Fried Onion Rings

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/13/22
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Deep-fried onion rings are one of our guilty pleasures. We don't make them often, so they are a real treat when we do. The batter for these onion rings is simply made with flour, baking powder, an egg, milk, and seasonings. Dip the sliced onion rings into the batter and fry until a crispy golden brown. Serve them along with grilled steaks, burgers, or sandwiches. And crispy fried onion rings make a great burger or pulled pork topping.

Large sweet onions, like Vidalias, are perfect for onion rings. This batter makes an excellent coating on the onion rings, and you can change it up and season it with a dash of your favorite seasoning blend. We like to add a salt-free Cajun seasoning to the batter. If your seasoning contains salt, reduce the amount of salt in the batter.

Beer battered onion rings are another excellent option.

Fried onion rings recipe

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
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Ingredients

  • 3 large sweet onions, or Spanish onions

  • Cooking oil, for deep-frying

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, more as needed

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 large egg, well beaten

  • 1/2 cup milk

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for fried onion rings recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Heat the oven to 200 F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and have a spare baking sheet or pan ready to keep the fried onion rings warm.

    Two baking sheets; one lined with paper towels

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Wash and peel the onions and then cut them into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Separate rounds into rings.

    Onions washed, peeled, and cut and separated into rings

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Heat 3 to 4 inches of cooking oil in a deep, heavy pan or deep fryer to 365 F.

    Pan with cooking oil

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until well blended.

    One bowl with flour, seasonings, and baking powder; the other with egg and milk

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Dip onion rings into batter, then drop into deep fat at about 365 F. Work with just a few at a time; don't crowd them.

    Onion rings dipped into batter and then fried

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Fry the onion rings until they are golden brown, turning to brown both sides. Each batch will take about 2 to 3 minutes.

    Onion rings frying to golden brown

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Remove the onion rings to the pan with paper towels to drain thoroughly. Transfer them to another pan and move them to the preheated oven to keep warm while you make subsequent batches. They will stay crisp for about 20 to 30 minutes.

    Onion rings on two pans; one lined with paper towels

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Repeat with the remaining onion rings. 

    Cooked onion rings on a pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  10. Once all of the onion rings have been fried, serve immediately, sprinkled with salt.

    Salted onion rings with a side of ketchup

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variations

Jazz it up and add some seasonings to the batter.

  • Replace some of the salt with Creole or Cajun seasoning or a seasoned salt blend.
  • Add about 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to the batter.
  • Onion powder and paprika would be good choices as well.

Tips

  • Make sure the oil has reached 365 F before adding subsequent batches. Keep batches small and don't crowd. The oil will take longer to come back to temperature if too many pieces are added at once, resulting in an oilier coating on the onion rings.
  • Chill the batter in the fridge for a bit to get it cold before using it. A batter that's cold will adhere to the onion rings better when frying.

How to Store

While best if eaten the same day, if there are any leftover onion rings, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for one to two days. To reheat, put them on a baking sheet and place in a preheated 350 F oven for approximately 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
251 Calories
20g Fat
16g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 251
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 255mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 6mg 30%
Calcium 65mg 5%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 187mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)