Monday, May 10, 2010

Can I Get the Onion Rings, Instead of the Fries?

Onion rings have an odd place in American cuisine. Everyone seems to love them, and they're on the menu at just about every burger joint in the country, yet their popularity as a side dish to meat on buns doesn't even come close to the venerable French fry.

The reason is as obvious as it is annoying – they cost extra. Fries always come with the burger, but if you want those crispy, golden brown rings of pleasure, it's going to be $2.00 more.

Sure you crave the crunchy goodness, but the thought of paying extra to upgrade a side dish at Big Bad Billy's Burgers and Beers seems downright un-American.


So, as much as you may want them, and as much as you may fantasize about what a nice treat they'd be while standing in line, when you come belly to cash register, you just can't pull the trigger.

Well, I have good news – this onion rings recipe is so easy, and so amazingly crispy, you can now make up for all those years of deep-fried denial by making these at home.

If fact, these are so good, you may want to consider charging your friends and family a little bit extra for the upgrade. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes
big pinch of cayenne
1 cup cold club soda
2-3 cups Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs), or as needed
fine salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
2-3 yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch rings
*Note: the amounts in the video were for a smaller batch. The amounts above will make a nice large batch, enough for about 8 servings.

338 comments:

1 – 200 of 338   Newer›   Newest»
Unknown said...

very cool... do you think we could do the same with calamari rings?

Chef John said...

Yes!! I hope you do.

Tamar@StarvingofftheLand said...

It's not often that I find myself saying that Chef John is totally wrong (there was really just that one time with the clam shells ...), but I feel obligated to set you straight on this one. The reason we don't get the onion rings isn't the $2.00. It's the 20 pounds. Onion rings are totally irresistable, and you just can't get in the habit and still expect to fit in your clothes. So now, not only do I have to resist them when I go out, I have to resist them in the privacy of my own home, thanks to you and your recipe.

Chef John said...

as my father used to say regarding such weighty matters, "more to love" ;-)

Rita said...

that is one heck of a crunchy onion rings! the way i like it. i hate soggy rings. so i'll be sure to try this recipe.

inquiring mind wants to know how you came up with the instant mashed potato in the batter? very interesting.

Gia said...

they look so yummy!

Chef John said...

it came to me in a daydream (true story)

Pietr Hitzig said...

1. Beer is more likely to be in my fridge. Okay?
2. Sounds like great batter for much more than onions.
3. Sounds like a great combo to mix and place in your pantry for the next time you want to fry a piece of fish or whatever.
4. Panko was available at my supermarket. Now, PROGRESSO has an
"Italian Panko." Plain Panko in my neck of the woods is once again now only available as a WHOLE FOODS pricey item.
5. Mix and store only the dry ingredients.

Do you have any other use for the leftover powdered mash potatoes?

Chef John said...

just make a batch of mashed potatoes with the leftovers. i'm pretty shocked at the quality of the instant these days. Used to have a horrible aftertaste, but now that's not the case. I would never buy for that purpose, but if they are around, why not?

tanuki said...

Is there a way we can bake these instead of deep frying? If so, at which temp and for how long?

Pietr Hitzig said...

Chef John,

I love this site! Are there good and bad instant mashed potatoes or are they all manufactured in one monster Idaho factory by Archer Daniels or Monsanto when they aren't producing pesticides?

tonkaslim said...

Have to try this batter with fish. Every recipe out there results in soggy fish after five minutes or so.

A little instant mashed potato is also great for thickening soups—especially split pea, lentil, potato-cheese types. It was my secret, but no more.

laura said...

can i bake 'em?

Chef John said...

I don't remember the brand! I think it was Idahoan or Betty Crocker

Chef John said...

You can't bake these. But here is my baked onion rings recipe http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/03/waiting-for-recover-with-oven-fried.html

Luatica said...

All i can say is omnomonmnonomnom

Unknown said...

instead of panko, can i use breadcrumbs¿?

Chef John said...

Sure, but not as crispy

blogagog said...

That is quite a fantastic batter. We just used it on squash (didn't have an onion) and it was ideal. Very tasty.

It's pretty difficult to get batter to stick to squash, but this one sticks perfectly.

Pietr Hitzig said...

Squash? Great idea. I think it would be great on potato peels.

Chef John said...

squash yes, potato no. only cooks a few minutes and they would be raw i think

Pietr Hitzig said...

