Crisp Onion Rings Recipe
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These onion rings are really really good in burgers (as evidenced here) or eaten as an appetizer dipped in fry sauce, ranch or ketchup (or garlic aioli!). The process for making the onion rings is fairly simple. It took me roughly 20 minutes from start to finish.
My sister came over to try some and she hmm’d and haaaw’d over them. The littles liked them too. My son usually won’t eat onions if they’re big enough to notice, but he ate these up without any protesting. These onion rings are double dipped in a batter that is seasoned to perfection. The crust is crisp and the onions are tender and sweet.
These are a little naughty and I’m making them two days in a row now. So many of you asked for the recipe after I posted the picture of my burger on Instagram and Facebook that I had to make them again (oh the things I do for my readers ;)). I’ll have to do an extra 15 minutes on the trampoline tonight.
Ingredients for the Best Onion Rings:
1 large sweet or yellow onion, thickly sliced into 1/2-inch rings
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
Oil for frying (I used grape seed oil – use something with a high smoke point)
Easy Fry Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayo
3 tablespoons ketchup, or to taste
Hot sauce, to taste
How to Make the Best Crisp Onion Rings:
1. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat with 1″ of oil (or enough to cover the onion rings). You can use a deep fryer if you have one.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup sour cream.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together: 1 cup flour, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
4. Slice and separate the onion rings and dip each ring in the sour cream mixture, then dredge with flour. (I used a fork to transfer from the wet bowl to the dry bowl so my hands didn’t get as gunky). Repeat by dipping in milk mixture a second time and dredging again in flour. Place the finished onion rings on a plate until ready to fry.
5. Once the oil is hot enough for the onion rings to sizzle, place the double battered onion rings in the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until exterior is crisp and light golden brown. I was able to fit 3-4 rings in my dutch oven at a time. Let onion rings cool on paper towels so soak up any excess oil.
Enjoy!
Crisp Double-Dipped Onion Rings
Ingredients
Onion Rings Ingredients:
- 1 large sweet or yellow onion thickly sliced into 1/2-inch thick rings
- 1 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Oil for frying I used grapeseed oil - use something with a high smoke point
Instructions
How to Make the best onion rings:
-
Heat a dutch oven over medium heat with 1" of oil (or enough to cover the onion rings). You can use a deep fryer if you have one.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup sour cream.
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together: 1 cup flour, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
-
Separate the onion rings and dip each ring in the sour cream mixture, then dredge with flour. (I used a fork to transfer from the wet bowl to the dry bowl so my hands didn't get as gunky). Repeat by dipping in milk mixture a second time and dredging again in flour. Place the finished onion rings on a plate until ready to fry.
-
Once the oil is hot enough for the onion rings to sizzle, place the double battered onion rings in the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until exterior is crisp and light golden brown. I was able to fit 3-4 rings in my dutch oven at a time. Let onion rings cool on paper towels so soak up any excess oil.
How to Make Easy Fry Sauce:
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Whisk together all of the fry sauce ingredients until smooth, adding hot sauce to taste. Enjoy!
What are you cooking up for the 4th of July?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hubby declared these to be better than the ones they serve at fast food places. I loved them, too. I used a white (sweet) onion – next time I’ll try yellow cooking onions. And there will be a next time!
Hello Sharon, thanks to you and your hubby for trying this recipe. I’m happy that you both enjoyed it!
It says 1 cup of flour in the ingredient list and later it says 1 and half. Which is it?
Hi, thank you for pointing that out. 1 cup flour is correct. I updated that typo.
Perfect! Served with sauce of Mayo,ketchup, horseradish, worchershire, paprika, and garlic powder.
I’m happy you enjoeyd that, Shannon! Thank you for that great review.
Natasha you are favorite go to person for great recipes but I wonder why you use vinegar. Doesn’t it give a bitter taste to the recipe? I usually leave the vinegar out of my recipes because of the bitterness.
Hi Alberta, I’ve never noticed any bitter taste here.
You are awesome cook.I love your videos and your recipes are the best.Thank you for taking the time to print them on fb for all of your fans to enjoy.Do you have a cookbook available to buy?I want one. Or even a recipe box with your recipe cards in it where u could take one out at a time.Thank you so much
You’re so nice! Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Karen! We do not have a cookbook at this time, but one is in the works. Stay tuned!
That sounds great, but did you ever try mixing 12ounces of beer with 12 ounces of flour.let sit until bubbles form. dip onion rings in and put in deep fryer. omg.
That is a great suggestion. Thank you for sharing!
Can we please have a video of you making these delicious looking crispy onion rings. Looks like it might be a bit messy but wirth it.
Hi Janet, we don’t have a video yet but thank you for the suggestion.
Hi Natsha, Please upload a video of this, thanks 🙂
Thank you for that feedback, David.
Would this recipe be good to use an air fryer to cook?
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried that in an air fryer to advise, but I’d love to know how that turns out if you try that.
What temperature should the oil be?
Hi, I didn’t exactly measure the oil for exact temperature but I imagine it was closer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Would this recipe work well on cod? Deep fried? Looking for a recipe that the breading is a little crunchy
Hi Sheri, I haven’t really tried that yet to advise. You might have to experiment on that, please let us know how it goes.
