Tag: onion rings

Copycat A&W Onion Rings

Describing what I think makes for the perfect onion rings is pretty easy. Nicely seasoned batter that isn’t too thick or too thin. 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 these copycat A&W onion rings do.

Copycat A&W Onion Rings

I prefer to use sweet onions when I make my copycat 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!

If I’m cooking for a crowd, I’ll break out my big deep fryer. But, if it’s just the two of us, I’ll fire up my Fry Daddy fryer. It’s the perfect size for both of us. It fries everything perfectly. And as an added bonus, it doesn’t use a lot of oil, which saves me money.

Presto Fry Daddy 4-Cup Electric Deep Fryer, Aluminum
Presto Fry Daddy 4-Cup Electric Deep Fryer, Aluminum
Copycat A&W Onion Rings
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5 from 1 vote

Copycat A&W Onion Rings

I prefer to use sweet onions for these rings.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword onion rings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 22kcal

Ingredients

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 22kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Presto Fry Daddy 4-Cup Electric Deep Fryer, Aluminum
Presto Fry Daddy 4-Cup Electric Deep Fryer, Aluminum
T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean Stainless Steel Deep Fryer with Basket 3.5 Liter Oil and 2.6 Pound Food Capacity 1700 Watts Oil Filtration, Temp Control, Digital Timer, Dishwasher Safe Parts Stainless Steel
T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean Stainless Steel Deep Fryer with Basket 3.5 Liter Oil and 2.6 Pound Food Capacity 1700 Watts Oil Filtration, Temp Control, Digital Timer, Dishwasher Safe Parts Stainless Steel

Homemade Onion Rings

I’m addicted to onion rings. And I’m picky about them. I’m picking about the coating. It has to be light and crunchy and it has to stick to every inch of the onion. And I’m picky about the onion. Each bite has to be ‘clean’. Nothing is worse than biting into a ring and having the entire onion want to come out at once. And of course, they have to taste great. These homemade onion rings pass my picky tests and then some. They are truly fantastic.

Homemade Onion Rings

There is absolutely nothing I would change about the batter for these homemade onion rings. It has the perfect consistency and flavor. Well, ok, I might change up the seasoning just a bit depending on who I’m serving them to or whatever my mood is that day. Me, I like a bit of heat, so cayenne is my go-to seasoning. But, a little smoked paprika or even a dried herb such as Italian seasoning also makes for a pleasant change.

T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean Stainless Steel Deep Fryer with Basket 3.5 Liter Oil and 2.6 Pound Food Capacity 1700 Watts Oil Filtration, Temp Control, Digital Timer, Dishwasher Safe Parts Stainless Steel
T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean Stainless Steel Deep Fryer with Basket 3.5 Liter Oil and 2.6 Pound Food Capacity 1700 Watts Oil Filtration, Temp Control, Digital Timer, Dishwasher Safe Parts Stainless Steel

The batter would also be great on fish filets, making for a big plate of fish-and-rings.

For a nice twist on traditional onion rings, try my fried onion strips with dipping sauce. For something with a kick, you gotta make my spicy red onion rings and my copycat of the delicious onion rings at A&W.

Homemade Onion Rings
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Homemade Onion Rings

I’m addicted to onion rings. And I’m picky about them. I’m picking about the coating. It has to be light and crunchy and it has to stick to every inch of the onion. And I’m picky about the onion. Each bite has to be ‘clean’.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword onion rings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 472kcal
Author Based on a recipe from Valierie Bertinelli

Ingredients

For the onion rings

For the batter

Instructions

For the onion rings

  • Place the rings into a large bowl.
  • Add the flour and salt and toss to coat.
  • Let sit for 15 minutes.

For the batter

  • Heat 3″ of oil to 365 F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven.
  • Whisk together the batter ingredients until smooth.
  • Working in batches, dip the onions into the batter and coat completely.
  • Fry until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once. Do not over-crowd the fryer.
  • Transfer to a wire rack and sprinkle with salt.