Potato peels, a hyperbolism

Chef John said...

ah

Pietr Hitzig said...

E?

dancing squid said...

you have the best ideas for the meal on this site, 10/10, and i watch your every video, but still hadn't found any recipes with squids, i would like to see more of that, and if you want, i have few good ones that you could try. greetings from croatia. here's a link to my e-mail -> E-MAIL ME

Asian Malaysian said...

I never realised there were so many ingredients that went into making onion rings. I though it was just seasoned breadcrumbs. Well worth the $2 upgrade. Just my opinion, man.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry but I'm unsure about the salting. Are you suppose to do it in the batter or after they've been fried? No cook, not american so I had to ask.

Anonymous said...

Is there any replacement for the instant mashed potatoes?

Thanks for another great recipe chef! :)

Razors Edge said...

I've read that the fish & chip guys in england will add a splash of malt vinegar to the batter.. supposodly it helps keep the batter from being so runny/drippy. Haven't tried it though... of course that could be just a bunch of b.s.

Anonymous said...

Michael Pollan wrote a book called "Food Rules" (how to eat more healthfully, etc.) The rule for eating stuff like fries, onion rings, donuts and other similar indulgences (including all the deep-fried stuff) is that you can certainly have them...as long as you make them yourself. And now, I can!! Thanks, Chef John!

Chef John said...

you could leave them out, and just add a bit more flour and cornstarch

Chef John said...

i think salting after is best, not in the batter

Margriet said...

Chef John,

Hello from the Netherlands! I just wanted to say that I really love your website: your videos are fun to watch and you never fail to get me excited about food. So as always, I can't wait to give this recipe a try!

Keep up the good work,
Margriet.

Flour said...

That crunch sounded perfect!!! I must try this:)

Jack Parker said...

Oddly, I hate onions. I enjoy dried onions, onion rings, onion powder and I can use a grater on the smallest setting to "mush" them to cook with, but I don't like biting into raw or chopped onions in food. I can't figure that out.

So, because I'm not an onion aficionado, I have a question... are there any types of onions that would taste bad, or be the wrong texture, for this recipe? Red? Vidalia, Sweet? White? Or is yellow the most common?

Chris K. said...

I love onion rings. But I hate it when I bite into one and the onion slides out of the crispy crust like a wet noodle.

Solution: dry the sliced onions a bit before applying batter & frying. Arrange the onion slices on a cooling rack and allow them to dry out in a 300 deg. oven (door open) for about 20 minutes. Or if you're in a hurry just use a hair dryer and blast 'em.

When fried, the drier onion will absorb less oil and cling to the batter. No onion noodles!

Another trick worth trying: in the beer batter, replace 1.5 oz. of the club soda with a shot of vodka (you want about 20% final alcohol content). It'll help the batter crisp up faster and give it great texture.

Dean E. Mehling, MA said...

I'm thinking of using beer instead of club soda. got any reccommendations for that?

Sunny Wu said...

I made it, it was really good, but I don't think the salt was really necessary.

Kevin Andersson said...

Hi John,
I just wanted to say I love your site, and I've been following you from Denmark since you started blogging.

I got a crazy craving for onionrings after watching the video; so I went to the kitchen and made some! I didn't add mashed potato, but instead baking power to make the batter puff when fried. They are still nice and crunchy though - still after 20 minutes.

Thanks ;) *crunch*

Amanda said...

These look awesome! I love love love onion rings, and you're right, it does seem UNAmerican to have to pay extra :-P

Unknown said...

I made it and it was yummy :). Thanks you!

Jack Parker said...

I just finished making these and ooh boy! I used a vidalia onion. I've never made onion rings and I'm happy I gave it a go. I never realized how important the batter was. As a matter of fact, I raided my refrigerator and tried frying a few other things in it like green beans, cream cheese and I even made some Jalapeno pepper poppers. I'm fried-out and my arteries will need some TLC but I had a great time!

Kiah said...

I made these with my brother and Mom the other day, and they were simply amazing! We weren't able to find panko at Wally World, so we just used regular breadcrumbs, but they came out extremely crispy and absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!!!!!

Caio Zaleschi said...

