Crispy, savory, and satisfying - these French Fried Onion Rings are one of my favorite nostalgic comfort foods from my Grammy’s kitchen.

My Grammy's recipe for French Fried Onion Rings is a rustic and satisfying comfort food that she would often make during the harvest season. It would always be towards the end of summer when the vegetables were in abundance from the family garden. She would take the utmost care to make these simple fried rings as delicious as possible by perfectly frying each little glorious ring. While I was making her recipe, the intoxicating aroma of hot oil and frying onions brought me right back to my Grammy’s small country kitchen. At that moment, I was in a place of pure comfort and nostalgic memories.  It’s funny how a simple crispy ring of onion could invoke the strongest memories and most vivid happy memories.

French Fried Onion Rings

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp kosher salt

1 cup whole milk

1 large egg, beaten

2 large sweet yellow onions

Vegetable oil

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Mix in beaten egg and milk until it becomes a thick pancake-like batter. Once all the flour is incorporated, put it aside. 

Prepare the onions by peeling them and slicing them into rings about a ½ -1” thick depending on your preference. The thinner the onion ring the crispier they will be. 

Set a small pot filled a quarter of the way with vegetable oil on the stove.  heat on medium high until the oil temperature reaches 350°F. If you don’t have a thermometer for your oil just drop a tiny bit of batter into the oil. When the oil starts bubbling around the batter your oil is hot enough for frying. 

Once the oil is up to temperature, dip the sliced onions in the batter and fry. Fry until the onion rings are golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove onion rings and place on a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet to drain some of the oil. While still hot, sprinkle the rings with a little more salt. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

*Notes: Be careful when frying these onion rings! As the rings fry they will release water into the oil which will make the oil bubble more violently. Just stand clear and be sure to wear an apron. 

You don’t want to add too many onion rings in the oil at one time. If you do you could drop the oil temperature below 350°F which will make your rings too greasy. 

Don’t worry if the onion rings look a little “ugly” ; that's part of their rustic charm! They won’t look like your standard commercially prepared ring. They are very homemade and not one onion ring will look alike. Look at them like they are deliciously fried snowflakes. Each one is special and perfect in their own way.

The batter coating will split and brown quicker than the rest of the ring and that’s ok. These crispy deep brown chasms are one of the best parts of these homemade onion rings. It’s the perfect little crevice for the salt to hide.