The Extra Step To Take For The Crispiest Onion Rings Ever

Move over, french fries, onion rings are the crispy side you'll want with every meal once you know how to make them. Sometimes, it can feel impossible to recreate restaurant-quality taste and texture, but putting in a little extra work and adding the right steps to your process can be the keys to success. In our quest for the crispiest onion rings ever, Food Republic spoke to John Politte, chef, founder, and host of "It's Only Food," to learn more.

As you can expect, a lot of the crispiness comes from proper preparation and giving your onion rings some love before they hit the oil. To start, Politte said to "Use sweet or yellow onions and slice them into even rings. Soak the rings in buttermilk for at least an hour — this adds flavor and helps the batter stick." This extra step helps prepare for the most important part. Next, Politte said, "Coat the rings with a mixture of flour and cornstarch for a lighter, crispier texture. For extra crunch, dip the rings back in buttermilk and mix in the flour again."

Cornstarch will help thicken the liquid from the buttermilk without being too heavy, so your bite will be crisp and not dense or gooey. Double-dipping the onion rings is what's really going to give you that crispiness. The final step, according to Politte, is to let the onion rings rest in the fridge, so the batter can fully adhere. That way, it can create a nice crust instead of falling off in the hot oil.

Once your onion rings are properly prepared and the batter has had time to rest and meld with the rings, you're ready to heat things up. Avoid common mistakes people make when cooking with oil, and mind the temperature you're using for frying. John Politte advised cooks to "heat oil to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 [degrees Celsius]) for even cooking."

Once the oil is fully heated and stable, you can carefully fry your onion rings until they're golden brown — this usually takes about five minutes. Politte reminded home cooks to fry the onion rings in small batches so as not to interfere with the oil temperature, which can drop if you overload the pan.

Finally, the moment comes when all your hard work pays off: removing the onion rings from the oil. Before letting them cool completely, Politte recommended, "[Coating] the onion rings with panko for added crunch." At this point, you will have three layers of crunchy batter surrounding the tender inner onion, giving you the ultimate crispy finish. Note, though, that this can all be for nothing if you don't give your onion rings time to rest after this last step.

For the best results, Politte said to "place fried rings on a wire rack to keep them crispy." Don't cover them up or put them in a container too soon, or the trapped heat and moisture will turn them soggy. Let your onion rings rest before serving with your favorite condiments and enjoy the perfect balance between soft and crunchy.