My wife and just made these here in Sao Paulo, Brazil and they were awesome! We've been after an authentic onion ring recipe for a while and I am so glad I came across this blog. Thanks a lot!

michellefillion said...

tried this recipe tonight and loved it!

i added lime zest to the batter and mixed 1 part coconut, 2 parts panko to roll them in. (turned out SO good)

just to mix it up a bit.

thanks chef john you're the best. srsly.

Shelly said...

would they come out just as good if baked? We try to avoid frying in my house

Chef John said...

Can't be baked, sorry!

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I would like to ask, how much is a cup of flour in grams? And is one cup of dry ingredient the same as one cup of liquid if converted to grams?

Thanks for the help!

Chef John said...

sorry, too busy to explain. Google it! you'll have answer in seconds

Amador said...

This was my first visit to your site but most definitely not my last. I found so many recipes that I am eager to try. I have even saved you in my favorites list as the only cooking site. I thank you and also a thank you in advance from my family.

emmyq said...

hi...what is club soda? how does it taste like.. not sure if i can get it in my place, any substitutes ?

Chef John said...

no taste, it's just sparkling water. You can also use a light beer.

Brenda said...

OMFG, I'm totally in love with this website.
I'm from Brazil so many stuff you write about places where you find things and even this cayenne pepper is not avaliable for me to try. Even though I'll try this recipe this weekend for sure, if I discover what exactly is club soda.
Is it water with gas? (That's how we call here)

Probably and unfortunately I won't find any Brazilian recipe here... And if you want some help on this I may help you - maybe =P

Congratulations for your website ;]
And thank you.

Caio said...

Hey, Brenda.

Vc pode encontrar Club Soda da Schweppes em qualquer supermercado - e é sim água com gás! Quanto a pimenta, eu fiz com pimenta do reino normal e ficou uma delícia. Agora eu comprei Paprika e vou tentar com ela, para substituir a cayenne. Bjs.

Chef John said...

Brenda, yes, just gassy water. And I know you have cayenne in Brasil, just don't know what it is called.

Anonymous said...

Do you use Dynasty Panko Bread Crumbs?

Anonymous said...

What kind of instant mash potatoes do you use? And is it okay to use Bob Evans?

Chef John said...

i used pillsbury, but any should work

Chef John said...

dont remember, but any panko is ok

Anonymous said...

Does Walmart have Panko Bread Crumbs if so do you kno what aisle it's on?

Chef John said...

Yes, it's on aisle 7.

differenxe said...

Very cool recipe, I made onion rings today and they were delicious.

Anonymous said...

whts the point of the cayanne

Chef John said...

what's the point of any seasoning? flavor

Chef John said...

and heat

Samantha said...

Hi Chef John, I just made (and ate) these onion rings and they are AMAZING. They stay really really crunchy and don't go soggy and limp after a while. This recipe is brilliant and is one that I will keep with me forever. Thanks so much!!!

history dork said...

Hi Chef John! I made these onion rings for dinner, and thought I'd try it with zucchini...and according to my family, they were delicious! The onion rings were perfect, thanks for the recipe!

Swank said...

These are AMAZING! We also coated some zucchini, mushrooms and avocado. I used a tsp of cumin in place of cayenne. I put kosher salt in my coffee grinder with some powdered lovage to make the fine salt. It was so flavorful we didn't even need the ranch and sriracha sauce! Still crispy an HOUR later! (And, as suggested in comments, I added a little vodka to the batter because I love cooking with booze!)
;)

THANK YOU!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much! My whole family loved the recipe. I am DEFINITELY making this again!

Anonymous said...

My boyfriend and I made these onion rings and followed the recipe measurements exactly. The only thing we did differently is use bread crumbs instead of Panko. They weren't very crispy and the batter just slid off the onion ring. What could we have done wrong?

Chef John said...

I honestly don't know. Everyone I heard from said they came out perfect. Ive done them a couple time since and they were great. The two breadcrumbs are quite different, but wouldn't cause the batter to slid off. I'm stumped!!

Anonymous said...

Okay well thank you. We will try again! Just not sure what went wrong!! These recipes on your website are fantastic, thank you for sharing.

Jay said...

Hey Anonymous...did you let the batter sit for 10 minutes or so? It is super runny when you mix everything but once it sits it firms up and sticks better to the onions

Peter said...

Can you mix the salt with the batter?

Anonymous said...

