Crispy Onion Ring Stack (Print View)

Stacked golden onion rings with a crunchy, flavorful coating, ideal for sharing and snacking.

# Components:

→ 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 if air-frying

# Directions:

01 - Peel onions and slice into ¾-inch thick rings. Separate and set aside.
02 - Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
03 - Beat eggs with cold sparkling water until well blended.
04 - Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add extra water if too thick.
05 - Place panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.
06 - Dip each onion ring into batter, allowing excess to drip off, then coat evenly in panko breadcrumbs.
07 - Heat oil to 350°F. Fry rings in batches for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on wire rack or paper towels.
08 - Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Arrange rings in one layer, spray lightly with oil, and air-fry for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway.
09 - Stack the cooked onion rings into a tower on a platter and serve immediately with preferred dipping sauces.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sparkling water in the batter creates an almost impossible crunch that somehow gets even better as it cools.
  • Stacking them into a tower means everyone gets that theatrical moment of pulling rings apart instead of fishing them off a boring platter.
  • Works equally well in a deep fryer or air fryer, so you can make this whether you're cooking for a crowd or just being lazy on a Tuesday night.
02 -
  • Temperature control is everything—rings fried at 325°F end up greasy, but at 360°F they brown too fast before the inside cooks, so invest in a proper thermometer and trust it completely.
  • The sparkling water has to be cold and carbonated when you mix it, or you lose the chemical reaction that makes the batter crispy instead of dense and heavy.
  • Never skip draining on a rack instead of paper towels—paper towels trap steam and turn your rings back into mush in about five minutes.
03 -
  • If your batter seems to be sliding off the onion rings instead of sticking, the onions might be too wet—pat them dry with paper towels before dipping.
  • The difference between rings that stay crispy and rings that get soft after five minutes is whether you let them drain on a rack where air can circulate underneath them.
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