Homemade / Recipe

Buttermilk Onion Rings Recipe

This buttermilk onion ring recipe is what you’ll now call your go-to recipe. These onion rings are crispy, flavorful, and super easy to make.

Buttermilk Onion Rings Recipe | sophisticatedgourmet.com

When I look back at old family photos of me as a small child, I can’t help but notice that my family and I always appear to take all of our photos around the dining room table. Maybe it’s that there was always some type of cake, pastry, or junk food (like these delicious onion rings) that lured us to the table, or it’s just that we all love our sweets… Whatever it was, everyone’s habits haven’t changed as our dining room tables have changed throughout the years. Family photos are still taken around the dining table, near some type of food.

After a few photos are taken of our family, we always dig-in. Within minutes. No- within seconds (that sounds about right), food disappears from the table. Right before anyone can say anything, someone rushes out of the kitchen right on time, ready to replenish the food that disappeared. It’s like a perfectly planned magic act that never goes wrong. My family loves food.

Buttermilk Onion Rings Recipe | sophisticatedgourmet.com

I wish I could say that my family had the same love for books as they did food. My mother and I are probably the only two people (out of the many people) from both sides of my family who appreciate great literature and great cookbooks.

When opening up a good cookbook, the photos bounce off the page, ingredients for recipes begin dancing around my face, and then the description of each thoroughly tested recipe pulls me in, and just compels me begs me to get into the kitchen.

I can say the same about Lorna Yee’s newly released cookbook, The Newlywed Kitchen. Before I opened the book, the photos on the cover popped and specifically told me that I would not be disappointed! WHAT? You don’t believe that the photos talked to me? They did, and guess what- if you don’t already have her book, you should get it to see if those photos talk to you, as well!

When opening the book, I skipped straight to the “Contents” page and made my way over to the “Meat, Poultry, and Seafood” section of the book (Don’t give me that look- I’m a dude! We like our burgers!) and immediately was smacked right in the face by three words that bounced off of the pages of the book to scream, “MAKE ME! Make me, NOW!”

Buttermilk Onion Rings Recipe | sophisticatedgourmet.com

I had to listen to the voices in the book, and boy- was I glad that I listened! These buttermilk onion rings are what you may now call your next go-to onion ring recipe. You’ll thank me for pointing you to the right recipe. You’ll thank Lorna for coming up with said recipe. You can go thank her over here

After reading Lorna’s book (even if you are far away from being a newlywed, or have been married for years), you’ll be inspired to share great memories of food in your kitchen with your loved ones, and perhaps, you’ll even find yourself taking family photos around the dining room table, for decades to come!

Yield: Serves 2 - 3 People

Buttermilk Onion Rings

Onion Rings

Yes, this recipe requires some frying. I know what you’re thinking, and my response is- feel guilty. Yes, swim in that river of guilt, but keep one thing in mind- these things are amazing! The original recipe calls for a very thinly sliced onion (about 1/8-inch slices)- I like my onion rings a little bit on the thicker side (about 1/4-inch slices) because I like the onion-y flavor, but slice it to what you’d prefer the rings to be like. This recipe feeds 2-3 (you’re pushing it if you try to feed four people), but you can easily double it or triple it.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups / 480 ml buttermilk
  • 1 large Vidalia onion, sliced (⅛-inch to ¼-inch slices)
  • 2 cups / 240 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 quart / 945 ml vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil for frying

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the hot sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and the buttermilk. Submerge the onions.
  2. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  3. In a shallow bowl or large dish, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Dredge the onions in the seasoned flour evenly and shake off any excess.
  4. Heat the oil In a large, deep pot until it registers 360ºF on a candy/deep-fat fry thermometer.
  5. Fry the onions in three batches, turning them with a pair of tongs so they cook evenly and turn golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove the onion rings from the oil and drain on paper towels. Taste for seasoning and add a little extra salt, if desired. Serve with your favorite dip, and enjoy!

Notes

Slightly Tweaked from The Newlywed Kitchen

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

Onion Rings

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 416Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 2686mgCarbohydrates: 82gFiber: 4gSugar: 14gProtein: 15g

39 Comments

  • CC Recipe
    August 3, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    These onion rings looks so good, I am such a huge fan of onion rings, I believe I would have to devour them all!