Is Seltzer water fine instead of club soda?

tasted great, but it was difficult to for the onions to maintain the batter. Had to throw in more flour/corn starch to thicken it...

Could have seltzer water made it more runny?

Chef John said...

no difference! you saw how think mine was, so there is no problem you adjusting the texture with more starch.

Cheri Witmer said...

You are going to think this is horrendous...but I didn't have club soda and couldn't convince my hubby to go to the store, so I used Root Beer...tasted wonderful! Smelt it in the batter of course, but by the time it was cooked didn't have any of that flavor in it.

Unknown said...

Awesome! Taste was spectacular. Only problem was losing batter/breadcrumbs during frying. We are at 6300 ft in Colorado - perhaps a factor.
Any recommendation to better keep coating on rings?
Thanks!!!!!

Dr Mark

Chef John said...

not sure. Some dust rings with cornstarch 1st before battering, but I've never had issues! thanks!

Anonymous said...

I tried your recipe tonight for onion rings, turned out good tasting, but had a hard time getting the panko to stick to the battered onions, the first few were fabulous but then the rest just had bits of panko on them...still good tho, I will try them again.

Laura said...

Okay, this is wonderful. I love your blog since stumbling across it a year ago. The onion rings look amazing. Sometimes at night when I can't sleep, I creep downstairs and watch a few of your videos. My husband wants to know who is the man in the kitchen with "the voice". ANYWAY, I THINK YOU SHOULD SEND YOUR IDEA ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND ONION RINGS TO NEAL CAVUTTO OR HOWEVER HE SPELLS HIS NAME---THE GUY FROM FOX WHO TALKS ABOUT BUSINESS...IT WOULD ENHANCE HIS SHOW FROM A HUMOR STANDPOINT AND IT WOULD GIVE YOU NEW AUDIENCE. I HAVE A MILLION MORE IDEAS FOR YOU...

cristinatorre17 said...

OMG can't wait to try it. SO can i use sparkling water instead of club soda? Coz i think there is no club soda here in Philippines. Thank you for the great recipe.

Chef John said...

yes! thanks!

Anonymous said...

is it ok to use flavored instant mashed potatoes such as garlic or cheese?

Chef John said...

Never tried. You'll have to let me know.

Amena said...

You were right Chef John, these ARE the most amazing onion rings ever! i love how crispy they were (even though i used breadcrumbs as we dont have any Panko in Bahrain - Middle East) Can't wait to try the batter with calamari rings. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

this formula never works for me. the onion always comes out with no coat.

Chef John said...

sorry, I really have no idea! It always works for me as shown, and everyone I've heard from says basically the same.

Anonymous said...

Pure, crunchy, delicious. All great words to describe this recipe!!

Anonymous said...

can i use egg instead of the instant mash potato ?? cause i cant find it here ):

Chef John said...

no egg! it makes a soggy coating! just use more corn starch.

Anonymous said...

so i dont use the instant mash potato , i just put more corn starch ??

Chef John said...

Yes, that's my theory. :-)

Anonymous said...

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME! BUT!!! I'd have substituted a cold bottle of beer for the club soda.... just a personal taste!!

Anonymous said...

What is the difference between Cornflour and Cornstarch? i try to search google but more opinion ,more confused and i still don't know!

Chef John said...

i think corn flour is whole corn ground fine and is yellow, and corn starch is just the starch and is white.

Stewmeat said...

I saw on a show once that if you slice and leave your onions out for a few days before making the rings, the batter will stick better because there wont be as much moisture pushing out from the onion during the frying process. This means that when you take a bite the onion wont slide out on one long piece.

Anonymous said...

I don't have club soda or instant potatoes, but i'm craving onion rings. I Came by these because I was looking for a recipe, without eggs, or milk. I don't have any of that either and reserves and cash are low,so I thought I'd make these and maybe add a splash of vinegar or baking powder. I do happen to have Panko. What do you say chef?

Chef John said...

No idea, don't think so, but let me know.

Anonymous said...

I Added 1tsp. baking powder and 2 Tbls. of white vinegar, and 1cup tap water to the flour cornstarch and cayenne mixture. Got a huge foaming reaction! Added onion rings, let them sit 5 min. until the foam subsided,dredged them with the panko crumbs and shallow fried them. They were obnoxiously,crunchy and the best tasting, onion rings, I've ever made by myself. I am deffinitely, going to use your original,recipe, when I refresh my pantry supplies, Chef! My substitution, was way too messy,but good!

