In Pursuit of the Perfect Onion Ring | What’s Eating Dan?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
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Dan shows you how to fry up delicately crisp, golden onion rings that run circles around restaurant versions.
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Ingredients:
Powdered Sugar - 1 tbsp
Cornstarch, divided - 2tsp, 3 tbsp
Table salt - 1.5 tsp
Onion Powder - 1tsp
Yellow Onions, Lg - x2
APF - 2 cups
Baking Powder - 2 tsp
Lager or Beer of choice - 2 cups
Method:
- combine sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, salt, and onion powder in large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- cut onions into 1/2” thick rings, discarding unusable small layers
- place the rings into the bowl, tossing thoroughly to coat with the confectioners sugar mixture. Remove rings and set aside on a tray.
- In the large mixing bowl with the remaining confectioners sugar mixture, add in the flour, baking powder, the 3 tablespoons cornstarch, and whisk to combine. Whisk in the beer, and mix until it is like pancake batter with small lumps.
- coat onion rings and fry in 375º oil for ≈ 4 minutes.
The hero we need!
+1
Thank you.
🙃
Also, how much flour? I'm literally making these right now.
I saw and successfully tried a recipe that used a batter very similar to yours, But after battering, the rings were coated with Panko and left on a wire rack long enough for the coating to hydrate or "set" before frying. But the coating wasn't just plain Panko. The Panko flakes were pulverized in a food processor to the consistency of fine sand. So that coating added even more crunch than the cornstarch-laced batter alone.
This is what we do!!!
brian lagerstrom maybe. Think I have seen him do that. ITs how I like my onion rings.
Chef Jean Pierre says to remove the membrane between each ring so the batter clings better and the onions don’t slide out when you bite them. It is a pain, but yes it works. I have tried it and it was the best tip that improved my home made onion rings. This was a great video too and I will try the 360 fry temp method to see if it works without the work of separating the membrane. Would be easier if it works,
Maybe you could lightly rub the flour coating against the membrane
@@morehn Coarse salt. It will act as an abrasive and flavoring agent.
Agree!! Well worth the time.
He said if it has a membrane. The ones he demonstrated only had the outer shell membrane and the rest did not
this is the only thing in my 40 years that has made me enjoying cooking. the science of cooking is amazing!
I am so glad that you are still making videos. I found you earlier this year and I love you and your content. I, of course, have since liked, subscribed and binged watch so many videos. Thank you for what you contribute to the food industry, comedy and content creation. Your videos are much like another who I hold dearly, Alton Brown. I think a mash-up of you two working together is in order!
I have switched to using a Tempura Batter for making Onion Rings. I make it with half rice flour, half all purpose, an Egg Yolk - and I use GINGER ALE as the liquid (I cannot drink alcohol) - The sugar in the Ginger ale means I get a darker crust of batter.
Sounds delish!
the alcohol disappears in cooking
In reality it does not completely get cooked off - YES - you have been told this and it is wrong. While most of the alcohol will go up as steam - and most people would not have a problem with what is left - I have a medication problem that prevents me from using it. In fact - I cannot even use traditional Vanilla which comes in alcohol. BUT - I am still alive! @@tomjanowski8584
@@tomjanowski8584true but for some it’s not wise to have it in the house or smell it. I’m grateful for the ginger ale idea and might even try NA ginger beer since it has more color and body.
I was going to ask if anyone had a substitute for the beer other than seltzer. What a great idea :)
I like the beer battered onion rings. You did a great job! Thanks for the video Dan.
Great job 👏 👍
I've watched several other beer batter recipes and I think this one nails it!!! I'm using this one and great job on the science!
Onions Rings and Fried Zucchini my two favorites.🤤
Add fried eggplant & zucchini to those two. Wow! That's how my grandmother got me to fall in love with eggplant & zucchini
Add whole mushrooms and cauliflower to that mix!
Fried mushrooms.
Shrooms!
Last time I made them I soaked them in buttermilk for about an hour before dipping in a beer batter to fry. I want to say it helped to soften the rings up a little (?) and they were AWESOME! Made burger king zesty sauce to dip them in too.
I use a very similar recipe for my homemade onion rings but add a generous pinch of smoked paprika and just a dash of salt into the dry mixture. If you have ever craved BBQ onion rings, give it a try. It's a gentle background flavor profile!
