Onion Rings in Beer Batter

Jump to Recipe

This is a simple onion rings recipe that uses beer batter for coating. These onion appetizers go well with all kinds of dips or with burgers or hot dogs.

Homemade onion rings are easier than you think. They only require a few pantry ingredients and are ready in no time.

What sauce goes with onion rings?

This will depend on one’s preference. Here are a few ideas for you:

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce – a delicious and easy sauce that goes so well with all sorts of appetizers not only onion rings.
Aioli – either store-bought or homemade.
Garlic Dip
Ketchup
Sour Cream and Chive Dip

Utensils needed:

Chopping board & knife (any sharp with a long blade will do)
Bowl & whisk – for the batter
Pot – for frying
Paper kitchen towels & plate – to remove any excess oil

How to cut an onion into rings?

I cut both ends off, peel the skin and start cutting from one of the ends. Slice it into about ¼ - inch (½-centimeter) thick rounds. I wouldn’t go thinner than that.

How to make batter for onion rings?

Get a bowl and combine flour with paprika, salt, and pepper. Give it a mix and then pour in the beer. Whisk until you get a smooth consistency. If you feel it is too liquidy, add slightly more flour. If too thick, add more beer.

Expert tips

Either regular (sweet), smoked paprika or cayenne pepper (for an extra kick) can be used.

Use any large white or yellow onion. It does not matter whether it is sweet or not as during frying it will turn sweet.

When measuring beer, you are not really after the foam so if your beer does have some, let it sit for a minute or two first.

Frequently asked questions

What oil is best for frying and how much should I use?

Any oil with a high smoke point is perfect (like vegetable, sunflower, peanut, safflower,…)

The quantity will vary, depending on what you will use to fry the onion rings in (a large wide pot will need more oil than a smaller one and so will a deep fryer). You will need a minimum of 2-3 cups of oil.

How many calories per onion ring?

Note that the nutritional information should only serve as a guide.

In this case, it is not possible to calculate precisely the number of calories, fat, etc for several reasons: each onion ring has a different size and even though you will need a large quantity of oil for frying, you obviously will not consume all of it. The same goes for the batter.

That being said, we have used a nutritional calculator to calculate the approximate number of calories counting with 10% of the oil used (see recipe card for details).

I don’t want to use beer. What can I use instead?

A sparkling water is a good substitution but perhaps use slightly more seasoning to add more flavor to the batter.

Special diet information:

What do homemade onion rings contain?
Dairy: No
Nuts: No
Gluten: Yes (however, gluten-free flour can be used as a substitute)
Meat: No
Refined sugar added: No (keep in mind that beer itself contains sugars)

More fried appetizers you might like to try:

Yield: 4 servings (about 16 onion rings)

This is a simple onion rings recipe that uses beer batter for coating. These onion appetizers go well with all kinds of dips or with burgers or hot dogs.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced, see note 1
1 cup all-purpose flour (140 grams)
1 teaspoon paprika, see note 2
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper, a pinch
½ cup beer, without foam, see note 3 (120 milliliters)
oil for frying, see note 4

Instructions

Separate the sliced onion into individual rings (the smallest part – the center of each ring can be battered or if you don’t like it, discard it).
In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add beer and mix until you get a smooth batter.
Pour oil into a large pot and heat it over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, dip an onion slice in the batter, shake off slightly any excess and slowly drop it in the oil. Repeat with several more, but make sure not to overfill the pot with onion rings.
When they are golden brown on both sides, take them out (with a fork) and transfer them onto a plate lined with a paper kitchen towel. Repeat until you have used up all the rings.
Enjoy right away with any sauce you like.

Notes

Onion – use either yellow or white onion. Cut them into rounds that are about ¼-inch (0.5-centimeter) wide. You can slice a bit wider but slices that are too thick will take longer to cook which can result in the outside already done (batter) while the inside (onion) still raw.
To add a spicy kick, you can use cayenne pepper (to taste – I would go perhaps with ½ teaspoon or less).
Any light beer will work.
The quantity of oil will vary. This will depend on how large your pot is. In general, count with at least 2.5 cups (620 milliliters). The rings need enough oil so that they can float easily. Use any oil with high smoke point – i.e. vegetable, sunflower, peanut, safflower,…
Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of onion rings and how hot your oil is so keep an eye on them.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 532mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g