Anonymous said...

I have to tell you chef, I used 1tsp. of baking powder, 2Tbs. of white vinegar, and 1cup of tap water,in lieu of the club soda,which I didn't have. I got science project, valcano,foam! I added the onion rings to the foaming flour/cornstarch,mixture waited 5 minutes, and dredged them in panko crumbs. After frying,these were insanely,crunchy and delicious! I will however, use your original, recipe Chef;as my substitute was just way too messy.

Anonymous said...

If in Denmark, Club Soda would be "Danskvand"

Anonymous said...

Thank You! I have missed having really good fish sandwiches. The fast food places just don't make them anymore and if they do they are pathetic and soggy. I tried the breading mix on some cod fish I had in the freezer - AWESOME!! I used beer instead of club soda, it just seemed more appropriate and I added some salt to the dry ingredients.

Well, it was sooooo good I had to call my daughter and rub it in. I think she and I have come to the end of our search for the perfect fish sandwich. Now I just need to try those wonderful looking onion rings -- Your great Chef John :-)
-- Beth

Tsilo said...

Where Can i get Cold Club Soda . Please Help ))

Chef John said...

Any store that sells sodas and other soft drinks

Brandon said...

Made these with light beer and they were awesome and very crunchy. Thanks for the delicious recipe, and excellent instruction.

Anonymous said...

can i make a batch ahead of time?

Anonymous said...

can i make a batch ahead of time?

Chef John said...

no, doesn't really work as well.

H said...

I made a batch of these a few minutes ago.. and they are as amazing as Chef John says... John must be a generous person: If this was my recipe there would be NO WAY I would give it away... Thanks John!

Anonymous said...

How about t=some sauce suggestions and recipes!

Anonymous said...

is it necessary to use baking soda for onion rings?? will it turn out not as good as if i didnt put them??

Anonymous said...

Amazing! Some people might find them a bit too crunchy, haha!

Anonymous said...

My first homemade onion rings and it was perfect!!! thank you for sharing your recipe.

Anonymous said...

hello im from macedonia and i would like to ask what can i use instead of cornstarch coz i dont have that here in my country tnx in advance

Chef John said...

Sorry, I don't know of one.

rhowenna said...

thanks for sharing!
can i use cooked mashed potatoes instead of intant mashed potatoes?
if can be, how much should i put?

Chef John said...

No, has to be a dry powder

Anonymous said...

I made this recipee this morning and it really is super crispy.. thankyou chef :)

oh by the way, I'm a big fan of you from Indonesia..

later, i'm gonna try making fried calamary using this batter.. :D

Anonymous said...

Hello all!
I have a little Take Away in Costa Rica and would like to make these Onion Rings. Would it be possible to prefry them and then freeze them? If I put them then frozen into the deep fryer would it work? Does anyone now?
Thanks and have a good day
Monica

Adam McGovern said...

Best onion rings in the world!

Any restaurant or bar I find that has onion rings, I put to the challenge. No place comes close!

Would you recommend another type of onion? Maybe red or vidalia?

Anonymous said...

can i use sprite instead of cold club soda?

Anna Komarova said...

This is amazing. They still was crispy after i reheated them in microwave! Thank you, thank you? thank you!!

arlene said...

OH MY GOD, AS IN, SO YUMMY CRUNCHY.My family loves it, just done making mine hours ago. You should try it!!! thanks chef John. More Power

Kris said...

Wow, never thought I'd be able to make suck authentic onion rings at home. Thanks Chef John!

Anonymous said...

Hi Chef John,


I'm from North Korea,

we dont have onions, or corn starch, or club soda or panko, what else can substitute with?

Yes,you're right Chef, that was a poor and lame joke... sigh.

Unknown said...

So, I just got done making/eating these 2 minutes ago. My mind is blown. Absolutely delicious and crunchy. Wow.

Anonymous said...

these are so good!
I tried making like cheese sticks and it works great !

Hope said...

