cooked and set on the rack to drain. Turn off the heat for your cooking oil and set the pan/pot aside in a safe place. Notes You can fry your onion rings in a deep fryer or in a pot on the stove. Which ever way you choose to fry the onion rings, please be sure to keep an eye on your temperatures and adjust as needed. If the a temperature is too low, it will result in soggy, oil saturated onion rings. If the temperature is too high, you'll burn them! Category: SideMethod: FryingCuisine: American