Onion Rings- Baked or Fried

Ever get a craving for something out of the blue and then all you can think about is that food? Well, that's what happened to me earlier this week. Out of the blue, I got a crazy craving for ONION RINGS!

I don't even know the last time I had onion rings. It was probably a year ago or longer and I'm sure I had them at some chain restaurant like, Red Robin. What I had never done was make them myself. So I started looking online and ran across a recipe on AllRecipes.com that sounded good to me and had very high ratings.

I modified it a bit and am very, very happy with the results. I used ground up Panko and added a bit of paprika for color and flavor. The original recipe called for frying but I also ended up baking half the batch to make them a bit healthier.

These turned out crispy and tasted fantastic! They were a huge hit with my husband and kids. I've included both baking and frying directions below. The only other thing I will do next time is to double the recipe. We quickly gobbled these up and really wanted some more.

The baked onion rings. They certainly aren't as pretty as the fried ones but taste wise, they were very close. I will definitely make these again baked and save myself a lot of fat and calories.

After the rings are dipped into the floured batter they are placed on a wire rack to drain. Wax paper placed underneath helps keep things tidy.

I recently found this great product at my local grocery store. Up until now, if I wanted a non-propellant olive oil spray I would use my Misto. However, I often had trouble getting an even stream if I didn't pump it enough and that is why I love this Filippo Berio spray. No pumping required and it sprays beautifully every time!

The only thing missing from these onion rings was a yummy dipping sauce...next time.


Ingredients

1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup Panko bread crumbs, finely ground
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable or canola oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

1. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a Ziploc bag, combine together the flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Add the onion slices into the Ziploc bag and shake until they are all coated; set aside.

3. Whisk the egg and milk together. Then add 1/2 of the flour mixture and whisk until all ingredients are combined.

4. Dip the floured rings into the floured batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil or wax paper for easier clean up.

5. Add the Panko bread crumbs, salt and paprika to a plate or shallow dish. Mix with a fork or hands till all ingredients are combined.

6. Place rings one at a time into the Panko mixture and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.

To Fry:
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C) or in a pan or dutch oven.
Carefully add the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with additional salt if desired, and serve.

To Bake:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Spray the pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Add the onion rings in a single layer. Spray the tops of the rings with additional oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes, turn rings and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and season with additional salt if desired and serve.

Source: Chef Mommy, adapted from AllRecipes.