Greetings Chef,


Just want to tell you I am in a 12 Step program now because of your onion rings. Since discovering 3 weeks ago I have made them 8 times and thinking about them as I write. Good gosh man where did you come up with that recipe? Like you I have not been a fan of the ring not because of waist or waste of money just never found one good enough to accompany a meal. Well now that has all changed and your crack rings can be the meal. Yes they are a drug as they will make you feel good eating, leave you zoned after and then thinking about how soon you can have a fix again. As you can see intervention is dire. Have friends coming over Fri. so will likely be cooking up crack rings then. Btw I never buy fizzy water or beer so my liquid is buttermilk in the recipe.

Gary said...

I like your onion rings a lot. I have found that for really crunchy fies; put the cut potato in the oven (200 F) untill they are somewhat pale in color. This removes some of the water. Then fry as usual. They really come out crispy and not all that oily, which can happen with 'twice - fried' foods.

Gary

Anonymous said...

Very nice!! I tried this recipe today and it was really good and crispy. I tried it with other vegetables and it was good!

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

chef John im from argentina and as i went through the recipe i translated the ingredients but i can't find club soda... could u tell me an alternative, maybe another name for it. Or what this club soda does in the mixture.

love your videos and ur epic humor, u really inspired (at least me) to cook, u really did!.

cheers from argentina!

Anonymous said...

you can use beer or sparkling water instead of club soda

Peter P in RI said...

I have made these twice in the last week and everyone raves about them. They are without any doubt the best, thank you Chef John

Anonymous said...

may substitute your mash potatoes for an egg?

Chef John said...

No, sorry, not even close!!

Anonymous said...

Can instant mashed potatos be replace by mashed potatos made the normal way?

Chef John said...

no you can't. :-(

Anonymous said...

Thx Chef John, to bad the instant mashed potatos cant be replaced, hehe i want extra crispy!! Well soon this product will arrive in brasil, thx anyway

Marie said...

Hi Chef John! I truly love this recipe and its super crispy.. But i have a few problems with it you see i tried making the onion rings (big batches) ahead of time and froze them so that i can have them the next day, Unfortunately, when i had them fried it came out soggy and no longer crispy unlike when you make it right then and there you fry it. How can i fix this problem? i thought i could have them frozen like the ready made ones in the supermarket..
thanks so much Chef john, your response is greatly appreciated..

Marie said...

Hi Chef John! I truly love this recipe and its super crispy.. But i have a few problems with it you see i tried making the onion rings (big batches) ahead of time and froze them so that i can have them the next day, Unfortunately, when i had them fried it came out soggy and no longer crispy unlike when you make it right then and there you fry it. How can i fix this problem? i thought i could have them frozen like the ready made ones in the supermarket..
thanks so much Chef john, your response is greatly appreciated..

Chef John said...

Sorry, I've never tried to freeze! Not sure how adapt!

Marie said...

Thanks Chef john for the response :) I was wondering if i par fry the onion rings then freeze them then fry them again the next till golden brown would it be crispy? would it possible work? hmmmm... i wonder o_o better try em tomorrw

julz said...

hey chef thanks for sharing ... i will try this later ... good work and god bless you more ...

julz from the philippines

Anonymous said...

hello
there was a problem with our onion rings. was it the batter? or was it the super tiny purple onions?? we dont know. it was too thin but we used your recipe then we started to add more stuff....then the panko bread crumbs began to clump up on th onion & not spread evenly
thanks :)
--from alaska
jen & kate

Chef John said...

You mean pearl onions? Not sure that would work. Must be it since this works like a charm. Try with reg onions.

Anonymous said...

Instant mashed potatoes the same as potato starch?

Chef John said...

Not exactly the same thing. Not sure if it would work the same.

Anonymous said...

Where can I buy club soda?

Anonymous said...

Chef John, What brand knife is that you are using?

Chef John said...

Sorry, not sure! Older knife, no label

Anonymous said...

U da man john

♥dalila ramli♥ said...

hi chef. i'v tried ur recipe. it's incredibly nice. but yours (d one u made in d vid) seems much more nice. *i'm salivating*

Anonymous said...

chef..i've tried your recipe and i can say they taste fabulous..my family like the recipe a lot..and the best thing is that they're still crunchy even though its been 1 hour++!!!

the only problem i had is that the batter takes too long to bcome thick..can i maybe heat the club soda abit before putting in the dough so that it thicken faster?

Chef John said...

never tried. i wouldn't. I very rarely change a recipe that people think is fabulous ;-)

Anonymous said...

i see..then how long do you actually wait for those batter to settle nice n thick?mine took 40 mins :o

Estela said...

