Originally published in Flavor & The Menu
It’s easy to depend upon the enduring popularity of onion rings, choosing to do little, if anything, to tinker with the basic recipe that has served you well for years. After all, onion rings naturally ride high on the craveability scale, beloved for the way their crispy, crunchy exterior leads to a sweet, savory, toothsome interior. But if you’re only leaning on the tried and true, and not leaning in to take full advantage of the natural affinity consumers have for onion rings, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to fire up your menu.
Onions rings present chefs with an attractive gateway to easy but impactful innovation. Minor modifications can lead to memorable differentiation, giving your operation a competitive advantage with signature takes that don’t mess with success. Here are five areas of inspiration to explore:
1. Thickness
Arguably the easiest way to change up your onion rings is to simply increase or decrease the thickness of the onion slice. Or dispense with uniformity and deliver a variety of sizes with each order.
2. Batter Base & Seasonings
Simple swaps to the ingredients of batters and dredges that will coat the onions can deliver a virtually endless array of new flavor profiles and textures for your onion rings. Almost anything goes, as you explore the variables found in both wet and dry ingredients. Have you been relying on a buttermilk or beer batter? Consider a cider-based batter or one spiked with tequila. A tempura-style batter lends a lighter coating giving the onion a greater showcase, while breadcrumbs dial up the crunch factor. Swap wheat flour for chickpea flour or quinoa.
Crank up the heat with hot sauce in your batter for Nashville Hot onion rings, served with a honey drizzle, suggests Michael Ponzio, Executive Chef, Union League Club of Chicago. “It’s an amazing vegetarian option that is sweet, spicy and has great texture.”
There’s no rule that onion rings must be fried, and Ponzio suggests bypassing the batter altogether. “Wrapping the onion slices in bacon and cooking them on the smoker or in an oven with a barbecue glaze can be an amazingly flavorful addition to a burger or chicken sandwich.”
3. Dips, Dusts and Drizzles
Start your signaturization by focusing on finishes. Trade Buffalo dip for a cheesy fondue, double down on onion flavor with a french onion dip, swap honey mustard for mustard cream. You can even play with fan favorite ketchup by using a spicy rendition or leaning on the juicy sweetness of banana ketchup.
“Use a cornmeal batter and add Old Bay seasoning as a dust for an onion ring that evokes a fish fry,” suggests Ponzio. For an upscale take, he recommends tossing the freshly fried onion rings with shredded parmesan and serving them with a truffle aioli. Another idea is to drizzle the rings with a mix of Tabasco sauce and fresh lime juice. “The spice and acidity pair beautifully with the fried breading and the onion’s sweetness,” Ponzio notes.
Dusting with spice blends like dukkah, togarashi, garam masala, gochugaru, baharat and Chinese 5 spice opens wide the global pantry, giving your onion rings a truly distinctive flavor swagger.