17 Secret Ingredients For The Tastiest Onion Rings

Onion rings are a much-enjoyed fried food that you can find at a lot of eateries. They make a crispy, golden, and delightfully savory appetizer that you can eat any time of the year. While it doesn't hurt to stay with classic recipes, sometimes you may be searching for a way to mix things up. 

That's what we're here for — to inspire you because there are plenty of secret ingredients for the tastiest onion rings. Depending on the quality you're looking for, these options can enhance the flavor, texture, or overall appearance. Some of these suggestions are part of the batter, while others may involve the actual onion itself. 

With loads of game-changing options to revitalize the way you devour these round snacks, we'll cover the ingredients you can use, what they contribute, and how to use them. Don't worry — there are a range of choices for those who love bold flavors or prefer to keep the taste pretty standard. It's not just for home cooks; professional chefs can also take notes on a few new ways to experiment with onion rings. Go grab your onion, and let's get started.

Beer can be a game-changer for battered foods, but it's pretty unexpected for onion rings. The alcoholic beverage provides a lightness and crispness that impacts the overall texture of the beer-battered onion rings. It's always nice to use ingredients that are easily accessible, and beer is definitely one of them. You can find it in most grocery stores and liquor stores, and you don't have to use a super fancy or expensive beer. 

However, some beers are better than others for onion rings. A light-colored beer, like Belgian wheat ale or Samuel Adams Boston Lager, is one of the best types of beer to use in batter. Mix in the beer after whisking the dry products together. You need to add enough liquid to make a smooth batter, around one cup, but this may vary based on how much you are making. The result is a crisp, golden brown onion ring with a satisfying bite.

You might want to learn some tips for the best onion rings if your previous attempts at creating the dish didn't yield extraordinary results. One simple tip is to mix flours: Utilize semolina flour and all-purpose to get your onions the crispiest texture. This is because semolina doesn't retain as much oil as the all-purpose variety, giving the rings a crunch boost.

Semolina, commonly used for baking foods like pasta, bread, and pizza, is a type of flour that's made with durum wheat and is recognizable by its yellow color. This hue can contribute an alluring golden color to your appetizer, too. Beyond its texture and color, semolina also has nutritional benefits like fiber, protein, iron, folate, and more. Consider adding this surprising component to your batter along with your regular flour and dry items when you want a crunchy, irresistible texture. Your onion rings will go from bland to restaurant-quality by including this one item.

Both homemade and store-bought hot sauce can bring a lot of flavor and color to the table. There are a couple of ways to use the secret ingredient to create incredible onion rings. The first is to use it as a marinade. This approach makes a tender onion that's easy to bite into, although the heat won't be too strong. You'll need three things: your hot sauce of choice, apple cider vinegar, and water. Mix the components in a bowl and then toss in the onions, allowing them to submerge in the liquid. Cover and then let the mixture sit for at least eight hours, but overnight is even better. 

The second method is to just use the hot sauce as a part of the liquid component that makes the batter. This method doesn't impact the texture; it's solely to give it a flavorful kick. Pick your approach based on whether you want to improve the onion's texture or flavor. Either way, it makes a potent hidden condiment to use for your dish.

Brown sugar might not be something you think of when it comes to savory onion rings, but it's a secret weapon to add a complex flavor to the dish. We're not adding a lot — around a pinch or ½ teaspoon added to the dry items and seasonings will do, so you don't have to worry about a sugary onion ring. It will, however, impart some complex notes of caramel, butterscotch, and smokiness to the food.

The sugar acts more like a balance to the saltiness than anything, giving a hint of its sweet profile without turning the dish into a dessert. This easily accessible item is truly hidden because it's not overpowering or too pronounced. You may miss it if you're not paying attention to the flavors because it blends so well with the other elements. It's also easy to incorporate into the dry ingredients, so you don't have to do any extra steps.

MSG is a popular element in packaged goods and many cuisines around the globe. You might not have thought to include it in your onion rings, but you're missing out on some serious flavor. This component provides a savory depth that you can't get from salt alone. It's also highly versatile in how it can be applied to the dish. 

You may use it as the finishing touch like you would with seasoning salt. Sprinkle no more than ¼ of a teaspoon on top of your already plated and fried onion rings, or mix it with other seasonings, such as salt, pepper, or paprika, to sprinkle on top. You could go a different route by including the powder with dry items as part of the batter. Either way, you're left with incredible, savory, umami-packed rings. It doesn't impact the texture; MSG is solely for the flavor, making it the perfect secret ingredient to use for the absolute best onion rings that taste extra rich and flavorful. 

