These beer-battered onion rings feature a flour and beer-based coating that’s light, airy, crispy, and so incredibly delicious! With a few simple ingredients, you can make these restaurant-style onion rings right at home with ease.
Onion rings have always been a favorite of mine. Of course, when I was younger, the only onion rings I really knew were the frozen kind you could make at home or the ones from fast-food restaurants. They may be fine and all, but once you try onion rings like these, you’ll never want to go back.
Why I Love This Recipe
The beer batter makes all the difference. The carbonation and flavor of the beer help create a light and flaky batter that is simply irresistible. Oh, and the dipping sauce. My goodness, the dipping sauce! The onion rings are amazing as-is, but then dip them into this sauce and it’s a flavor nirvana!
Ingredients
We’ll start with one or two medium to large onions. Honestly, one very large sweet yellow onion will be plenty to feed 2-4 people.
One cup of beer is required, and feel free to use your favorite brand. The onion rings will not taste like beer, but fuller-flavored malt beverages can certainly impart their flavor profile.
How Does Beer Work in a Beer Batter?
Beer helps make the batter light and crispy. The bubbles in the beer create air pockets, which make the coating puff up and get nice and crunchy when fried.
You can use regular beer or non-alcoholic beer—both work the same. If you use regular beer, don’t worry—the alcohol cooks out during frying.
The type of beer used can alter the flavor and color of the onion rings. Light beers like lagers or pilsners are best. They give the batter a mild flavor and a golden, crispy texture. Dark beers like stouts will make the batter darker and add a deeper, roasted flavor.
If you don’t want to use beer, you can use club soda or sparkling water instead. It will still give you that light and crispy result.
Flour and seasonings will mix with the beer to create a wet batter. The seasonings are common, pantry regulars such as garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper.
We’ll also add a little cornstarch and baking powder to the batter. This helps the batter to be nice and flaky and crispy.
The onion ring will fry up in vegetable oil. The amount depends on the size fo the pan you’re using, but generally we want at least 1-inch of oil in the pan.
Preparation
Start by peeling the onion and slicing into rings of about ¼ inch thick. A little more or a little less won’t really matter, but a nice thick ring is always preferred.
Separate each slice into rings, being careful not to break them. If they break, no worries, they can still be used, but a solid ring will hold the batter and keep its integrity better.
Use a large bowl and toss the rings with ½ cup of all-purpose flour. This serves a couple of purposes. By dusting the rings with flour first, we absorb any excess surface moisture. This, in turn, will help the batter stick to the rings. Without it, the batter can slide off. After dusting the rings, shake off any excess and set aside.
Prepare the batter
In another large bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup of flour, the seasonings, cornstarch, and baking powder. Whisk it all together nicely. Now, slowly pour in the beer, whisking until everything is smooth.
Add the oil to a heavy skillet (at least 1 inch deep) or a deep fryer and heat to 365-375°F.
Cooking
We’re using hot oil, so please be careful. Dip each ring in the batter until well coated and let the excess drip off. Carefully place the coated rings into the hot oil. Do a couple of batches so as not to overcrowd the skillet or fryer.
Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until a lovely golden brown.
Remove from the oil and let rest on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Make the Dipping Sauce – with a Secret Ingredient…
While this is optional, it certainly can take the onion rings to the next level. This sauce is SO good!
This simple mix consists of mayonnaise, ketchup, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika and… pickle juice! That’s right, the secret ingredient is pickle juice.
Mix it all up in a small bowl and you’re good to go. You can make it ahead of time, too, and let it chill in the fridge for a bit for some extra cool goodness.
Storage
Onion rings can be saved for a couple of days in the fridge, but really, they are best enjoyed when freshly made. If you do want to save some…
- Refrigerator:
Let them cool completely, then place in an airtight container with paper towels between layers. Store in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. - Freezer
Not recommended.
Reheating:
- Oven or air fryer is best to bring back crispiness. Heat at 375°F for 5–8 minutes, flipping once.
- Avoid the microwave—it makes them soggy.
Absolutely. Yellow onions usually make the best onion rings. Sweet Vidalia are excellent as well. White or red onions will be a bit stronger flavor.
If you’re missing one of the dry seasonings for the batter (onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, mustard powder, cayenne), just leave it out. Sometimes folks don’t have mustard powder. While excellent in adding to the overall flavor profile, if you don’t have it, you’ll still have great onion rings!
Recipe
Best Damn Beer Battered Onion Rings
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
These restaurant-style, beer-battered onion rings are sure to be a huge hit with everyone! Easy to make and our dipping sauce takes them to the next level!
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion (or 2 medium onions)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (for pre-coating)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (for batter)
- 2 tbs cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder (optional)
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup beer (8 oz)*
- Vegetable oil for frying (about 2 cups)
Dipping Sauce (optional)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbs ketchup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp pickle juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Slice onions into ¼-inchrings and separate them. Set aside.
- Place the ¼ cup of flour into a large bowl and toss the onions gently to get them all dusted with the flour. Shake off any excess.
- In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the 1 cup flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, cayenne, and black pepper. Slowly whisk in the beer until the batter is smooth and about the consistency of heavy cream. Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes.
- Add about 1 inch of oil to a deep skillet or heavy pan and heat to 365–375°F.
- Dip each floured ring into the batter, let the excess drip off, and carefully place into the hot oil.
- Fry in batches, about 2 minutes per side, flipping once, until golden brown and crispy. Don’t overcrowd the pan, and let the oil return to temperature between batches.
- Carefully remove the onion rings with a slotted spoon or tongs and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
- Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Notes
*The alcohol from the beer gets cooked out. You can also use non-alcohol beer or even ginger ale.
If making the dipping sauce, make it first so it can chill in the fridge while making the onion rings.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Side-dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Sue says
Going to try these soon. They look great. Just a question on the dipping sauce, is it dill pickle juice or sweet pickle? I would think you meant dill, but want to make sure.
RecipeTeacher says
Yep, dill pickles.
Tina says
Can’t wait to try this recipe, love love onion rings and was always scared to try and make them at home. But all of your others recipes have been easy and worked for me and I have shared them with others. Also have your recipe book. Thanks
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks Tina!! We had so much fun with this one. You will too. And they’re SO good!
Jean says
Can these be cooked in the air fryer instead of frying? If so about what temp and how long. Thanks
RecipeTeacher says
Unfortunately not. This uses a wet batter that requires drying in oil. However, I am working on an air fryer version.
Mom Hardy says
The flavors in this batter are unbelievable. Worth the extra time to include all of them. On the first few onion rings, not all the batter stuck. But I adjusted the oil temp and made sure they were coated with a thin layer of flour as noted and the batches keep getting better / looking better. This is a winner. You could probably put this on other vegetables …. maybe even a great JOJO potato batter.
Troy says
I found the batter to be a bit too thick, used some more beer to thin it out