Crispy Onion Ring Tower (Printer View)

Thick onion rings battered and fried until golden and crunchy, perfect for sharing.

# 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)

# Method Steps:

01 - Peel onions and slice into ¾-inch thick rings. Separate each ring and set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat eggs with cold sparkling water until well combined.
04 - Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. If batter is too thick, add a little more sparkling water.
05 - Place panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish for coating.
06 - Dip each onion ring into the batter, allow excess to drip off, then coat thoroughly with panko breadcrumbs.
07 - Heat vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry onion rings in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy. Drain on wire rack or paper towels.
08 - Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Arrange coated rings in a single layer; spray lightly with oil. Air-fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp and golden.
09 - Stack fried onion rings into a tower on a platter and serve immediately with preferred dipping sauces.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sparkling water creates an impossibly light, crispy exterior that stays crunchy even when stacked.
  • These come together in under an hour and make you look like a kitchen magician at any gathering.
  • They're vegetarian, deeply satisfying, and weirdly fun to build into a tower.
02 -
  • Cold batter and hot oil are the entire difference between crispy and greasy; if your batter is warm or your oil isn't at temperature, the rings will absorb oil instead of frying golden.
  • Don't skip the panko coating step or add it directly to the batter; the double-layer effect (batter plus panko) is what gives you that shattering crust that makes people reach for a third ring.
  • If you're making these ahead, fry them fully but don't stack them until serving time, or the steam will make them soggy.
03 -
  • Test your oil temperature with a tiny pinch of batter; if it immediately sizzles and turns golden in a few seconds, you're ready to go.
  • Buy whole onions and slice them yourself; pre-sliced onions have already lost moisture and won't give you the tender interior you're after.
Return