I have yet to find anything that isn't enhanced by smoked paprika!
Smoked paprika is amazing in fried chicken breading, so it only makes sense to use it for onion rings. Good tip.
Love this idea, but I also like spicy, so I might add a little cyan pepper as well! Spicy BBQ!
I've never bought smoked paprika, I figure I can use chipotle powder anywhere instead.
I need someone in my life to look at me the way Dan looks at those rings!
If you can satisfy someone the way an onion ring can, then you will have no difficulty.
Buy a mirror
Onion Powder is a gift to humanity. It’s awesome 🤩
The best onion rings are "New England" style, a simple corn meal and flour coating and a soak in buttermilk. No batter. They're thinner and crunchier than the other kind.
If the onion rings are good, I’ll always choose the rings! These look heavenly!!
masa harina or other finely ground cornmeal will act like the cornstarch but give more flavor and color.
Kudos to you.
Enjoyed your tutorial.
The two best kinds of onion rings I’ve ever had were from Viking Burger in Newport News Virginia, and the Backyard Barbecue Boys’ recipe.
The BBQ Boys wrap 1/2” rings in bacon and grill them, then dip them in a semolina batter and deep fry. Divine.
Sorry: One word: A&W (in Canada). Hand made, floured, battered, crumbed. seasond salt at the end. perfection.
I can try A&W in Canada next time I cross the border! Thanks for the recommendation.
Agree..the BEST!
Great Onion description! Thanks!😊
3:40 When the Japanese make tempura, there often will be these little bits of fried batter called _ten-kasu_ left floating in the oil. It's often collected and used in other dishes like _okonomiyaki._
My tempura recipe calls for arrowroot. I wonder what thst does for onion ring batter?
Best onion rings I ever had were at The Painted Duck in Atlanta. Crispy and light on the outside and so pillowy on the inside. Changed my life!
What I liked most about this video is the ‘Presentation’! It has motivated me to try out this recipe tonight! That’s the intent, Right?
I love onion rings when they are still hot and crispy but I found that almost all of them become greasy and soggy quite quickly. I found a recipe where the battered rings are rolled in Panko crumbs before frying. Even when they cool down, they are still delicious and remain crispy. The other thing is needing to apply a little bit of salt after they come out of the fryer.
I've made some extra big batches and re-heated the next day in my air fryer. They get crispy just like fresh fried. 400 degrees for 3 or 4 minutes.
Thank you!!🥰👍👍
If you're getting fast food o-rings, Culvers in the midwest has the best I've ever had. They're so good!
onion rings always even though I run the risk of getting horrible rings, i still go with the rings. unless zuchini or mushrooms are on offer then it's mushrooms first, zuchini (long cut, not circular), then onion rings and then fries...unless I'm in the netherlands and then it's fries first. always bluecheese dressing for dipping, but that jalapeno sauce you mentioned looked GREAT! oh the zuchini and mushrooms need panko coating too!
Thank you!!!!
Great advice! Love your experimental approach. I will try your advice with all my battered foods. I hit the like button! One point, I find if I leave any food that I batter set for about 15-30 after battering the stickability improves further.
Thanks for the comment. The rest period . . .at room temp or in the fridge?
Let all the pieces rest in the big bowl of batter or after batter then lay out each piece individually to rest before frying?
I have heard wonderful this about adding vodka to the liquid which will create bubbles as the alcohol boils off then a second set of bubbles as the water boils off.
Every summer, i make tons of Vidalia onion chips & powder...AWESOME ❤
GREAT recipe, i ONLY eat onion rings, never French fries. 😋
Nothing beats starting my weekend with another video by Dan!
I LOVE onion rings, order them all the time, rate them all the time, and am disappointed most of the time. Dan’s onion ring criteria are the same as mine…I guess I’ll be making some onion rings to “ring in” the new year!!! (a Dan worthy joke!)
This started in college when a buddy of mine and I made it a goal to search for the best onion rings. Needless to say, over the past 13 yrs, some have stood out but im now excited to try this recipe! Onion rings > fries, there, i said it!
I totally felt a connection with Dan when he said "boo to that."
Guy ferie had a DDD where the man was known for his onion rings. His differences were peeling the day before, putting in large containers, and putting in the walk-in fridge. Twenty-four hrs later, they are cut and battered.
