Best Buttermilk Onion Rings

October 14, 2011

Sometimes you just want to indulge in a deep-fried snack. To me, there is nothing better than a onion ring. The perfect onion ring has crispy coating with a sweet and mild onion inside. These buttermilk onion rings are one of the best I have made at home. Accompanied with a spicy sriracha crema and you have the ultimate snack.

Buttermilk Onion Rings

Ingredients:

1 inch large sweet Vidalia onion, cut into ¼ slices

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, or as needed

1 cup dry unflavored bread crumbs

1 cup panko bread crumbs

to taste salt

1 quart vegetable oil (or as needed)

1 tablespoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

1/4 cup Crema Mexicana

Directions:

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or dutch oven to 365 degrees F.

Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. This will help the batter adhere.

Gently beat the egg and milk into the flour mixture using hand mixer.

Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up.

Place the bread and panko crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat.

Give it a gentle tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.I suggest completing this entire step before starting to fry rings. Its very easy to burn them if you’re distracted. I may or may not be speaking from experience.

Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. They should float to the top immediately – if they don’t your oil is not hot enough. Turn rings over once during the frying time.

Remove form oil and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve warm.

Preparing Dipping Sauce: Mix Sriracha Chili and Crema thoroughly until completely blended. Use more or less of the chili sauce depending on your “heat” preference.