How to Make Crispy Onion Rings

Watch Chef John make the crispiest onion rings ever! See more

READY IN 30 mins

Making Crispy Onion Rings

Read Reviews (53)

"This recipe for onion rings is so easy and so amazingly crispy, you can now make up for all those years of deep-fried denial by making these at home." — Chef John

Directions

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, dry potato flakes, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in club soda to make a smooth batter.
Place panko bread crumbs in a shallow bowl.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place a few onion rings at a time into the bowl of batter and turn to coat all sides with batter.
Remove onion rings from batter and place into pan of panko bread crumbs; turn to coat completely with crumbs.
Cook a few rings at a time in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer to a cooling rack set over paper towels to drain. Season with salt to taste and serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 10 mins
COOK 20 mins
READY IN 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 30, 2012

Just made these! I was convinced that even though he claimed the crunch was the real thing, there must be some sort of enhancement going on, but they really were just as beautiful and as crunchy as the ones in the video. One thing; they took far less time to cook than the recipe indicated. Probably about half the time. Next time, I'll try cutting them a bit thicker, too, as I don't think an onion ring with a little substance left in the onion is a bad thing. Also, as crunchy as these stay, you could probably take the time to make a big batch of them for a larger group and keep them warm in the oven until they were all done with no effect on the quality.

—Jynnan tonnix

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 16, 2012

Sorry chef John I really like a lot of your reciepes, ut this one didn't work for me.

—Heba

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64 Ratings

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May 06, 2012

I've made this twice now. First time followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious! The second time, used beer instead of club soda, cut the onions thicker, and didn't use any bread crumbs - just the batter.... and they were slap yo' momma good!

—kikilorain

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May 03, 2012

Crispy - Crunchy goodness. I didn't watch the video before making these and I should have. The first few that I made the batter was really thin and didn't adhere well. In the video, Chef John says to let the batter sit for a bit and let the potato flakes hydrate and the batter thickens up. Make plenty - everyone will want more. Enjoy!

—Baking Nana

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Apr 18, 2012

Used this on calamari. Added seasoned salt, oregano, and 4 pkts of true lemon to the the batter. Exquisite Pizza sauce on side to dip. Fantastic!

—PAMELA D. aPROpos of nothing

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May 16, 2012

These turned out great! Deep frying is still a little messy, and even with olive oil, adds calories from fat. On a whim I just tried baking them on a foil-lined sheet in my convection oven until they were crispy. Oh my gosh, were they ever good! Just drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and bake them; no one will know the difference and they are virtually guilt-free! Chef John's outstanding recipe still produces amazingly crispy, crunchy onion rings straight from the oven!

—CLWP

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Mar 31, 2012

These are the most crispy onion rings we've ever had. I gave obey for my Husband to try and he said he will never be able to eat any other rings! My daughter never eats onion rings and after she tried these, she put 4 more on her plate. I kept them in a warm oven while I cooked them all and after about 45 minutes from when I started and being in the oven...they were still as crispy!!!!! Only think I did different was adding seasoning salt right to the batter.

—cookin4fun

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Apr 29, 2012

Incredible. As many have, I've been searching for years for an easy and foolproof onion rings recipe. This is it. Chef John, your techniques and recipes are the best. A good friend of mine was frustrated b/c she couldn't get the hang of how to make homemade mayonnaise. She found and tried Chef John's method and it turned out perfectly for her. She was so thrilled, you'd have thought she'd won the lottery! :p Well, now I know exactly how she felt, since I can now (finally!) make homemade onion rings that look and taste fantastic! The only change I made was to use whole wheat flour since that's all we had in the house. These are so awesome, Chef John. You're one of the finest chefs and educators out there. Thank you for giving us this great recipe!

—Tartla

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Nutrition

Calories
179 kcal
9%

Carbohydrates
32.5 g
10%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
6.5 g
10%

Fiber
0.9 g
4%

Protein
4.1 g
8%

Sodium
184 mg
7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Making Crispy Onion Rings

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 179
Calories from Fat: 58

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.5g 10 %
Saturated Fat 1g 5 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 184mg 7 %
** Potassium 73mg 2 %
Total Carbohydrates 32.5g 10 %
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4 %
Protein 4.1g 8 %
** Sugars 1.6g
** Vitamin A < 1 %
** Vitamin C 6 %
** Calcium 1 %
** Iron 5 %
** Thiamin 9 %
** Niacin 6 %
** Vitamin B6 3 %
** Magnesium 2 %
** Folate 12 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.