Merry christmas, Dan!
Pro tip: soak your onions in cold water for at least 10 minutes after slicing. This will reduce the pugency and greatly assist in removing the thin, slick membrane which contributes to "the slide." Make sure you fully dry the onions, obvi, then season and batter how ya like. And I def encourage playing around with flours -- corn, rice, tapioca, etc. -- to find the "ideal" crust.
Dan, how about tackling fried okra? I want to make it at home and have the coating stick.
I salute you, Dan! I can always trust you to take on life's Great Questions with courage, humility, humor, intelligence, and mad skills. THANK YOU. From one "always say yes to the onion rings" person to another.
Make great onion rings. She used Aunt Jemima pancake batter, but used more water to make it about the same consistency as yours. She passed away three years ago just short of her 102nd birthday. Thank you for your post.
The best onion rings I ever had was in the early 1980’s at a Popeyes located in Ft Pierce, Fl. They were crunchy on the outside with a flakey light beer batter of sorts. I would love to have that recipe. Oh yeah, and spicy. They were discontinued although I never understood why. If I could get my hands on that recipe, I would open up a small drive through joint that would only sell those onion rings. I have been disappointed from every onion ring I have tried since then. But I’ll give this recipe a try, but they look nothing like the ones from Popeyes.
Favoriting this before I even get to the recipe because this is a man after my own heart.
Thank you, this is valuable information.
Ty for sharing this video, I am saving this recipe because I must try it, my wife and I both love onion rings!
Dan:
Presentation superb. AMTK brilliant production and content.
Thanks
You should try carbonating something that also would add flavor. While it sounds terrible, maybe Carbonated Bullion or Bullion added to Beer might be even better, based on the reactions you see.
I totally agree with you and was excited to give this a try until finding out the recipe is not accessible without a subscription. How about subscription free printable access for select recipes? And I know there is a free trail subscription but why not no strings attached?
Oh yeah man, I am definitely that guy that prefers to get onion rings over French fries, more often than not. And whenever I do french fries at home, I always do some onion rings for myself. I read somewhere that dredging the onion slices in pure cornstarch, before dunking them into an all flower batter produces the best results. I'm also not a fan of beer, yes, I'm one of the few men in existence that does not like beer. So I usually use carbonated water. I have got to check out the recipe for this creamy jalapeno dip.
My daughter and I took a road trip from North Carolina to Seattle and tried onion rings along the way. The best were at a mom and pops drive up in Gardner, MT. Big and crispy.
It is God sent. I have been trying to stay away from vegetable oil because it is highly inflammatory. Unfortunately, this led to no more commercial onion ring for me to buy. Now I can make it at home with Lard.
what's eating dan is the best. More Dan please. he's the best
My fav is taking an onion, process it in a food processor with seasoning of choice, then shape into rings using a shaping tool of your choice, freezing it, removing from freezer, coat in whatever method you want, then fry, then eat 🤤
Dan, you understand. I adore onion rings. I’ve only ever had good ones at Japanese tempura places, and when I make them at home.
Although I don't eat them often. I really enjoy a well cooked crispy onion ring. Well done Dan!
Onion powder in onion rings... Awesome ❤
My tip: I use a buttermilk pancake mix that I make slightly more thin. The bit of sweetness in the batter offsets the strong onion flavor, and the mix has all the ingredients to give crisp and light coating that stays on. And with salt sprinkled on the fried onions it all just works!
No hassle!
I know a lot of people like these liquid batter ones but I'm so much more interesting in the dryer batters. The ones that flake off and are crispy. I want the onion to still have it's crunch too. A&W still makes the type of onion rings I like (when they're on the good side).
This just gave me an idea for onion funnel cakes. Use this batter but just mix in pureed onions and drizzle in hot oil like a regular funnel cake?
I loving it when Dan talks science to me!
Several online chefs recommend the use of dried potato flakes (like in instant potato's) to get really crunchy onion rings. Not sure of much of those to put in the batter.
Awesome! Smells good all the way to Texas!
In my experiments, the main thing is to nail the amount of beer to the gram. Even a 3-4% difference in amount makes a difference between too runny/thin and too thick. That said, I get best results when it's really quite thick.
