Crispy Onion Ring Stack (Printable Version)

Stacked thick-cut onion rings fried golden and crunchy, ideal for parties or side servings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 large yellow onions

→ Batter

02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - ½ cup cornstarch
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon salt
08 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 cup cold sparkling water
10 - 2 large eggs

→ Coating

11 - 2 cups panko breadcrumbs

→ For Frying

12 - Vegetable oil for deep-frying or air fryer spray

# Directions:

01 - Peel onions and slice them into ¾-inch thick rings. Separate individual rings and set aside.
02 - Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
03 - Beat eggs and cold sparkling water in a separate bowl until well combined.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry mix and whisk until smooth. Add additional sparkling water if the batter is too thick.
05 - Place panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish for coating.
06 - Dip each onion ring into the batter, allowing excess to drip off, then coat generously in panko breadcrumbs.
07 - Heat vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C) in a deep fryer or heavy pot. Fry onion rings in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy. Drain on wire rack or paper towels.
08 - Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Arrange coated onion rings in a single layer in the basket. Lightly spray with oil. Air-fry for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through, until crisp and golden.
09 - Stack fried onion rings into a tower on a serving platter and serve immediately with preferred dipping sauces.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The panko coating gets impossibly crispy while the onions stay juicy and mild inside.
  • That sparkling water trick makes the batter lighter than you'd expect, almost airy.
  • You can stack them into an actual tower, which feels like you're showing off but isn't hard at all.
02 -
  • Cold batter mixed with hot oil is your ticket to crispness; if the batter is room temperature, it absorbs too much oil and gets heavy.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan when frying; each ring needs space to cook evenly and become crispy instead of steamed.
03 -
  • Separate your onion rings and spread them out on paper towels for a few minutes before battering to remove excess moisture that would make the coating soggy.
  • Save time by prepping and battering all your rings ahead of time, then frying them in batches just before serving so they're all hot and crispy at once.
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