Crispy, flavorful Beer Batter Onion Rings pack a ton of crunch with a savory batter that complements the natural sweetness of onion. These are so easy are to make, and you can use the batter for frying other things, such as zucchini, mushrooms, green beans, cauliflower, fish, etc.!
Trim the ends off the onion and then remove the peel. Slice the onions horizontally into ½-inch thick rounds. Separate each ring of onion.
Add the onion rings 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.
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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!