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, these is the frst video of yours I see, and simply remain in love!!! you know how to do it...
Congratulations from Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Ed Masciana said...

Uh, sorry but I first read about the instant mashed potato addition in Saveur about 6 years ago. I haven't fried without them since. They are amazing in the mix. They're also great when you use buttermilk because the potatoes are alkaline and the buttermilk acidic. It's like using baking soda and baking powder together.

Chef John said...

and here I thought I actually discovered something! Thanks!

Bengali recipe said...

The Idea of instant mashed potato seems very interesting. Thanks for sharing my fav snacks recipe with the twist.

Pat Stubbs said...

Dear Chef John, pardon my ignorance, but I'm a newbie at this type of thing. I've had a problem with this recipe. I'm pretty sure I followed the directions exactly - except I used beer instead of sparkling water. The batter thickened as you said. It did not seem to coat the rings very well and when I put the rings into the Panko (using a separate fork as you directed) the breadcrumbs began to clump and I ended up with lumps that did not adhere to the rest of the rings. So, what the heck, I fried the clumps and they taste great, just not what I was working for. Any help? Thanks.

Chef John said...

Try dusting rings with a little cornstarch first.

Anonymous said...

Hello! I liked this video a lot! But, I'm from Brazil and, here, we don't have instant mashed potato even the club soda. Can I use other ingredients? Instead of using the Panko, can I use the convencional breadcrumbs? Thank you very much!

Chef John said...

Sorry won't be the same.

Anonymous said...

Hello chef john !
thanks.. U rule,
One single Question.. i ll makke instant mashed potatoes at home (i brought all the other stuff)
But i was wondering if i should add milk or cream to the smashed potatoes - since urs seem to be powdery not smooth.
thanks.

Chef John said...

I don't understand. You don't make mashed potatoes for this recipe. Only the powder.

Anonymous said...

instant mashed potatoes.. isn't it ?
if i substituted it with extra corn flour, extra all purpose flour,
will i get the same result ?

Anonymous said...

Hi I just made these with my mom and they were AMAZING! like beyond. And the batter goes on and on. We discovered the recipe in a magazine (I think times or newsweek) I have a few recommendations
1) make sure the Panko doesn't get clumpy with batter
2) SALT them a lot. The first one we tried without salt was bland but then with salt it was amazing!
3) don't cut the onion rings too small they were actually better when they were cut thicker. And the really mini ones are delish too
Thanks for the recipe! :)

W. Roth And D. House said...

I did not know anything about this site until reading an article in last weeks Time Magazine. Because my partner and I love onion rings, I thought I would give these a try. Chef John, they are absolutely delicious. In fact, they are the best onion rings we have ever tasted. My partner has several food allergies and I am always looking for new things to prepare with fresh and wholesome ingredients. This fit the bill and they are totally awesome. Thank you so much!! Dave House

vanessa said...

oh so yummy! @.@

vanessa said...

OH SOOO YUMMY! @.@ gonna try this soon probably tomorrow! :D

mikko730 said...

Can I use a miller light beer?

Anonymous said...

I had them at a restaurant and since then i crave for onion rings instead of the regular french fries. Thanks for the recipe. You have brought them to my home now :)

Agnes Embile Jimenez said...

Yummy! Would try this recipe for sure but I may not include a few of the ingredients. Thanks mucho for this. (:

Karriann Graf said...

Hey John...can't wait to try these O-rings!

Amelia said...

nice tips, Chef! I can't find panko here.. too bad.. but I found local breadcrumbs with really nice quality :D and yeah, this tips works well!

Thanks :D
*hello from Indonesia*

Unknown said...

Wonderful! I get the recipe and I'm joined to your followers :)

Audrey said...

For those who cannot find Club Soda
they should try their local Liquor
Store. I am from Canada and when
we shop in the US, we find that
they consider Club Soda and Canada
Dry Ginger Ale mixers for cocktails
Hope this helps.

Rodrigo said...

Hi chef, just letting you know a brazilian site is posting your recipe on youtube,and actually they teached wrong.you can check at this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMsVmB7T7LY&feature=related

Anonymous said...

when you were making the batter for onion rings...you added " 1 CUP COLD CLUB SODA"
now can you please tell me what it is exactly!!

Thai Xiong said...