Nutrition

Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 956mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Presto Fry Daddy 4-Cup Electric Deep Fryer, Aluminum
Presto Fry Daddy 4-Cup Electric Deep Fryer, Aluminum
T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean Stainless Steel Deep Fryer with Basket 3.5 Liter Oil and 2.6 Pound Food Capacity 1700 Watts Oil Filtration, Temp Control, Digital Timer, Dishwasher Safe Parts Stainless Steel
T-fal Ultimate EZ Clean Stainless Steel Deep Fryer with Basket 3.5 Liter Oil and 2.6 Pound Food Capacity 1700 Watts Oil Filtration, Temp Control, Digital Timer, Dishwasher Safe Parts Stainless Steel

Bacon-Wrapped Sriracha Onion Rings

These bacon-wrapped Sriracha onion rings are absolutely crazy good. The Sriracha caramelizes a bit as the bacon crisps over a sweet Vidalia onion, leaving you with a fantastic sweet heat. I’m a huge fan of Vidalias, always snatching up as many as I can while they are in season. And who doesn’t like Sriracha and bacon? It’s like having everything you ever dreamed of in one bite.

Bacon-Wrapped Sriracha Onion Rings

There are a few variations of these out on the web, but I settled on this one because it’s pretty straightforward. I’ve seen some recipes that like to sprinkle the rings in brown sugar before cooking. I’m pretty sure you’ll end up with a sticky mess on the grill if you do.

You can also make these in an oven. Just place the rings onto baking racks over baking sheets that are lined with aluminum foil and bake at 350 F (keeping an eye on them as they cook).

Weber Deluxe Grilling Basket
Weber Deluxe Grilling Basket

The key to these is to cut your onion rings thick (at least 1/2″), and use good, well-shaped thin sliced bacon. I use Indiana Kitchen brand bacon because the slices are generally all nice and rectangular. You don’t want a skinny piece of bacon that’ll shrink up and fall off your onion ring!Keep the leftover inner onion rings and make a fantastic Vidalia onion dip.

Bacon-Wrapped Sriracha Onion Rings
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Bacon Wrapped Sriracha Onion Rings

These bacon-wrapped Sriracha onion rings are absolutely crazy good. The Sriracha caramelizes a bit as the bacon crisps over a sweet onion, leaving you with a fantastic sweet heat.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, onion rings, spicy
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 620kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

For the rings

  • 2 large sweet onions
  • Sriracha
  • 8 slices bacon

For the dipping sauce

Instructions

  • Fire up your grill for indirect cooking, around 300-350 degrees F. These will take about 30 minutes, but maybe as long as an hour to cook depending on your grill temperature.
  • Cut the onions into 1/2″ rings.
  • Push out the inner rings, leaving the last two outer rings still together as one. Do not separate them.
  • Squeeze some Sriracha into a bowl that’s just big enough to fit an onion ring.
  • Place the ring into the sauce. Using your fingers, spread the sauce all over the ring. Flip the onion and repeat. Get it coated, but not drenched.
  • Wrap bacon around the rings. Don’t wrap too tightly since the bacon will shrink. Don’t wrap it too loose or it’ll fall off.
  • Brush (or just use your fingers) more Sriracha on the outside of the bacon.
  • Place the rings on your grill over indirect heat.
  • Grill the rings until the bacon just starts to crisp. Gently flip them (I used a grill spatula) and cook another 10-15 minutes. Remove to a baking sheet and let firm up a bit.
  • Serve with dipping sauce.

For the dipping sauce

  • Whisk together all ingredients except the milk.
  • If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of milk, whisk, and add more as needed if it is still too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 620kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 660mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Weber 6493 21-Inch 3-Sided Grill Brush
Weber 6493 21-Inch 3-Sided Grill Brush
Weber Grill Brush Scrubber - Heavy Duty Grate Cleaner - With 3 Replaceable Pads
Weber Grill Brush Scrubber – Heavy Duty Grate Cleaner – With 3 Replaceable Pads