Crispy Buttermilk Onion Rings

SERVES: 6

PREP: 30 Min

COOK TIME: 10 Min

Ever wonder how the restaurants make their onion rings so crispy-special? With our recipe for Crispy Buttermilk Onion Rings, you can too! Now, all you need to figure out is what you'll be dipping 'em into!

What You'll Need

2 Spanish-type onions
3 cups buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

What to Do

Peel onions and cut into 1/3-inch slices; separate into rings.
Pour buttermilk into a large bowl; add onion rings and soak 30 minutes.
In another large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the lemon juice, egg, and water; stir until smooth.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1-inch of oil until hot but not smoking. Remove onion rings from buttermilk and dip into batter mixture, then place in skillet and fry until golden brown, turning to brown evenly on both sides. Drain onion rings on paper towels.

Notes

If your onions are small, use 4. These rings come out crunchiest when made in an electric skillet, because it's easier to keep the oil at a consistent temperature.
Looking for more recipes with buttermilk? Our Best Buttermilk Recipes: 12 Recipes with Buttermilk can help you!

The nutrition provided for this recipe is an estimate. The ingredients used for breading and frying were measured both at the beginning and end of the recipe process. Nutrition was calculated based on the amount of ingredients actually used and excludes any waste. Individual results may vary.

Nutritional InformationShow More

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
Calories 206
Calories from Fat 126
Total Fat 14g 21 %
Saturated Fat 2.2g 11 %
Trans Fat 0.0g 0 %
Protein 3.3g 7 %

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
Cholesterol 27mg 9 %
Sodium 435mg 18 %
Total Carbohydrates 17g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 1.1g 4 %
Sugars 2.3g 0 %

Your Recently Viewed Recipes

Rate

I have not made this yet so I cannot rate it.

We are adding your Comments.

Thank you! Your comment has been added.

We are sorry. There was an error tyring to post your rating and review.

Your comment will appear after our editors have had a chance to review it.

Cancel Reply to Comment

Thanks for your comment. Don't forget to share!

ruska2001

Mar 22, 2018

Question for the Test Kitchen Team can you bake these instead of frying?? If so, what would the instructions be?

Test Kitchen Team

Mar 23, 2018

Hi there! The Test Kitchen has not baked this recipe. We do not think it would work because the batter would probably run. Check out our Creamy Baked Onions. Hopefully that will be a delicious alternative for you! https://www.mrfood.com/Vegetables/Creamy-Baked-Onions

bigolds468 5493904

Nov 08, 2017

I've tried some of these recipes and I've found that most of them SUCK

BeckySue

May 27, 2016

I've been looking for a good onion ring recipe to put them on those big homemade burgers I saw here. I like buttermilk in batter but I always have the trouble of the batter falling off my onion rings. Some people here had the same problem but others didn't and I wonder what makes the difference. I would like to make these but since I already have trouble keeping the batter on my onion rings maybe I should try one of the other recipes.

sheilawhittington1 4869268

Mar 20, 2016

My husband was so excited to make this recipe. We love onion rings. The batter did not stay on. Not sure what went wrong. Disappointed

Test Kitchen Team

Mar 21, 2016

Oh no! We're sorry to hear this recipe didn't work out for you. We hope you'll decide to give these another try, following our tips: 1) Make sure your oil is very hot; 2) Be sure to shake off any excess buttermilk from the onion rings before dipping into the flour mixture; 3) Onion rings should be sliced thick. We hope these tips will help you understand what may have gone wrong the first time. Thank you for your comment!

kkneumann 4454813

Sep 23, 2014

I really thought this was the recipe which would be better than what my husband has made. However, I followed the directions to a tea, but the batter fell off and all I ended up with were fried, somewhat greasy onion rings. It seems the recipe is not accurate as to the amount of oil to use. A half cup for all those onions doesn't work. What did I do wrong? I'll buy frozen from now on.

Test Kitchen Team

Sep 24, 2014

Hello - We're sorry to hear this recipe didn't work out for you! It's hard to say what may have gone wrong for you, but we have updated the recipe to clarify the amount of oil that should be used. Your skillet should have at least 1-inch of oil and be heated to a medium-high temperature for fast frying. Please let us know if you give this recipe another try, and how it works out for you!

Honeybun64

Mar 01, 2014

I tried this recipe using Sweet Onions. All of the family loved them. They wanted more. Thanks so much, Jackie C. Virginia Beach, Va.

s2vkrefski 8048359

Nov 09, 2013

These were delicious. Made in an electric fryer at 350*. be patient and you will be well satisfied. Thanks for taking over since we'd be lost without this web site. Mr Food books are my favorite.

Dave Central NYS

Sep 30, 2013

"skillet, oil, medium high heat"... I'd rather use my deep fryer, SO, what temperature should I set it for?

Clouddarlene 89351 65

Sep 09, 2013

What do u mean by Spanish type onions will vidilia or sweet yellow onions work?

meatandtaters

Sep 09, 2013

Vidalia is a trademark for onions grown in certain counties in Georgia. Spanish sweet onions are the same just from a different part of the world. Yellow onions would have a much hotter taste.

Test Kitchen Team

Sep 10, 2013

Spanish onions are milder than yellow onions, but you can certainly use them in place of the Spanish variety. As long as you know the flavor will be stronger. Thank you for your question!