These beer-battered onion rings are the most delicious way to prepare them. The beer batter takes just a few minutes to prepare, and the onion rings are exceptionally good every time, with excellent flavor and crispiness!
Crunchy, golden, and fried to perfection, they will quickly become a favorite snack and side dish. I like to serve this with lime mayo sauce, boom boom sauce, comeback sauce, yum yum sauce, or sweet and sour sauce.
My husband is an absolute fanatic when it comes to crispy onion rings. He LOVES THEM!! Now, add some beer batter, and he thinks he has died and gone to heaven. Unsurprisingly, he was munching down these like there was no tomorrow. They are so easy; you can cook them in a deep fryer or a heavy pan like a Dutch oven using a thermometer. The sweet lime mayo dipping sauce quickly comes together and can be prepared beforehand.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Onions: Sweet onions are the best for flavor, but honestly, any onion makes a decent ring.
- Seasonings: ground cayenne pepper, ground cumin, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder
- Beer: a non-light, mildly flavored beer. Now is not the time for a chocolate coffee stout. You can substitute non-alcoholic beer or club soda for the beer.
- Vegetable oil: canola or peanut oil
- Mayonnaise: I use Duke’s, but you can use any may
How To Make Beer-Battered Onion Rings
This is the nutshell version. See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
First, mix the mayo, ketchup, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, and lime juice. Place some flour on a shallow plate and mix your beer batter.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot like a Dutch oven or deep fryer. Dip the onion rings in the flour and dunk them in the beer batter. Fry in the oil until golden brown, working in small batches. Drain the excess grease on a paper towel-covered wire rack and serve with the homemade lime mayo sauce.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- I like working with the batter when it is thin, so I use 1 1/2 cups of beer. You can start with 1 cup and add more as you work with it until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Use oil with a high smoking point, like peanut, vegetable, or canola.
- Try to maintain a consistent fry temperature of 375 degrees. Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Dutch ovens are good, heavy pans for frying. Because of their thickness, they maintain and hold heat well.
- Store leftover onion rings in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results, reheat them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
My favorite is the sweet Vidalia Onion, followed by the sweet Walla Walla Onion. Almost all Vidalia Onions are grown within seventy-five miles of Vidalia, Georgia. Walla Walla Onions are grown in Walla Walla County, Washington State.
These sweet onions make delectable onion rings; however, you can use yellow and white onions. They are a little stronger but still make awesome onion rings.
My favorite is Sam Adams Boston Lager, but any beer will do the trick. A Belgian-style tripel will lend a little sweetness to your onion rings, and generally speaking, the non-light beers will lend more flavor and add more crispiness to your rings.
More Delicious Recipes
Beer Battered Onion Rings
Ingredients
Lime Mayo Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 small clove garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Onion rings
- 2 large sweet onions rough skins removed cut into 1/2-inch rings
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1-1½ cups beer
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine mayo, ketchup, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, garlic, and lime juice.
- Set ¼ cup of flour aside on a shallow plate. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, cumin, ½ teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, beaten egg, and 1 cup to 1½ cups beer, depending on how thick you want the batter.
- Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Dip onion rings in flour and then into the batter. Fry battered onion rings in the hot oil until browned, about 4 minutes. Place them on a paper towel-covered wire rack while working in small batches.
- Serve hot with Lime Mayo Sauce
Notes
- I like working with the batter when it is thin, so I use 1 1/2 cups of beer. You can start with 1 cup and add more as you work with it until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Use oil with a high smoking point, like peanut, vegetable, or canola.
- Try to maintain a consistent fry temperature of 375 degrees. Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Dutch ovens are good, heavy pans for frying. Because of their thickness, they maintain and hold heat well.
- Store leftover onion rings in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results, reheat them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition
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Chenee
I really enjoyed these – they were definitely restaurant quality. The dipping sauce was absolutely amazing, too, and I think I’m going to try it with some French fries!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Chene! So glad that you liked the onion rings and the dipping sauce!
Nathan
These onion rings turned out so perfect, and the homemade lime mayo? Absolutely stellar! Onion rings are one of my favorite appetizers, so I’m excited I know how to make them myself now 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Nathan! So glad that you liked them!
Anjali
These are the best homemade onion rings ever! They were crispy on the outside, totally warm and tender on the inside, and turned out perfectly!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Anjali! So glad that you liked the onion rings!
Elizabeth
Yum, these onion rings are definitely a special treat. The cayenne pepper gives them just a touch of spicy heat.
Denise
is the beer cold or room temp
Denise
BEER COLD OR ROOM TEMP 2 ND TIME ASKING ?
Beth Pierce
Both ways work.
Terri
How deep does the pil need to be on skillet?
Beth Pierce
A little deeper than your thickest onion.
Mary
Do the spices make them spicy or just add subtle flavor?
Beth Pierce
They just add subtle flavor.
CIndy
This was so delicious. I made it today! It was approved by my entire family! I am adding it to the rotation! YUMMMM
Ellen
These look Ah-mazing! They remind me of the onion rings my Mom used to make. Definitely trying these soon.
DIane
So crispy and delicious! These onion rings are a family favorite!