Flour is a fundamental ingredient to get that crispy batter for onion rings, but we encourage you to integrate different types next time you whip up this dish. Follow the lead of Richard Blais's Vidalia onion rings and beer mustard, which uses rice flour, all-purpose flour, beer, and a few other elements to create a magnificent dish. The rice and all-purpose flour duo get mixed with wet components, such as soda water, beer, and honey, until it creates a smooth batter. 

You won't even know the rice is there, which is what makes it such an undercover ingredient. Rice flour tends to get gritty when used by itself, which is why we're pairing it with the all-purpose flour and using a much smaller quantity. Together, the batter offers a light but equally crisp crust. This dish pairs beautifully with spicy condiments like a cayenne-infused beer mustard or sriracha ranch. 

Although there are many secret ingredients for the tastiest onion rings, sometimes it helps to start at the source. Try using sweet Spanish onions as the star component in your dish. They are the best type of onion to use for onion rings because of their size and flavor. Their larger size means you can get those thick, chunky pieces of onion. However, it's also beneficial to pick bigger onions to help you get those massive rings. 

Sweet Spanish onions are a type of yellow onion with a barely-there sweet flavor profile. This gives the dish a milder taste than some of the more potent onion varieties, like the average yellow onion. So, when you follow your favorite onion ring recipe, use a sweet Spanish onion instead. If you are not a fan of onion rings, this might be one way to change your mind. It can transform and enhance the overall flavor of the appetizer in a way that seasonings alone can't.

Bring boldness to your onion rings with Flamin' Hot Cheetos. This isn't a groundbreaking product, as it is used in a lot of dishes to create a crispy coating. And yet, it still manages to be surprising, especially if you're not expecting your onion rings to have a red hue to them. Flamin' Hot Cheetos have a lot going for them in terms of ingredients, which include cornmeal, cheddar cheese, onion powder, MSG, buttermilk, and others. This bold mix gives onion rings a savory, spicy corn flavor.

To use them, gather a bag or two of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and then crush them into a powder. Give it a little bit of texture by having slightly larger pieces, but you generally want to have even pieces. Start by dredging your onion rings, and then dunk them in the crushed red crumbs to act as the breading. The chips are an eye-catching way to incorporate a touch of tangy heat into your dish.

Pickled onions create a tart and interesting spin when you want onion rings that are anything but basic. To get the result, you need to do a quick pickle with water, vinegar, sugar, and salt. This is pretty speedy compared to the other pickling processes that can take weeks, but it does need to infuse overnight to get that bright and sour taste. That means you'll want to plan ahead for this one.

You can use red onion, which is typically used for pickled onion, but yellow onion is great to get the well-known onion ring look. It's up to you how tangy you want this, so you can pick your vinegar based on its strength. Balsamic and wine vinegar are higher in acidity, whereas apple cider and honey vinegar are both lower in acidity and slightly sweet. Enhance your onion rings with a vinegar boost the next time you want a multi-dimensional crispy snack with a zesty kick.

Don't just wash down your onion rings with a glass of seltzer or sparkling water; use it to make the dish, too. These types of carbonated water offer similar results as using beer in that it offers a light and airy coating to the food. In fact, you can use them as an alternative to beer when you want similar results without the mild beer taste or alcoholic content. Seltzer has a neutral flavor compared to sparkling, which may have a light mineral taste from the naturally occurring minerals in the water. 

Seltzer water is easy to utilize and creates an onion ring that looks, tastes, and feels like something you'd get at a restaurant. You don't need to do a lot of mixing, either. Incorporate the ingredient with a light hand because you risk eliminating all the bubbles or making the batter gummy if you over-stir. Mix the water with the seasoned flour to create your bubbly batter. You'd never know that the seltzer water is in the onion rings because it doesn't look or taste like anything. But you'll have an unbeatable feather-light crunchy ring.

Cornflakes are not just a breakfast cereal. You'll find this ingredient used in many savory dishes to create a crunchy exterior, but it's still pretty surprising. The secret lies in its crispy, light texture and sweet, toasty flavor that complements the light, sweet taste of onions, especially if you use sweet Spanish onion. You can opt for any cornflake brand, but just make sure you use the plain variety. The cornflakes also offer a beautiful golden color that adds to the overall sensory experience. 

Crush the cornflakes so they're in smaller pieces, but it doesn't have to be as fine as a powder. We're looking for some of the crunchy texture to remain intact. The flakes act as the last part of the dredging process before frying, and you'll want to press them on as an extra step to make sure they don't fall off. Cornflakes can take your average onion ring and bring it to new heights. The cereal impacts the flavor, texture, and appearance, so it's truly a multifaceted and affordable item to keep stocked in your pantry.