I’m going to try this with shrimp, too!
I made these tonight and they turned out fabulous! My parents came over for dinner – they loved them and my husband did too. This recipe is a keeper!
Sounds like you found a new favorite! That’s so great!
YUM! Like anything I’ve made from this site…. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Tanya! We appreciate your support.
Hi Natasha,
I tried your insta pot chicken recipe, very good. I love watching your videos, so cute.❤🙂
The next one will be those onion rings, love onion rings.
Thank you.
Thanks for your great feedback, I appreciate your comments, Sherry!
Fantastic, so delicious and easy to prepare! Perfect appetizer addition to our holiday BBQ! We will make these again, love the sauce too, next time we’ll try the garlic aioli dipping sauce…
Thanks so much Natasha, your recipes are always so amazing!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe Kathryn! That’s so great!
Would this recipe work in an Air Fryer? Please say yes! Gonna give it a go anyways. let u know. Cheers Wattse.
I haven’t tried that yet but I’d love to know how that turns out in the air fryer, Luke!
Absolutely great. I used Apple Cider Vinegar as it was all I had, and worked just fine. Right now eggs are hard to get, but sour cream is abundant, go figure. Perfect for a perfect time
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Have you tried this just using buttermilk with the sour cream? Don’t know why it would work since that’s essentially what you’re replicating.
thx
bill
Oops…”wouldn’t work” 🙂
Hi Bill, buttermilk would work as a substitute. Either one works well. Most people have milk in their fridge while some people have buttermilk so it seemed like a good call, but you’re correct.
Hi Natasha,
Do I have to use sour cream if it’s not readily available? Thanks.
Hi Sarah, Greek yogurt might be the next best thing.
I’m intrigued by the science behind the vinegar and sour cream in the recipe. What do they do? How does the chemistry work? I wasn’t sure if this was your recipe or one that someone had shared with you but thought to ask about what each of these components actually does. Thanks and regards. Jay
Hi Jay, the vinegar makes milk thicker (like a buttermilk) and the sour cream contributes to that as well. They also add great flavor to the overall batter.
Hey your fry sauce left out one ingredient. Pickle juice. Love your recipes!
Hi Wendy, I love the idea of using pickle juice. Thank you for sharing!
These look sooo good! I’m going to try them in an air fryer!
I’d love to know how that turns out in the air fryer, Mary!
I have made these three times now and they are soooo good! Of course I’ve tweaked the seasonings to my tastes but not the base of these glorious onion rings. Making again tonight!
Hi Kerri, That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review
Hello Natasha!
I am new to Keto and L/C and have a question.
Can I change out milk to almond milk and flour to almond flour in this recipe and proceed??
Also you mentioned Coconut Oil to another respondent. Would that be a healthier oil to use for Keto?
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, however I love your wonderful personality, website, videos as well as your total business model! You and Vadim are serving others in this world so well!!
Best Wishes to You and Your Family!!
Charles Perryman
Hi Charles, I honestly haven’t tested those substitutions and without experimenting, it is difficult to say yes or no or what other substitutions would have to be made. As far as coconut oil, I haven’t tried deep frying in it. It’s probably an expensive choice for deep frying, but according to healthline, it is the healthiest choice. Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. I’m so glad you are enjoying our videos and website 🙂
These were fantastic! thank you!
You’re so welcome, Crystal!! ! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This sounds amazing. Can I use this for chicken tenders too? I want to make chicken tenders and onion rings tonight.
I think that may work, Sonija! I’d love to know how you like it if you experiment!
Making these this weekend at our trailer.. they sound wonderful. I am sure they will be, as all your other recipes I have tried in the past have been. Thanks!
Aww You are so nice Jackie! Thank you for that!
My husband says this recipe is a keeper. Best home made onion rings we have ever made! We did slice them a bit thinner but they were terrific!!!
Wow, that’s quite the compliment! I’m happy to hear how much you both love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review Vicki!
I made these onion rings once already and me and my husband absolutely loved them! 😀
do you think i can use same recipe for frying pickles? Let me know
thank you
I haven’t tried frying pickles, but it should work. Let me know how you like it with pickles 🙂
i tried it with different recipe i found online and it worked well xept with less breading than i expected. I will try it with this recipe later though 🙂 You should try fried pickles, they are delicious!
I SHOULD try them! I’m definitely a fan of pickles 🙂
Me too.. fried pickles are now my favorite! 🙂
This is the recipe i tried 🙂
Fried Dill Pickles
Ingredients
• 1 jar dill pickle spears
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup plain yellow corn meal
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1 cup milk
• Vegetable Oil to cook in
• Ranch Dressing for dipping
Instructions
1. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of at least ½ inch in medium sized skillet and place over medium high heat. Drain pickles and place spears on paper towel lined plate to absorb moisture while you prepare breading.
2. Place corn meal in small bowl. Add ½ cup flour and seasoned salt. Stir until well combined. In separate bowl, pour remaining flour and place milk in third bowl.
