Describing what I think makes for the perfect onion rings is pretty easy. Nicely seasoned batter that isn’t too thick or too thin. Or overpowering. I want to still taste the onion. And of course, there has to be the right bite-through. If I take a bite and half of the onion slides out of the ‘batter tunnel’, I’m just not going to be happy. And (don’t hate me), I have to be able to enjoy the rings without any dipping sauce. Doesn’t mean that I won’t use ketchup or something else, but I want that option. I want the rings to be able to stand on their own. Like the A&W onion rings from this copycat recipe do!
Sweet Onions, Sweet Onion Rings
I prefer to use sweet onions when I make my copycat recipe A&W onion rings. Vidalia and Texas sweet 1015s are my favorite. I try to not get the super-large onions because the rings don’t fit into my small deep fryer. If I am using my big fryer or a Dutch oven I can get the monster-sized onions and make hula-hoop-sized rings!
Watch Those Fingers!
One thing you have to be mindful of when dipping your onions into the batter are ‘batter gaps’. I made up that term just now, but that’s what I call the dry spots that are on the onion rings where you held them with your fingers. Try to grab the onion from the very outer edges. Have as little skin-on-onion contact as possible. You can also dunk the onion rings into the batter and use a fork or knife to pick them up from the centers.
The Presto Fry Daddy is perfect for making smaller batches of food. It only uses a few cups of oil and comes to temperature quickly. Clean-up is easy too!
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Also try my spicy onion rings.
A&W Onion Rings (Copycat Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kikkoman Extra Crispy Tempura Batter Mix
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup beer start with slightly less
- 1 large white onion sliced 3/8" thick, separated into rings
- kosher salt to taste
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat a deep fryer or Dutch oven with 3" of oil to 375 F.
- In a medium bowl combine the tempura mix, onion powder and pepper.
- Stir in the water.
- Add most of the beer and stir. You want the batter to be like pancake batter but thinner. Add more beer if you need to make it thinner. If you end up adding too much liquid just stir in some more tempura mix to thicken it.
- Working in batches if needed, dip the rings into the batter and place in the fryer.
- Fry 3-5 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Season liberally with salt and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
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