It may seem redundant or unnecessary to use onion powder for your onion rings, but it's transformative. Doubling up on your onion essence gives it an intensity that you wouldn't get by itself. This tip isn't about adding a teensy sprinkle to your seasoning, either. You will want to use it with a heavy hand — approximately a tablespoon of onion powder for each onion used. Rather than including it as a seasoning mixed with the dry items, you'll add powder directly to the wet mix. It works particularly well with a beer batter. 

The concentrated powder is the single spice that'll kick your homemade onion rings up a notch; it provides a complex and deeply savory result. Make sure to stick with pure onion powder. Something like onion salt can totally mess up the flavor of the dish. This makes the ultimate secret ingredient because you wouldn't expect a bunch of onion powder in an already onion-centric dish.

Take the flavor and texture of onion rings into new territory by wrapping them in bacon. While you can see that the bacon is on the onion rings, it's not something you would associate with the appetizer, which is what makes it such an underrated ingredient. Bacon gives it a similar crunch that you would expect from the bread crumbs or flour coating but offers a new flavor profile. It's salty and smoky and makes the perfect complement to the onion. 

The great part is that you don't have to actively monitor and flip the bacon to fry in a pan. Instead, wrap the bacon around the onion rings and pop them in the oven on a baking sheet to let the appliance do all the work. To match the powerful bacon flavor, you may want to use a spicier or more potent type of onion, like a yellow onion harvested in August through May; this is when it has the strongest onion flavor.

Prosecco may be commonly used to celebrate momentous milestones, but you can employ this beverage in onion rings as well. Sparkling drinks are pretty common in the dish, so this alcoholic libation is just an unforeseen one to add to the rotation. Seltzer water doesn't bring any taste, only texture, and beer might impart too much flavor if you aren't fond of the taste. So, Prosecco is the delicious balance between the two and brings a unique taste to the table that the other liquids don't. 

Make Prosecco-battered onion rings, and then pour yourself a glass with the leftovers in the bottle. The effervescence creates a light and crisp batter, but the delicate sweetness is the most impressive. You can't beat the flavor and texture because it doesn't overpower the dish. Even someone with a sensitive palate may not be able to point out exactly what's in the rings.

Parmesan has a nutty, rich flavor that can add depth to your onion rings without being too noticeable. It's the perfect undercover ingredient to take the dish to the next level without being too obvious. You don't need big chunks of cheese to get results. Use grated cheese for a beautiful blend with dry batter items like bread crumbs to create a super-crisp crust. For the best flavor, use freshly grated Parmesan rather than the pre-ground stuff.

You could also construct a gluten-free version using Parmesan as the crust itself. Combine the cheese with cornstarch or almond flour to give it the ideal crispy texture while also adding a more obvious Parmesan flavor — ideal for cheese lovers. You'll still achieve a satisfying crust, no matter which option you go for. Parmesan works well with many types of condiments, allowing you to have a lot of leeway with the dipping sauce, whether you want a tomatoey marinara or creamy melted butter.

We have a truly unconventional ingredient to create a memorable dish: coconut. This component has a special power because it brings a blend of texture and a nutty, toasty profile. The addition is surprisingly versatile, too. You can use sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes, depending on where you want to take its flavor. 

You can keep it toasty and savory with unsweetened coconut or turn it into something with a slightly sweet taste. If you opt for the sweet version, it's beneficial to utilize a sweeter onion, like the sweet Spanish onion or Walla Walla, to best complement the flavor. 

Plus, you can fry or bake them. No matter which way you choose, you should monitor them so they don't burn. Otherwise, you're left with charred coconut and uncooked onion. When you want to create a unique appetizer that leaves people talking, give your onion rings a tropical twist and try them out with irresistibly crunchy coconut. 

Seasonings are certainly not a revolutionary part of onion rings, but you can switch it up a bit by using a herb like basil. This herbal inclusion can bring a touch of added color and its peppery, somewhat minty, and sweet flavor profile into the dish. It's a great all-in-one herb because it has such a range of flavors. As a bonus, it's a widely accessible herb that you can find in grocery stores throughout the year. You could use regular basil or add a lemony profile by using lemon basil. 

You may use freshly chopped basil or the dried variety, which allows more room for flexibility. This herb works well with a breadcrumb or flour-based onion ring. Pull out more of the pepper flavor by pairing it with a seasoning like fresh cracked black pepper. No matter what you combine it with, the herb is unexpected but comes together to create a delicious experience that you want to replicate.