How to Make Onion Ring Batter

Onion ring batter can be made plain or seasoned, depending on your own preferences or the meal style. A few different approaches to making onion batter are given here, including a baked batter version for those occasions where you're trying to reduce the level of fat in your food.

Ingredients

Basic Unseasoned Batter

3.5 ounces/100 grams all purpose/plain flour
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon oil
5 fluid ounces/150 milliliters milk
1 egg white

Beer Batter

11.1 fluid ounces/330 milliliters lager/beer
5.6 oz/160 grams flour
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Dash of soy sauce
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste

Spicy Baking Batter

½ cup all purpose/plain flour, plus 2 tablespoons extra for tossing
⅓ - ½ cup beer, or milk, for batter
¾ cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoons red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons hard cheese such as Parmesan, grated
1 tablespoon oregano flakes, dried
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt, to taste

Crunchy Milk Batter

Milk, enough to cover 1 sliced onion
White all-purpose or plain flour
Sea salt and white pepper
Vegetable oil

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Basic unseasoned batter

1
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the center of the sifted flour.
2
Tip the egg yolks and oil into the well. Use a large spoon or electric mixer to mix until smooth. Gradually add the milk while mixing, and beat well.

Advertisement
3
Cover the batter. Let stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, to chill.
- While the batter is sitting, slice the onion rings to about 1/2 inch/1cm thickness.
4
After 30 minutes, whisk the egg white until stiff. Fold into the batter.
5
Dip the onion rings into the batter and fry until golden brown. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
6
Remove from the oil using tongs or a slotted spoon. Place on kitchen paper to remove any excess grease, then serve immediately.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Beer batter

1
Pour the lager or beer of choice into a large mixing bowl.
2
Whisk in the flour gradually. Whisk until it turns smooth and silky in consistency.
- Add more flour if needed but only after whisking to see if it's enough or not.
3
Add the cayenne pepper, soy sauce and seasoning to taste. Mix through well.
4
Place in the refrigerator to chill before using. Thirty to sixty minutes is a good amount of time.
5
While chilling, prepare the onion rings. Cut into 1/2 inch/1 cm rings and place in the refrigerator to chill.
6
Cook the onion rings. Pour enough oil to cover in a heavy based frying pan with high sides or use a deep fryer.
- Drop each ring into seasoned flour and coat well. The dip in the batter.
- Using tongs, dunk into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
7
Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon. Place on kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
8
Serve immediately for best flavor. Season again if needed.
- Salsa, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, etc. make good accompaniments.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Spicy baking batter

If you want to keep the fat content down but still have onion rings, try baking them. This batter is formulated for baking instead of frying.

1
Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
2
Slice the onion rings 1/2 inch/1 cm thick. Place in the refrigerator while making the batter.
3
Mix 1/2 cup flour with enough liquid to turn it runny and smooth. It should stick to the back of a spoon thinly.
4
Mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, red pepper flakes and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5
Put 2 tablespoons of flour inside a paper bag. Add the onion rings and toss until well coated. (Don't overfill the bag, toss a few at a time, checking if it needs a refill of flour after each toss.)
6
Dip each onion ring individually into the batter. Shake off any excess, gently.
7
Arrange the dipped rings in a single layer across a parchment covered baking sheet. Continue dipping each ring and arranging until all are done.
8
Place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Check after 10-12 minutes. Use tongs to flip over each ring to ensure good browning on both sides.
9
Remove from the oven. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce and other relevant food.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Crunchy milk batter

Not so much a "batter" in the traditional sense but nevertheless, still a suitable coating to create a crunchy outcome for the onion rings.

1
Slice the onion into thin rings.
2
Place the rings across a wide dish. Pour the milk over the top and leave to sit for half an hour.
3
Pour the flour and seasoning onto a plate. Mix to combine.
4
Pour the oil into a wok or deep frying pan/skillet. Heat the oil until it reaches 350ºF/180ºC.
5
Dip each ring in the seasoned flour mix on the plate. Place in the deep oil and fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
6
Place on kitchen paper towel to drain.
7
Serve immediately.

Community Q&A

Question

What is the difference in the ingredients of the beer batters?

Community Answer

The only difference is the "spicy" batter has more seasoning.