You don’t have to be a magician to conjure up the lightest, crispiest, most ethereal onion rings – you just have to follow the recipe/method below for Crispy Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings.
Crispy Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings
I love onion rings…love, love, love them. I’ll take them over fries every single time. You might say rings are my thing. While I don’t claim to be an expert ringer, I’ve gotta believe if there was such a title, I’d be pretty darned close…
About Crispy Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings:
Here’s the deal with onion rings, though. When onion rings are good, they’re so good, when they’re mediocre, they’re so bad. I even resigned myself to not ordering them at restaurants because ya just never know which version you’re gonna get.
Making them at home, though? You’re going to get crispy, golden perfection every time. Whether you’re craving a snack or gearing up to serve a crowd, these deliver on all levels. Beautiful flavor and an outstanding coating, every time.
Not to be a bummer but I gotta mention the downfall of onion rings: anticipating that perfect bite, only to have the still raw onion slip out as the batter crumbles away. These are NOT those onion rings and the only downfall is you’ll want these ALL the time!
Variations:
This beer batter will make anything taste good. True confession: I started out with onion rings, but it wasn’t long before any random veggies I had hanging out in the kitchen became my victims. There was no stopping my obsession. Mushrooms, cauliflower (par cook it, first), zucchini, and green beans were battered and dropped in my fryer.
There’s no reason to stop there. Just about any seafood would be outstanding and this will transform your Friday fish fry.
chili lime dipping sauce
Serving:
While I love serving these Onion Rings with a little something different, a Chili Lime Dipping Sauce, these come, too, with a side of savings. See below. Seriously though, Mustard works, too, and for me is a close second.
I won’t judge you for using ketchup or ranch if ya gotta go there. Well, I’ll try to keep that judgment to a minimum, anyway. Try the Chili Lime Dipping Sauce. It’s got so much flavor and a bright tang. It’s like redemption.
Making Crispy Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings:
If you’ve ever had Italian Fritto Misto or anything made with a Tempura batter, you know what a beautiful thing those are, crisp and crunchy. This beer batter is like a cross between them both. The beer flavor comes through with a little extra sumpin’ sumpin’ but it’s subtle.
First of all, the beer can be replaced with club soda or soda water and the rings will still be delicious. And while these particular onion rings are made with h Vidalia onions,, which give them just the slightest hint of sweet (is there anything better than salt/sweet?) know that any sweet or just plain old onions are perfectly good, too.
There are two big takeaways to making these Onion Rings a success:
- First, soak the onions in cold water for 10 minutes, drain, and pat dry. This little step has a huge payoff; it takes away the raw bite of onion.
- Second, keep the batter cold. Start with ice-cold beer and place the bowl with the batter over another bowl filled with ice water. I like to mix the batter in a metal bowl; I think it transfers the cold from the ice water better than glass or plastic.
Of course, when frying anything, pay close attention to the temperature of the oil. This does best at 365 degrees F. Hot enough to cook to golden brown and crispy, and just low enough to cook the onion inside through to perfection..
Storing:
- Onion rings are a fleeting thing and should be eaten asap right after they come out of the fryer. If they have to be stored, cool in the fridge and then cover to prevent any possible condensation.
- As far as reheating, try your air fryer or lacking that, reheat in the oven at 375 degrees F. for a few minutes. Make sure to spread them out on a sheet tray and turn them once or twice.
Saving Money on Crispy Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings:
As always, I have a few steps to save you some hard-earned cash. First of all, just making these at home is a savings over buying an equivalent amount at any restaurant or fast food place.
Onions:
Vidalia are the pinnacle of the onion world; their sweet, mild flavor pairs well with the beer. When in season (mid-April through September) the quality and pricing will be best. A budget option would be a yellow or white onion, sweet or not.
- Onions rarely go on sale, but you’ll pay less per pound if bought in bags than by the piece. Aldi and Lidl have great pricing. Typically Buyer’s Clubs don’t beat their pricing but have beautiful, large onions, which are easier to work with.
- Wherever you buy, look through the netting carefully to make sure they’re all sound and once home, store in a cool dark place away from potatoes.
- Partial onions can be bagged and stored in the fridge door, where it’s easy to see. I’m not a fan of storing raw onion in the freezer where the smell can permeate everything. Sauteeing first improves the flavor and reduces the size.
Beer:
- Shop carefully for your alcoholic beverages and be aware of seasonal and cyclic changes as well as great prices on newly available offerings.
- Sign up for email alerts and know that Holidays (see what’s on sale before almost every major holiday) and before big sporting events are often the best times to buy. Stock up at a low, enough to last until the next great sale.
- See what to look for on sale before any major food holiday on my post, Win at the Grocer.
- Learn how to store beer and for how long in this excellent article by Eat by Date.
Crispy Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings
Crispy Vidalia Onion Rings & Assorted Vegetables with Chili Lime Dipping Sauce
- Total Time: 30 minutes + resting time
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
Ingredients
- 2 large Vidalia onions, cut into 1/4-inch rings and/or assorted vegetables of your choice (pictured above is one onion’s worth)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
- 1 1/3 cups ice-cold beer.
Instructions
Place onions in a large bowl filled with cold water and soak for about 10 minutes. Drain and dry on a clean kitchen towel.
Mix all batter ingredients together in a bowl. Place bowl over ice water.
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy pan to 365 degrees F. Put dry onion rings in batter. Lift out a small handful at a time, allowing excess batter to fall back into bowl. Carefully place in hot oil and fry, turning once, three to four minutes until golden brown.
Remove and drain on a rack over a sheet pan. Salt while still hot.
Chili Lime Dipping Sauce, makes about 1/2 cup
- 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai sweet chili sauce, or more, to taste
- juice of 1/2 lime
- zest of 1/2 lime
Stir together Mayo, yogurt, chile sauce, and lime juice. Grate lime zest over the top.
