The Step You Shouldn't Skip For Better Onion Rings

Golden, crunchy, and aromatic, a batch of deep fried onion rings is a thing of beauty. However, making them at home can be a culinary balancing act as the raw onion needs time to cook through and soften before the flour-dredged exterior burns. To make onion rings that have a toothsome middle and an audibly crisp coating, there's one prep step you shouldn't skip: soaking your rounds of onion in a wet dredge made of buttermilk and Tabasco.

As buttermilk is a fermented dairy product, it has a naturally acidic pH level. Buttermilk is often employed as a marinade for chicken because its acidity breaks down the proteins in meat, resulting in a finished dish with a tender consistency and succulence. Using buttermilk to make a wet dredge for onion rings serves the same purpose and helps to slightly soften the edges of the hoops as they sit so they cook faster. Tabasco is also an acid, as its core ingredient is distilled vinegar, which means it doubles down on that softening action while lending the marinade a touch of warming heat and sourness. Together, the buttermilk and Tabasco imbue the onions with a tangy quality that balances out the heaviness of the deep fried coating. Moreover, the texture of the marinade encourages the flour to cling to the rings better, creating a protective barrier that prevents them from burning.

When using buttermilk to make a wet dredge, you'll need to mix in a little water to loosen its texture before adding in a few drops of Tabasco and any dried seasonings, such as salt, garlic powder, or cayenne (add this one ingredient that makes the best onion rings while lending them a delicious savory depth). Place your onion rings in the marinade and leave them overnight in the fridge for best results. Then, remove them from the buttermilk and toss them into some flour before deep frying as normal. A classic batch of onion rings is made by dunking the onions into a batter made of flour, milk, and seasonings, so this technique does add in an extra stage. However, it's worth it for the scrumptious results. 

Incorporating other flavorful liquids, such as beer, into your marinade will lend the onions more flavor and texture. For instance, this prosecco battered onion rings recipe uses a sparkling white wine to create bubbles in the wet mixture, which lends them a crispier and lighter exterior. As wine and beer are both acidic ingredients, they mimic the softening properties of buttermilk too. You can sub buttermilk for yogurt (and either milk or water to loosen) as this too is naturally acidic and has a slight tang. Other creative ways to upgrade onion rings include coating them in crushed chips or stuffing them with gooey mozzarella.