My husband is my hero! He takes out the trash. He kills spiders. He changes the oil in my car. He’s a great father and my very best friend. When he said last week that he had a craving for a bacon cheeseburger and a pile of onion rings, I knew I had to make that happen!
The problem was – and it was a delicious problem to have – I’ve never made onion rings! Let’s face it, a good onion ring has to have a great batter. The crunch is important. The seasonings are important. An onion ring can go from delicious to disgusting in the smallest of details. Thankfully, I consulted some of my favorite deep fry experts (Emeril, Paula and Guy) and came up with my own recipe! I think they turned out pretty well!
These do take a bit of planning. The rings soak for at least an hour, then you assemble them and they have to set before you can fry them, but they are worth it! They’re crisp and delicious. A little different from the usual beer-battered onion rings and perfect for a spider-killing hero!
My Hero’s Onion Rings
Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, sliced into thick rings
2 cups Buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 TBLS McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 egg
1 TBLS water
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
Place the onion rings in a bowl and cover with buttermilk, making sure the onions are completely submerged. Cover and let soak in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
While the onions are soaking, get the ingredients together for your batter. In a shallow dish, combine the flour and Steak Seasoning. In another dish, combine the egg and water, whisking together until well combined. In a third shallow dish, place the bread crumbs.
Line a cookie sheet with foil and place a rack over the foil. Set aside.
Take the onion rings out of the refrigerator and line your dishes up on the counter in this order: Onions, flour, egg, bread crumbs, cookie sheet.
To assemble the onion rings, take a ring from the buttermilk and coat it in the seasoned flour. Shake it off slightly so the flour is just lightly covering all of the onion. Dredge the flour coated onion in the egg wash. From there, place the onion in the Panko. Press the crumbs carefully onto the onion ring so they stick. Place on the finished onion ring on the rack in the cookie sheet. They should look like this:
Once the onion rings are assembled, put them back in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes so they can set.
While the onion rings are setting up, heat your oil to 375 F.
Take the onions out of the refrigerator and fry them in small batches, until they are golden brown. Mine took about 3-4 minutes. The time will depending on the thickness of your onion slices, so keep an eye on them. When they are done, drain on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve warm!
One thing I loved most about creating this recipe, is the seasonings are completely customizable. I went with steak seasoning because it was a great match for a classic bacon cheeseburger. If we were doing south-western burgers I’d replace the steak seasoning with some oregano and chili powder to give the onions a spicy kick. Be creative! Add spices to the flour that compliment the flavors of your meal. The Panko adds a light crispy crust and paired with a great beer, you might not even need the burger! You can let your hero decide. :-)
Enjoy!
As we say in the South, “Those look fittin’ to eat!” You’ve mastered onion rings with your first try. :)
Thank you so much!