Up your snack and side dish game with a crowd-friendly recipe for hot, crispy Beer-Battered Onion Rings.
Nothing beats the winter blues quite like a hot tub … of bubbling oil. Your Super Bowl menu has likely taken shape at this point (don’t forget the Nutella Chocolate Football Truffles!), but for all those looking to add a hot, crunchy, salty snack to the lineup, look no further than homemade Beer-Battered Onion Rings.
These circuitous golden brown beauties are an easy treat, starring a pale ale beer batter and thick slices of sweet onion. The carbonation in the beer leads to the lightest, crispiest breading, while a touch of paprika provides a deep golden hue. (Pro Tip: Not a beer fan? Sub in any other carbonated beverage, including ginger ale, club soda or your favorite soft drink!)
After a quick soak in the stovetop jacuzzi, they’re seasoned and served hot with your choice of dipping sauces.
Opt for a side of homemade spicy ketchup to keep your taste buds on their toes. Then sit back and tune in to the tube as you wash them down with (another) cold one. Now you can have your beer, and eat it, too.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) pale ale beer (See Kelly's Notes)
- 2 large yellow or Vidalia onions
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Spicy ketchup, for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups of flour with the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk in the beer until the mixture is well combined. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- While the batter rests, cut the tip off of the stem side of the onions then remove the peel. Slice the onions horizontally into 1/2-inch-thick rings and toss them with the remaining ½ cup of flour.
- Add the vegetable oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot (Dutch oven) to a depth of 2 inches and heat it over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 375°F.
- Working in batches, dip the onion rings into the prepared batter, shaking off any excess, then immediately drop them into the hot oil. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Allow the onions to cook in the oil, flipping them once to guarantee even browning, for a total of about 3 minutes. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. Immediately season them with salt. Repeat the coating and frying process, returning the oil to 375°F between batches, with the remaining onions.
Kelly's Notes:
- When measuring beer, don't include the foamy head in your measurement. Pour it down the side of the liquid measuring cup (to minimize the head), and then measure the liquid part only.
- Not a beer fan? Sub in any other carbonated beverage, including ginger ale, club soda or your favorite soft drink.
- Shake off as much of the excess batter as possible when coating the onion rings in order to get the best ratio of onion to batter.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of JustaTaste.com.
these onion rings are by far the best I’ve ever had! I’ve made them a few times although I find I need to stand over them and do them in batches which means I’m rushing to make the rest of the dinner (usually big burgers). Could I make the onion rings in advance then heat them in the oven?
Hi Julie! Yes, however, the coating might not be as crispy the second time around.
Excellent!!! I made these for the first time for my son-in-law’s birthday, they were a huge hit! Crunchy and perfect. Absolutely the best!!! Thank you!
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Cindy!
Best onion rings I have ever made!
These are to die for!!!!! YUM!!! They turned out perfect!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kim!
Onion rings were delicious and easy to make. Will definitely be making more.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
The recipe is a five star – except I can’t figure out why they were so oily. My oil was at 375-385, I dabbed off excess batter. I did chose to use carbonated water (which I carbonated myself – so no additives). Any ideas why this happened?
Hi Tracy – Did you allow the oil to return to 375°F between batches? And did you fry in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pan?
Excellent, turned out perfect. Thanks for this great recipe
You are so welcome, Susan! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This is great little recipe. I had no beer so used tonic water for carbonation. Next time I might put in a bit less of paprika. I will make again next time I decide to fry.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This is the MOST delicious recipe I have tried! My family also loves them!
I’m so thrilled to read this, Vickie!
This was great! Best ever. Could you use the same batter for cod?
That should work!
Just made this….need to run to the store for more onions. Added a little horseradish
To the ketchup……yummmm Thanks for the recipe….
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Patty!
Wow absolutely delicious!! I made these today for our Super Bowl feast and they turned out crispy, airy, and super flavorful. This will be be my go-to onion ring recipe from now on! I usually don’t care for beer battered onion rings because they usually end up kinda soggy but these changed my opinion on them forever.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Nat!
Excellent recipe! I made it with ginger beer and used a candy thermometer so I could use olive oil. I fried at an initial temp of 360 and that worked perfectly. Thanks so much.
This recipe is fantastic. The onion rings turned out as good as I was hoping for. Hands down as good as or better than any beer battered onion ring you will order in a restaurant. I am so glad I found this recipe. We will definitely use it again and again.
Love reading this, Lily! I’m so glad you enjoyed the onion rings!
Excellent?……. can you freeze and reheat them?
Yes indeed, however the coating might not be as crispy the second time around.
Thx for the onion rings recipe.
Turned out fantastic and much much better than buying from the grocer!
Will be trying other recipes as well
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Joe!
I took ideas of what I thought was the best of three different recipes. Any one of them would have been good.
You have to work fast when deep frying. Otherwise, the oil gets too hot or starts too cool off if you turn it down. It’s the Yo-Yo effect. I used a candy thermometer.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Chris! A deep-fry thermometer is essential!
Just made them and loved them! I think for my family I will add some heat next time. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Debbie!