Yum yum. Love onion rings. Beer batter all the way. But I use pancake mix
I want both.
Classic New England fried seafood restaurant we always went to as a kid had ultra-thin-and-crispy onion rings (onion strings?) with a seafood twist - they got clam-baked. I don't know if it happened before or after frying, though.
This batter but also dredged in panko crumbs...perfection 🤗
Thank you Dan for my life.
I love Dan😍😍😍
I’m gonna try this one 😊
So with you on this.
Here in FL I grew up with and favor cornmeal batter/breading for onion rings, okra, and fish- and then of course there are the hush puppies..
QUESTION: once you’ve cooked onion rings, are you limited in what you can cook in the oil?
Thank you for this video. Fantastic.
I agree that I have been disappointed many times by bad onion rings. Most of the time it was because the batter was too heavy. The only restaurant I've been to where the rings were better than the fries is The Beacon in Spartanburg, SC. For the full experience, you order a chili cheese a-plen-tay (that's how they say it), which gets you a pretty good chili cheese burger siting on a 9 inch plate and a bunch of good fries and the largest stack possible of the best hot slightly greasy onion rings on top. Dan needs to try these things. Yall do to. They use Vidalias and a batter that is kinda thin. The result is heavenly. I may have to go to Spartanburg tomorrow.
I'm a beer batter person, the only thing I question is the powdered sugar, I prefer savory, so for me a no on that particular ingredient. Other than that I would definitely try your recipe.
Thank you!
I love onion rings. Definitely trying this version!
I like to order a mix of both fries and onion rings when possible, that way at least I have some fries to fall back on if the onion rings disappoint (which they usually do). Dan, this video is especially funny! 😂😂
Considering making some onion rings for New Years Eve because I already have the oil out for making arancini as an appetizer. Will definitely go with this recipe
i craved onion rings once and only had pancake mix... it wasn't bad. But this is probably way better!
agree.....the perfect onion ring is heaven!! 💯🏆⭐🥰
The video I didn't know I needed. Great!
I feel like this video is missing a much debated approach of whether to freeze the onion slices and then thaw them to remove the inner membrane from each slice to ensure you get a clean bite and the onion doesn't pull out. In the video they reference getting the temp right on the fry to prevent this, but I have not found that to be as effective as removing the membrane. What have others found?
Why not use that wheat dextrin for very crispy batter? Maybe because those things are not normally found in the household kitchen?
I always click like on Dan's videos because I know that I am going to enjoy the content. I will look forward to making these, thanks!
Thank you Dan!
Love onion rings, and these look perfect! Gotta give this a shot soon.
Got me over here drooling Onions rings are my first choice every time. I can’t wait to give these a go. Y U M 🤤
PRO TIP: after the batter, coat them on bread crumbs. It will be soo crispy, mush more than those on the vid
I too, will always choose onion rings over french fries! I’ve use almost the same batter recipe what I do differently with onion rings, and chicken is after I dip in the batter I’ve been shake them in seasoned flour before frying.
I don’t particularly like the taste of beer. I am wondering what it would taste like if you used like a a light soda
Chipotle dip and these onion rings sound like heaven...
i have discovered oat batter, it clings and it's super crispy. i have been obsessed with oat since the oat dinner roll
Like you, Dan, I will always choose onion rings in the hope of finding crispy onion perfection. I always enjoy the "What's Eating Dan" episodes, however, this one seems to have been made especially for me 😊
You're not alone out there buddy, you're not alone.
can you soften the onions a bit by soaking in buttermilk prior to battering?
Soaking is to alter the flavor and make them better.
Dan, you must try onions ring at the Weather Vane restaurant in Kittery Maine, opposite of kittery trading post. They are so flaky. How do they do that
WOW. Just WOW!
Yummy and I'm hungry now....
Onion rings always!! Will try this recipe 🫢😞😋🥰
As far as fast-food onion rings: Culvers and Sonic have the best. Once upon a time [the 70's] Burger king had good rings. Now they are these foul, chopped processed onion mush encased in bread crumbs.
Anybody else have a favorite burger-joint recommendation?
In the Los Angeles area & San Fernando Valley.....
FAT BURGER onion rings are addictive.
Best onion rings are an onion loaf and can be had at one of the Hackney's restaurant's in the Chicagoland area. Never had better.