Was able to try these today. Love it. Thank you so much for the quick and easy recipe.

Anonymous said...

We tried this tonight with home cooked burgers and the rings were a run away hit. Everything I have tried from this site has been right out of the park in flavour.

Keep it Coming
Peter
Canada

Nophica said...

I made these last night. My husband loved them, I thought they were good, but I tried them about 20 minutes later and they were cold and I should have used more salt. That said, they were still crispy and the batter did not fall off of them like some other recipes I've tried. Also, I didn't have club soda, so I used 3/4 cup of Blue Moon beer and 1/4 water. Also, I used ancho chili powder and paprika instead of the other, hey, it's what I had on hand. But, they were good. Next time, better onions. Next time I won't have a cold and I will eat them all before my husband gets home. Thanks for such a great recipe.

Anonymous said...

OMG, those were the best Onion Rings I have ever had, never mind made. My wife likes the Onion Rings at "The Dog House", they do a lot more than dogs, she said they were better than "The Dog House" wow, that is so cool.

Anonymous said...

I just made these, but I had to adjust the recipe because I didn't have club soda or beer, so I used regular cola. I also used butter herb instant mashed potatoes because that's what I had.

The batter was still really runny by the time the onions were sliced, which I figured was probably due to the cola, so I just added another tablespoon of instant potatoes and that did the trick.

The batter coated the rings really nicely, and with the panko they came out really super crunchy and delicious. I also liked that batter didn't produce a greasy overly bready-thick crust like it often does with regular tempura batters, the crust was perfect, not to much breading and not too little. Best onion rings ever.

They didn't need any salt, probably because the potatoes I used were seasoned already. The cola was undetectable.

What's the point of the carbonated water anyway? What does the carbonation do to the batter that regular water wouldn't do if you just added less water? Just out of curiosity.

luis_gnd said...

omg!thanks chef john... this onion rings rocks!!! all my family was like "know you can cook..." hahaha we are from El Salvador, Central Americaaa... and I can't wait to cook more of your delicious recepies...

luis_gnd said...

omg! this onion rings rocks!!! all my family was like "now you can cook..." we are from El Salvador, Central America... and I can't wait to cook more of ur delicious recepies... thanks Chef John, and happy thanksgiven by the way ;)

Anonymous said...

Hello Chef... seems yummy onion rings, i love very much onion rings & i should try them soon... but i would like to know if i will be able to freeze them raw as i am single & won't be worth it to do only one or two portions. Keep it up. Greetings from Malta

Chef John said...

Sorry, never tried to freeze them first.

Goddess Findings said...

OH MY GOD, the crunch is amazing, and totally under stated in the video! I was jumping up and down I was so amazed--and my dry potato flakes didn't even have hydrogenated oils in them! THANK YOU for this miracle recipe!!!

Anonymous said...

Fantástico, muito bom mesmo, parabéns!

Fast, simple and easy...

here in Brazil, people use cold beer to make Onion Rings... but i prefere your recipe!!


amazing!!

Anonymous said...

I found this site, hope it helps. How to make Panko.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7594178_make-homemade-panko-crumbs.html#ixzz1AVF8Eknq

John said...

I used ginger ale instead of club soda and they came out great....Only problem was is that i was the cook and hardly got any !

Anonymous said...

I'm havin a get together at my house tonight and I'm fixin' onion rings. I never made homemade onion rings before. Your way seems and looks really good. I got my salt and ketchup ready! In Texas, we love onion rings. I wanted to fix fresh not frozen. Just can't get that goodness ,like how ya can with homemade onion rings.

Anonymous said...

any replacement for cornstarch??

Chef John said...

rice?

asgar said...

Chef John,
i have 2 questions.
1. what kind of smashed potato? potato that boiled or the crude one?
2.what is club soda? is it the carbonate drink? what is the brand?

asgar said...

Chef John,

i have 2 questions.
1.what kind of smashed potato? boiled potato or raw potato?
2.what is club soda? is it for cooking recipe or the carbonate drinking water? what is the brand of club soda that u prefer?

Chef John said...

It's dried instant mashed potato powder. I only know one kind of club soda. Any brand will work, they are all the same.

Anonymous said...

Hello chef John,


About the mashed potato thing, I have a question for that. That's a powder right? So basically, after we unpack the mashed potato's cover we just have to add it on the batter?

Thanks for sharing this

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