3. Using your hands, dip a pickle into milk, then flour, then milk, then cornmeal breading. Repeat until all pickles are breaded.
4. Carefully place pickles into hot oil and cook until browned, stirring once if needed, about ten minutes.
5. Remove from skillet and place on paper towel lined plate. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with ranch dressing.
These are extremely hot inside for several minutes after cooking.
Makes about 8
http://www.southernplate.com/2012/06/fried-dill-pickles.html
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! 🙂 I think my husband and son would be interested in this too!
I made these last night for dinner and they were FABULOUS!!! It gave me a reason to pull out my deep fryer! 🙂 The only downside is now I have to tack on 15 minutes to my workout. It was well worth it.
Thanks for the yummy recipe!
It’s crazy to think about that it’s still better than what’s served in restaurants; deep fried in lard that is re-used over and over. Do you feel better about it now? 😉 Ha ha. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Natasha thank you these were so so good love the recipe super easy…Thanks
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for the great review! 🙂
There’s the reason to fire up my counter-top deep fryer I have! Who doesn’t love really good onion rings? And your pictures are amazing. I’m bookmarking this for sure. Interesting that the milk bath has vinegar in it…what does the vinegar do? Is it just for flavor or does it aid in a fluffy/crunchy texture? My inquiring mind wants to know 🙂
The vinegar turns it into a buttermilk 🙂 It enhances the flavor and thickens the milk up slightly.
hi can i use vegetable oil instead?
Yes 🙂
They really are good, I had them with a portobello mushroom cup burger to make them less “naughty ” 😉 Natasha is it a 1 cup of milk or 1/2 ?
Thanks so much for catching that! It is 1 cup of milk. It’s easier to dip with 1 cup of milk. I fixed it in the instructions and print-friendly.
Those look absolutely delicious!
Thank you 🙂 they sure were!
Thanks a lot for giving such a great idea. I like to eat onion but cant each much bare onion. this is a great appetizer for me and even tasty. I will try to make it soon at my home with help of my mom and sis.
Thanks a lot again 🙂
You’re so welcome! I hope you love these 🙂
My husband is the biggest onion ring fan I know but I never make them because I don’t own a deep fryer and since they are not very common in England he has to go without. I am so glad to see you are using your dutch oven here. Heating oil in a regular pot scares me a bit but I will definitely try doing it in a dutch oven. Thank you for a gorgeous recipe, Natasha! Triple yum as usual. 🙂
We don’t own a deep fryer either. Anytime I fry, I just use my dutch oven. It works perfectly 🙂
Those onion rings look so good! I always have trouble with coating the onion, but your batter looks perfect! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Maggie! Thanks for stopping by 🙂 The double dipping ensured a beautiful even coating. Have a happy 4th of July!
Wow, Natasha these look amazing! Love love.
Thanks Norma! 🙂 have a happy 4th of July!
Love onion rings!!! You mentioned grapeseed oil and I’ve always thought that it was ok for raw eating not cooking with. If you get a chance, please check out this link and let me know what you think. http://healyeatsreal.com/5-cooking-oils-think-healthybut-arent/
Its an interesting read. Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Do you have any healthier suggestions for oil that has a higher smoke point? I know avocado oil is good but it’s way too expensive for frying use.
I use refined coconut oil, try it out if you’re interested. It’s good for medium high heat frying.
My sister shipped a jar to me recently but I haven’t cracked the seal. I’ll have to try it, but it seams kind of wasteful to try to deep fry with it though. Have you tried it for deep frying?
I don’t usually like to deep fry, but these look too good to ignore! . . . Can’t wait to try them! Thanks for sharing.
They are a nice treat. Put it on a burger and let me know what you think 🙂
We love onion rings!!!These look so delicious and so tempting to make ASAP!
We do to! Although, admittedly I don’t make them often since they are a little naughty, but they are a nice treat on a burger! 🙂
These are so great, love that they are crisp and crunchy!
All while being tender on the inside. So yum! Thanks Matt 🙂
Natasha I appreciate the time you spend to upload these yummy recipes! Your awesome, and sweet. Thank you! !
Karolina, thank you! Your appreciation is much appreciated ;). For reals!
Do you need a Dutch oven for this?
No. You can use any deep pot or even a deep skillet. I like using a Dutch oven for even, consistent heating and because there’s less splatter on my stove with the tall walls of a pot 🙂
Ok! Thank you!
I was so excited about this recipe that I didn’t notice that the question above mine was the same! Opps! 🙂
No problem. I think I answered both at the same time. 🙂 My fault 😉
I just fell in love with this recipe, just by looking at it!!! Thank you for sharing:)You are such an amazing person and may God Bless you:):):) Also, i was wondering what a dutch oven was and can i use a regular oven as opposed to a Dutch oven? Again, thanks for the recipe Natashenka:):):)
Thank you so much 🙂 you’re so sweet. Yes you can use a regular pot or any pot or even deep pan that you want to fry foods in. 🙂
Thank you:)
This recipe looks delicious!!!! I am making it as soon as I can mmmmm!!!!
Thanks Bobbi! I hope you love it!