Beer-battered onion rings are an iconic snack for Super Bowl parties and other get-togethers, but they can be enjoyed at just about any other time too. They’re simple enough to make; just coat sliced onions in a batter of flour, beer, cornstarch, and seasonings before frying them in oil. However, the simple process means it’s all the more crucial to use the best ingredients in your recipe. Tasting Table spoke exclusively with Tini Younger, a chef with over 11 million followers on TikTok, about the best combination of beer and flour to use when cooking onion rings.
Tini, who recently collaborated with Nestlé Carnation on its new Kickin’ Jalapeño flavored Evaporated Milk, said that her go-to flour for beer-battered onion rings is rice flour. “I would do rice flour, tapioca flour, add some beer in there, and mix it up and dip it in there,” she told Tasting Table. For regular onion rings, Tini typically uses a more classic breading process, but she says that rice flour gives beer battered onion rings welcomed crispiness.
When asked for her beer of choice for the recipe, Tini suggests using a lighter beer and specifically chose Corona. This is a common choice for beer battered onion rings since it ensures that the batter isn’t too heavy. Dark beers, on the other hand, can change the flavor of the batter significantly.
More tips for onion rings
While simple, onion rings can be hard to perfect, and everyone has different preferences when it comes to flavor and size. For instance, some people like the onion to be thick, while others prefer it takes a backseat to the batter. This means it’s important to experiment with your recipe and find what works for you. However, when it comes to cooking methods, there are a few general tips that can help ensure your onion rings come out neat and delicious.
For instance, be sure to dry your onions thoroughly to keep excess moisture out of your batter. This could prevent it from clinging to the onion correctly. Another tip is to use a lot of oil. While you might be tempted to use less oil for health reasons, not using enough oil will prevent your onion rings from forming correctly.
If you want a version of onion rings that doesn’t use oil at all, you can consider baking them instead of deep-frying them. This simply involves coating them in wet batter and breadcrumbs before cooking them in the oven, and Tini Younger’s tried-and-true rice flour and Corona combo would be delicious prepared with this method.
