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This crispy, flavorful beer battered onion ring recipe packs a ton of crunch with a savory batter that complements onion’s natural sweetness. These are easy to make with simple ingredients, and you can use the batter for frying other things, such as zucchini, mushrooms, green beans, cauliflower, fish, etc.! Fried onion rings are a fun game day appetizer, great party snack, or good side dish for burgers or sandwiches.
I remember growing up it was a rare treat when my parents made fried food.
On the special occasions when they deep fried, it was usually potato. We all loved French fries!
My mom would peel and cut the potatoes into thin sticks. They’d heat a pot of oil, with my mom really doing the work, but dad hovering around and trying to help.
He’d stand there with a double-thick brown paper bag – the big kind you get at the grocery store – and when the fries were done, mom would add them to the bag. Dad would fold the bag, and shake the fries with salt.
It was actually a pretty ingenious technique. As he shook, the brown paper absorbed the excess grease and the fries simultaneously got seasoned!
It was even more rare that my parents made onion rings. But I have to say, if I’m going to indulge in fried food, onion rings are probably my top choice!
These homemade beer batter onion rings are absolutely perfect. Crispy and light with delicious flavor; and they stay crunchy for a while! You won’t believe how easy they are to make. If you love restaurant-quality onion rings with a crispy, golden-brown crust and a deliciously light crunch, this recipe is for you! With just a handful of simple ingredients, you can whip up an appetizer or side dish everyone goes crazy for.
And the fun doesn’t stop at onion rings. You can use this beer batter to make tons of other things, such as fish fries, battered zucchini fries, deep fried mushrooms, etc.!
What Makes This Recipe a Winner
- Tossing the sliced raw onion rings in cornstarch helps absorb their moisture so you get super crispy fried onion rings. It also helps the batter stick!
- The batter is the perfect consistency. It’s about as thick as a thin pancake batter, so it coats the onion well and crisps up nicely without being overly cakey.
- These onion rings stay crispy and crunchy for quite a while! And bonus, after being refrigerated they reheat well in the air fryer or in a hot oven.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Sweet onion – Such as Vidalia.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch serves multiple purposes in this recipe. We toss the sliced onion in cornstarch, which absorbs their excess moisture and also helps the batter stick. Additionally, we add cornstarch to the beer batter, which helps make the batter light, resulting in super crisp onion rings!
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour or your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
- Salt – To enhance the flavor of everything else.
- Garlic powder – For a hint of savory flavor.
- Paprika – Adds depth, and also a touch of color to the batter.
- Baking powder – Baking powder helps create a lighter, crisper batter by introducing small air bubbles as it reacts with the liquid ingredients. This results in a crunchier texture and prevents the batter from becoming too dense or heavy.
- Beer – Go for a lager or pale ale.
- Vegetable oil – For frying.
The Best Onions For Onion Rings
Sweet onions, such as Vidalia, are often used for onion rings because they have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that complements the crispy, savory batter. Their natural sweetness balances the richness of the fried coating, making for a more flavorful bite. Additionally, sweet onions tend to have a lower sulfur content, which means they’re less pungent and won’t overpower the dish.
How to Make This Onion Rings Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos to guide you through cooking mushroom sauce. For the recipe video, please see the recipe card below.
1: How to Cut Onions For Making Onion Rings
Trim the ends off the onion and then remove the peel. Slice the onions horizontally into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Separate each ring of onion.
2: How to Cook Onion Rings (Deep Fry Method)
- Add the sliced onions to a large zip-top bag along with 4 tablespoons cornstarch. Seal the bag and toss well to coat, but be gentle so you don’t break the onion rings.
- Add the flour, remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder to a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the beer and whisk together. The batter will be lumpy, and should be like a thin pancake batter. Let the batter rest for about 15 minutes (about the time it takes to heat up the oil), or up to 45 minutes.
- Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed 5-quart pot. Heat it to about 350 to 365F. Dip an onion ring in the batter, let the excess batter drip off, and carefully slide it into the hot oil. Repeat until you have the onion rings in a single layer, being careful not to over-crowd the pot. Cook the onion rings until they’re golden on both sides, flipping once (it takes about 5 minutes total per batch).
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked onion rings to a baking tray lined with a wire rack or with paper towels. If you want to salt the onion rings, do it now while they’re hot.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover homemade onion rings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To maintain crispiness, reheat them in an oven at 375°F for 5 to 7 minutes before serving. Alternatively, reheat them in an air fryer at 375°F for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Freezing
Beer battered onion rings freeze really well!
To do so, after making them, let them cool on a wire rack, then transfer them to a parchment paper-lined baking tray (arranged in a single layer) to flash freeze. Once frozen solid, put them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat them directly from frozen in a 375F oven or air fryer until hot and crispy again.
Tips For the Best Homemade Onion Ring Recipe
- The beer – You can use any type of light-colored beer you like for this recipe. You can also use non-alcoholic beer or club soda instead.
- Don’t rush it – Let the batter rest for about 15 minutes after making it before you dip and fry the onion rings. This helps yield the crispiest onion rings!
