WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
When you're craving a satisfying snack, make these beer battered onion rings. Sprinkled with grated parmesan and served with chipotle ketchup, these fried goodies will hit the spot every time.
Jump to:
Watch how to make this
What makes this dish special
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!
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! And if you're interested in another similar recipe, check out my cajun beer battered fried pickles!
Ingredients
- Chipotle: Although the Chipotle ketchup is optional, it does add a little something extra special to the side dish. The spice from the chipotle enhances the ketchup, making it taste smoky, almost like BBQ sauce.
- Onion: Use a sweet variety for the best results such as Vidalia, Walla Walla, Rio Sweet, or Oso Sweet.
- Beer: To enhance the flavors of this dish, use a complex beer with a stronger flavor. A full-flavored lager is a great beer for the batter. Examples include Sam Smith's Pure Brewed Lager, Brooklyn Brewery's Brooklyn Lager, or Portland Brewing's MacTarnahan's Amber Ale. Avoid using IPAs that can be bitter and can make the batter too thin.
- All-purpose flour: Use the lower protein content flour to prepare the batter. You can also use gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version.
- Spices: Flavor the batter with paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper to season the onion.
- Grated parmesan: The salty hard Italian cheese is used as a finishing ingredient to season the onion rings. If you're omitting the cheese, season the onion rings with salt instead.
Substitutions and variations
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour and gluten-free beer for the batter.
- Sauces: Try the onion rings with another sauce such as spicy ranch, queso, or cilantro lime aioli.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make the batter
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 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!
So why beer? In addition to the crispiness, the bubbles in the beer create an effect in the batter called the leavening effect. This 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.
Step 2: Fry
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 it 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 spicy ketchup - perfection! I might have to run another 3 miles after this...
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can prepare the chipotle ketchup up to 1 week in advance.
- Store: The onion rings are best served immediately, however, you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the onion rings in the fryer, air fryer, or in the oven at 350 degrees F.
Frequently asked questions
Although the beer adds flavor to the batter, you can substitute it with another carbonated drink such as club soda or Sprite.
If you have leftover onion rings, reheat them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until crispy.
More fried food recipes
Looking for more fried snacks? Try these:
Recipe
Beer Battered Onion Rings
Ingredients
Chipotle ketchup
- 1 teaspoon chipotle
- ¼ cup ketchup
Onion rings
- oil for frying
- 1 cup beer
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 sweet white 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.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
Thanks for posting this at the Saturday Night Fever link party. Hope to see you back on Saturday!