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Who can resist a basket of golden, crispy onion rings fresh from the fryer? With their amazingly crisp coating and sweet, tender onion inside, these homemade onion rings give your favorite diner or steakhouse version a run for its money. They’re light, crunchy, and impossibly addictive—especially when paired with a tangy dipping sauce or classic ketchup for purists.
What makes this recipe shine? A buttermilk soak mellows the onions and helps the coating adhere, while a double-dip in seasoned flour delivers that thick, restaurant-style crunch you’ll want eat again and again. The best part? They’re easy enough for weeknight burgers but special enough to wow at backyard cookouts or game-day spreads.
If you love these onion rings, I hope you’ll also try my amazing fried eggplant recipe. I promise, it’s not only the best you can make at home, it’s the best you’ve ever had!
Why This Recipe Works
- Crisp + Golden: A cornstarch-flour blend with baking powder creates light, crunchy onion rings.
- Buttermilk Bath: Tenderizes the onions and helps the coating stick.
- Double Coating: Ensures a thick, restaurant-style crunch that won’t slide off.
- Foolproof Frying: Clear directions for oil temperature mean no greasy rings—just crisp, golden perfection.
Before You Begin
Here are a few tips to set you up for onion-ring success:
- Choose the right onion: Large yellow onions strike the perfect balance of sweet and savory. We also love Vidalias for a sweeter flavor.
- Go big: Remove and reserve the small inner rings (under 2 inches). The larger ones fry up beautifully and keep their structure.
- Double-dip magic: A second coat of the flour mixture ensures a crisp, golden shell that clings perfectly.
- Temperature matters: Keep oil between 325–375°F for the crunchiest rings. A thermometer is your best friend. Here’s the one I use from Amazon!
- Keep them warm: Pop finished rings in a 200°F oven so your whole batch stays hot and crispy until serving. I like to place them on a wire rack set with in a rimmed baking sheet to keep the crunch.
Best Onion Rings Recipe Ingredients
A few helpful notes before you dive in:
- Buttermilk: Its acidity softens the onion’s bite and creates the ideal base for the coating.
- Cornstarch: Key for a delicate crispness—you’ll taste the difference.
- Lawry’s Seasoned Salt: Classic flavor that boosts the breading with just the right seasoning balance.
- Oil: Peanut oil is preferred for its high smoke point and clean flavor, but any vegetable oil will work as well.
What to Serve With Onion Rings
Classic Pairings: Burgers, air fryer hot dogs, French dip sandwiches, sloppy joes, crockpot pulled pork sandwiches, steak sandwiches, and crockpot BBQ chicken sandwiches love a crispy onion ring side.
Fresh & Crisp Sides: Balance the fried goodness with KFC coleslaw, carrot salad, strawberry spinach salad, or my simple house salad tossed with red wine vinaigrette.
Comfort Pairings: Pair with baked macaroni and cheese, funeral potatoes, or Boursin cheese scalloped potatoes for a hearty spread.
Dipping Favorites: These are incredible with my burger sauce, awesom sauce, homemade buttermilk dressing, commercial ranch dressing, or ketchup for dunking.
Storing + Reheating + Freezing + Make-Ahead Tips
Storing
- Keep leftover onion rings in an airtight container lined with paper towels. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheating
- For the crispiest results, spread onion rings on a baking sheet and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes. Avoid the microwave—it makes them soggy.
Freezing
- Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen at 400°F for about 15 minutes, flipping once.
Make-Ahead
- You can prep the onions and dredging bowls a few hours ahead. Wait to coat and fry until just before serving to maintain their crunch.
Food Safety
- If you’d like more info on food safety, check out this link.
How To Make Onion Rings
MORE YUMMY SNACK RECIPES
- Bisquick Sausage Balls
- Air Fryer Arancini
- Turkey Pinwheels
- Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
- Pizza Pinwheels
- BBQ Chicken Quesadilla
Tried This Recipe?
I’d love to hear how these onion rings turned out in your kitchen! 🧅✨ Please leave a review and share a photo—tag me on Instagram @gonna_want_seconds.
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Onion Rings
Ingredients
Onion Rings
- 2 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (we use Lawry’s)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 pieces (about 615 g) large yellow onions, peeled
- 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
For The Onion Rings
- Move an oven rack to the middle position. Heat oven to 200ºF (93ºC). Peel and slice onions into 1/2 inch rings. Remove the smaller rings (2 inches or less) and save for another use—separate the remaining onion rounds into rings. Set aside.
- Pour the buttermilk (2 3/4 cups) into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine flour (2 2/3 cups), cornstarch (1/3 cup), seasoned salt (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon), baking powder (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon), pepper (1 1/2 teaspoons), and salt (1/2 teaspoon) in a separate large bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Place one-fourth of the onion rings in the buttermilk to thoroughly coat. Shake off excess buttermilk.
- Add the onion rings to the flour mixture in the large bowl. Gently toss to coat the rings. Place the rings on a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels and a rack on top. Set aside and repeat the process for the remaining onion rings.
- Now is the time for the second coating of the rings. Repeat the process, one fourth of the rings at a time, to add a second coating to each ring. Make room for and place the double-coated rings on the baking sheet—line a second rimmed baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels without a rack.
- Add oil (2 quarts) to a large Dutch oven until it measures about 2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375° F (190ºC).
- Add one-fourth of the onion rings to hot oil and fry, without stirring, for 30 to 60 seconds. Stir gently with tongs or spider skimmer to break apart any stuck rings. Continue to fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes longer, flipping onion rings occasionally and separating any that stick together. Adjust the heat if necessary to maintain oil temperature between 325ºF and 375ºF (163ºC to 190ºC).
- Transfer the fried onion rings to the paper towel-lined sheet pan and place them in the 200°F (93ºC) oven to keep warm. Return the oil to 375ºF (190ºC) and repeat with the remaining onion rings in 3 batches. Serve the onion rings hot with the zingy sauce or ketchup for traditionalists.
For The Sauce
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended. Set aside in the refrigerator until serving time.
Notes
- Choose the right onion: Large yellow onions strike the perfect balance of sweet and savory. We also love Vidalias for a sweeter flavor.
- Go big: Remove and reserve the small inner rings (under 2 inches). The larger ones fry up beautifully and keep their structure.
- Double-dip magic: A second coat of the flour mixture ensures a crisp, golden shell that clings perfectly.
- Temperature matters: Keep oil between 325–375°F for the crunchiest rings. A thermometer is your best friend. Here’s the one I use from Amazon!
- Keep them warm: Pop finished rings in a 200°F oven so your whole batch stays hot and crispy until serving. I like to place them on a wire rack set with in a rimmed baking sheet to keep the crunch.
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