- Make sure the frying temperature is right – Use an instant-read thermometer to monitor the oil’s temperature to keep it as close to the 350 to 365F range as possible.
- Other beer batter fried things – Yes, you can use this batter to make any number of battered and fried goodies! One of my absolute favorites is a fish fry like back home in Buffalo. Beer battered and deep fried haddock!
Homemade Beer Batter Onion Rings FAQs
The carbonation in beer yields amazingly light and crispy deep fried foods.
If you’re interested, you can read more about the science behind beer batter on Cook’s Illustrated and Scientific American.
Pale-colored beer works best for making beer battered foods. You can use any beer you like or have on hand other than a dark beer, such as a porter or stout. I used Coors Light.
If you’re wondering whether you can get drunk off beer battered food, the answer is no. Or at least, it is very highly unlikely!
Yes, beer battered deep-fried foods contain beer. However, alcohol evaporates at 172F and we’re frying at 350 to 365F. Therefore, at least some (if not all) of the alcohol will burn off during the cooking process.
You can read more about the science involved in alcohol cooking off during cooking in Idaho State University’s article “No Worries, the Alcohol Burns Off During Cooking – But, Does it Really?” and What’s Cooking America’s article “Alcohol Evaporation in Cooking and Baking”.
Additionally, remember that if you’re still concerned about trace alcohol content for any reason, you can substitute non-alcoholic beer or club soda for the beer in this recipe with no problem!
More Recipes for Onion Lovers
- Red Wine Caramelized Onion Flatbread with Manchego, Grapes, and Thyme
- Warm Caramelized Onion Chickpea Spread
- Caramelized Onion Tartlets
- Creamed Onions
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Beer Battered Onion Ring Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet onion about 2 medium-large onions
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch divided into 4 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups beer
- 48 ounces vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Trim the ends off the onion and then remove the peel. Slice the onions horizontally into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Separate each ring of onion.
- Add the sliced onion to a large zip-top bag along with 4 tablespoons cornstarch. Seal the bag and toss well to coat, but be gentle so you don’t break the onion rings.
- Add the flour, remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder to a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the beer and whisk together. The batter will be lumpy, and should be like a thin pancake batter. Let the batter rest for about 15 minutes (about the time it takes to heat up the oil), or up to 45 minutes.
- Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed 5-quart pot. Heat it to about 350 to 365F.
- Dip an onion ring in the batter, let the excess batter drip off, and carefully slide it into the hot oil. Repeat until you have the onion rings in a single layer, being careful not to over-crowd the pot. Cook the onion rings until they’re golden on both sides, flipping once (it takes about 5 minutes total per batch).
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked onion rings to a baking tray lined with a wire rack or with paper towels. If you want to salt the onion rings, do it now while they’re hot.
- Cook the remaining onion rings the same way.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the oil for deep frying.
- What Type of Beer to Use: You can use any type of light-colored beer you like for this recipe.
- Beer Substitute: Instead of beer, you can use non-alcoholic beer or club soda instead.
- Rest Time for the Batter: Let the batter rest for about 15 minutes after making it before you dip and fry the onion rings. This helps yield the crispiest onion rings!
- Fry Temperature: Use an instant-read thermometer to monitor the oil’s temperature to keep it as close to the 350 to 365F range as possible.
- What Else to Use This Batter For: You can use this batter to make any number of battered and fried goodies! Zucchini sticks, mushrooms, green beans, mozzarella sticks, etc. One of my absolute favorites is a fish fry like back home in Buffalo; beer battered and deep fried haddock!
- Storage: Store leftover homemade onion rings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: To maintain crispiness, reheat them in an oven at 375°F for 5 to 7 minutes before serving. Alternatively, reheat them in an air fryer at 375°F for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
- Freezing: After making the onion rings, let them cool on a wire rack, then transfer them to a parchment paper-lined baking tray (arranged in a single layer) to flash freeze. Once frozen solid, put them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat them directly from frozen in a 375F oven or air fryer until hot and crispy again.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on July 19, 2022 and updated on February 7, 2025.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
Can you freeze beer batter onion rings?
Thank you Byron F.
Byron, Yes, these freeze really well! After making them, let them cool on a wire rack, then transfer them to a parchment paper-lined baking tray (arranged in a single layer) to flash freeze. Once frozen solid, put them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat them directly from frozen in a 375F oven or air fryer until hot and crispy again.
Thank you Faith. making them this morn. so far so good!
Byron, I’m happy to hear that, I hope you enjoy! ☺️
How would I use this wonderful recipe and air fry the onion rings??
Anne, I have been wondering that same thing! I’ve heard that batter doesn’t do great in the air fryer in general, but I was thinking of using air fryer basket liners and just seeing how well it works. If you try it, let me know how it goes! :)
Doesn’t say measurements of ingredients!
Hi Laura, I wanted to make sure you’re looking at the recipe; the measurements are given there in US Customary units with the option to switch to Metric units; here is the link: https://www.anediblemosaic.com/beer-batter-onion-rings-recipe/#recipe
These are amazing Faith! Easy to make and so delicious!