    Reply
  • Jordan
    August 3, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    Wow! These look amazing! I love anything fried ;)

    Reply
  • Eliana
    August 3, 2010 at 1:34 pm

    I can’t wait to start a family of my own to start developing these same traditions you point out here.

    Oh, and there is no better feeling than getting drawn in by a good cookbook. I’m not much of a reader, but put a few good cookbooks in front of me and I’ll be good to go.

    Reply
  • shweta j
    August 3, 2010 at 1:38 pm

    yummy, reminds me of the onion bhajiya/pakoda we make it at home,but this looks so divine !

    Reply
  • Amy from She Wears Many Hats
    August 3, 2010 at 1:43 pm

    Oh goodness Kam! These look yuuuuuuuum. They’d disappear quickly around our table, that’s for sure.

    Loving your photography – just beautiful.

    Reply
  • Lana @ Never Enough Thyme
    August 3, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    Okay, I have to admit it. I love anything deep fried. Can’t help it, that’s the southern girl in me. And, man do these fried onion rings look fabulous! My mouth is literally watering for some right now.

    Reply
  • Perla
    August 3, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    Kam, this is amazing… im def gonna try these at home. I enjoyed reading the part about your family… they sure do love to eat! and I’ve loved joining them at the dinner table over the past few years!

    Reply
  • Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction
    August 3, 2010 at 1:52 pm

    Yum… These look incredible! I want to make some for dinner tonight. Now I just have to go see if I have onions in the kitchen! :)

    Reply
  • Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen
    August 3, 2010 at 1:55 pm

    Oh my gosh! These look amazing! I think the size is perfect, too. I hate super thick onion rings. Super pretty photos!

    Reply
  • DessertForTwo
    August 3, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    Thanks for making a Lorna recipe! I have been considering getting her cookbook for a while now. You talked me into it :)

    Reply
  • Carol Egbert
    August 3, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    Buttermilk seems to be popping up everywhere. What a great recipe, no guilt just lots of good taste. Thanks!

    Reply
  • kamran
    August 3, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    shweta- you’re going to ruin the surprise of one of my upcoming posts (*whispers*- pakoras!) ;)

    Reply
  • Erica Lea
    August 3, 2010 at 4:38 pm

    Oh, Kamran! They look crispy and delicious. Funny story about your family photos. Seems like many were taken around our table as well. And we CERTAINLY like food. I have never made onion rings. Your photos make me want to give them a try!

    Reply
  • Magic of Spice
    August 3, 2010 at 4:47 pm

    They look terrific, just the right amount of crispiness:)

    Reply
  • Helene
    August 3, 2010 at 5:07 pm

    What a great review of the cookbook. I love reading cookbooks, they are like novels to me. This is a treat that I could not resist :)

    Reply
  • Belinda @zomppa
    August 3, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    Sounds like me as a child. These look sooooooooo good.

    Reply
  • Jessica @ How Sweet
    August 3, 2010 at 9:34 pm

    Those sound too fabulous for words!

    Reply
  • Brooke
    August 4, 2010 at 2:20 am

    Oh. I think I want to cry. Look at those simple little wonders. I love onion rings. I think I love photogenic onion rings even more.

    Reply
  • Gail
    August 4, 2010 at 6:28 am

    Now you’ve made me want to see those pictures of your family celebrations through the years! Another beautiful post, Kamran!

    Reply
  • Tokyo Terrace
    August 4, 2010 at 8:24 am

    I just bought this cookbook last week! We are yet again on the same wave-length, Kamran! The photos in this post are great. And are making me hungry…

    Reply
  • Barbara @ VinoLuciStyle
    August 4, 2010 at 8:53 am

    They do look fabulous; I am a die hard onion ring fan; seldom finding ones prepared anywhere that are good enough to bother and seldom preparing at home because of the guilt of frying. But the buttermilk maybe have swayed me to take the plunge, again.

    Reply
  • Shannalee
    August 4, 2010 at 9:28 am

    Beautifully done. I feel like I say this a lot, but seriously: every time I look at your site, I’m more impressed. These pictures are perfection.

