I've had my fair share of onion rings but there is one restaurant that, in my opinion, makes the best onion rings. The secret? Not only are they beer battered but they are dusted in generous amounts of parmesan cheese! I know it's a new year, which means starting healthy, but I have to give in to my indulgences once in a while too. I had to run 3 miles to not feel guilty eating these beer battered onion rings, but every bite was well worth it!
Beer Battered Onion Rings
Ingredients
Chipotle ketchup
- 1 tsp chipotle
- ¼ cup ketchup
Onion rings
- Oil for frying
- 1 cup beer
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 onion sliced ¼ inch thick, rings separated
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Make the chipotle ketchup by whisking together the pureed chipotle with ketchup. Set aside.
- Preheat frying oil to 375 degrees.
- Prepare the batter by whisking together beer with flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Dip the sliced onion rings into the batter, making sure to evenly coat the onion. Carefully add to the heated oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel lined plate. Immediately sprinkle parmesan on the onion rings. Repeat with remaining onion. Serve with chipotle ketchup.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Onion rings are a popular appetizer served at many restaurants for two reasons. One, everyone loves them, and two, they're easy to prepare. It's as simple as slicing onions, making a batter, and frying!
My favorite way to prepare onion rings (as well as fish for fish tacos) is to use a beer batter. In my experience, beer batters yield a crispier food that actually stays crispy even after a good amount of time. I served the leftover beer battered onion rings to a friend several hours later and I could still hear the crunch from the batter!
For the onions, use a sweet variety for the best results. Some suggestions include Vidalia, Walla Walla, Rio Sweet, or Oso Sweet. Generally speaking, white onions are more pungent than yellow ones.
So why beer? In addition to the crispiness, the bubbles in the beer create an effect in the batter called the leavening effect. This basically means that the beer adds body and lightness to the batter. If you prefer to stay away from alcoholic beverages, substitute with another carbonated liquid such as tonic water or sprite.
Beat together the ingredients for the batter and dip the onion rings, making sure to coat all sides.
Fry the onion rings in the hot oil until golden brown. The batter will puff up and create a lovely exterior. You will most likely need to fry the onion in batches.
As soon as you take out the onion, sprinkle them with finely grated parmesan. You want to make sure to finely grate the parmesan so that the cheese will melt on the onion rings.
As for the condiment, serve the appetizer with chipotle ketchup, buttermilk ranch, honey mustard, or whatever you desire!
These onion rings are, dare I say, even better than the ones served at my favorite restaurant! Incredibly light, crispy onion rings with just the right amount of cheese, dipped in a spicy ketchup - perfection! I might have to run another 3 miles after this...
For more snack inspiration check out these portobello fries with cilantro lime aioli!
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