Beer Battered Onion Rings With Buttermilk Ranch
Super crispy beer battered onion rings, served with a homemade, buttermilk ranch dip. These are a next level side dish!
Servings: 8 Servings
Equipment
- Deep Fat Fryer
- Mixing Bowls
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Baking Tray
- Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
- 3 Large White Onions
- 350 g Buttermilk
- 150 g Plain Flour
Beer Batter
- 225 g Plain Flour
- 75 g Cornflour
- 2¼ tsp Baking Powder
- 350 ml Cold Beer See Notes
Buttermilk Ranch
- 1 Banana Shallot
- 150 g Buttermilk
- 150 g Mayonnaise
- 100 g Sour Cream
- 1 Clove Garlic Grated
- 1½ tbsp Finely Sliced Chives
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Trim the top of each onion off then cut into 1 cm wide slices, stopping just before the root. Gently remove the outer skin.I find it easier to peel the skin off after slicing the onions but you can take it off before if you'd prefer.
- Carefully separate the onion slices into rings, discarding any that are broken or very small.
- Next, place the onion rings into a bowl then pour over the buttermilk. Gently stir the onions with your hands, so that each piece of onion is coated then refrigerate for 1 hour.
Buttermilk Ranch
- Peel the shallot, cut into a very fine dice then place into a mixing bowl.
- Add in the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, chives & lemon juice, season with salt & pepper then stir to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
Dredging
- Preheat a deep fat fryer to 175°c/347°f.
- Place the plain flour (150g) into a mixing bowl.
- Next, take an onion ring out of the buttermilk, shake off the excess then toss in the flour. Place onto a wire rack (set over a tray) then repeat with the remaining onion.
Beer Batter
- Place the flour, cornflour & baking powder into a mixing bowl, whisk together then season with salt & pepper.
- Pour in the beer then whisk until just combined,Once made, the beer batter should be used straight away!
Frying
- To cook, take an onion ring & dip in the batter. Allow any excess batter to drain off then carefully lower the onion into the hot oil. Repeat with a few more onion rings.If you dip the onion into the hot oil halfway (carefully!) & hold it there for a couple of seconds (or until it starts to float), it won't stick to the basket!Depending on the size of your fryer, you should be able to cook 3-4 onion rings at a time.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, flipping with a slotted spoon halfway through. Once cooked the batter will be crispy & a deep, golden brown.
- Lift the onions rings out of the fryer, let the oil drain off for a minute or so then transfer them to a plate lined with a piece of kitchen roll. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining onion rings.
- Season the onion rings with sea salt then serve hot with the buttermilk ranch dipping sauce.
Notes
1. Portions - This recipe makes enough onion rings for 8 generous portions, plus plenty of ranch sauce. Feel free to make half the recipe, if you'd prefer. To make half the batter, use a heaped tsp of baking powder.
2. Beer - For a light, crispy batter I’d recommend using either a lager or a pale ale. Make sure that the beer is cold before using. This is the secret to super crispy batter!
3. Batter - For the best results, the beer batter should be used straight away. Make sure not to overmix it! For a alcohol-free batter, use sparkling water instead of beer.
4. Deep Frying - A deep fat fryer makes cooking the onion rings a lot easier! If you haven't got one, heating a pan of veg oil up on the stove will work as well. Just make sure to do this very carefully!
5. Buttermilk - Soaking the onions in buttermilk gives them a mild, tangy flavour. If you haven't got any buttermilk, regular milk or ice cold water will work as well.