    Reply
  • Tiffany
    August 4, 2010 at 8:01 pm

    I wonder if these could be modified to go into the oven? That “oiled” smell makes me queasy.

    The onion rings I make are dipped in batter and rolled in panko, then baked. They come out incredibly crunchy! But the batter isn’t the best.

    Great post!

    Reply
  • Sommer @ A Spicy Perspective
    August 4, 2010 at 10:35 pm

    They sounds (and look) incredible! I rarely fry, but I might have to make an exception!

    Reply
  • Megan Gordon
    August 5, 2010 at 3:52 am

    It’s almost 2 a.m. and I can’t sleep…figure I’ll open up the laptop and check in with a few of my favorite food blogs. And what do I find? A recipe I’m absolutely dying for…if I could ship you on over to make these for me right now I would. But there are all kinds of strategic issues with that :) So perhaps I’ll get over my fear of frying and give these a go. Great photos and recipe, Kam!

    Reply
  • Brie
    August 6, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    mmm, i love onion rings. ones with a great crunch on the outside and soft, smokey onions on the inside. and having a tangy dipping sauce is the best. these look amazing to snack on.

    Reply
  • Joanne
    August 8, 2010 at 10:38 pm

    Hey Kamran, it was great hanging out with you at BlogHer this past weekend, especially at our super exclusive food blogger meet-up. :P

    I wish I could get my family to both read AND eat good food. But alas…I think they are lost causes. That’s okay, though. More buttermilk onion rings for me!

    Reply
  • Lisa { AuthenticSuburbanGourmet }
    August 9, 2010 at 10:54 pm

    I adore onion rings and the spicy addition along with the deep fry and buttermilk is pure heaven. Yummy!!!

    Reply
  • TheKitchenWitch
    August 10, 2010 at 9:22 am

    My husband would love me forever if I made these. Onion rings are his Waterloo. They look amazing. It was great meeting you this weekend in New York!

    Reply
  • Nellie
    August 10, 2010 at 11:34 am

    Good for you for only drinking ginger ale! I would have… not done that. But I suppose you were being watched. Beeeeeeautiful blog.

    Reply
  • The Bitch Stopped Cooking
    August 10, 2010 at 11:53 am

    These look delicious! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  • kamran
    August 10, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    Instead of frying questions– I have not tried baking them, but I am sure that panko coating them and spraying them with canola oil and baking them at 450ºF for about 20-25 minutes will probably work.

    Reply
  • Kell
    August 10, 2010 at 4:27 pm

    Just discovered you via thepioneer woman and you definitely deserved a shoutout. I’m still trying to figure out what is in the jar though. It looks very creamy and delicious.

    Reply
  • kamran
    August 10, 2010 at 4:33 pm

    Hey, Kell– The creamy and delicious thing in the small bowl is some homemade garlic aioli. I am thinking that a grilled tomato aioli dipping sauce would work well with this, too! :)

    Reply
  • Natasha
    August 10, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    I found your blog through Pioneer Woman and so glad I did! Your recipes look amazing and I’m excited to try them!

    Reply
  • Elizabeth
    August 11, 2010 at 11:04 am

    I keep hearing about this book and this recipe may have finally convinced me to buy it. I think even my husband will be convinced with this recipe too…REAL deep fried onion rings. Though we strive to live healthy lives, there are just some things that are not good baked, and onion rings fall in that category!

    Gorgeous as always Kamran!!

    Reply
  • nisha
    August 13, 2010 at 4:13 am

    This is the first time checkin out ur blog and I am already trying out a recipe! The onions are submerged and sitting in the fridge now but I doubt I can wait 2 hours!I am hoping that isn’t that important a step cos Im going to break my fast (it’s ramadhan!)in about fifty minutes! Hope it turns out well!

    Reply
  • Dining Minx
    September 2, 2010 at 10:05 am

    I have just stumbled across your blog, via another tweeter, and this recipe caught my eye straight. This is largely due to the fact I love anything deep-fried and crunchy! Thanks, will definitely try this one out.

    Reply
  • Shelvasha
    September 29, 2010 at 11:42 pm

    I love this recipe, it looks scrumptious! Love the blog, it’s so beautiful! Keep up the amazing work!

    Reply

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