Spicy and Crispy Onion Rings

Spicy and Crispy Onion Rings ~ sizzling summer sensation that will liven up any picnic meal.

Did you buy buttermilk recently and only needed a cup for a recipe and have some left over? Here's a great way to use up that buttermilk before it goes bad.

I always soak my onions in buttermilk when making some homemade onion rings. This is a simple recipe and if you like onion rings, and are partial to spicy hot you are going to love this preparation.
Spicy and Crispy Onion Rings are just that. Crispy coated, soft luscious onion inside and you get just a slight tingle in the back of your throat from the combination of hot sauce and the cayenne pepper.
These are really outstanding onion rings. Restaurant quality as a matter of fact and nothing like the frozen stuff you get in a box. I can never understand going to a restaurant that has a fryolator and does french fries and then serves an onion ring from a box. You can always tell them apart from freshly made too. The frozen onion rings are perfectly coated factory made and most likely molded together by some machine.
As always, home made is better even when you are talking onion rings!

• oil for frying - canola, vegetable - any good frying oil will do.
•  2 or 3 large sweet onions - sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• 2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk with 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar)
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce
• 2 cups flour - all purpose
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1. Slice your onions about 1/2 inch thick. Separate the rings and place them in a bowl with enough buttermilk to cover. Add in the hot sauce and mix well.  Refrigerate and chill the onions and buttermilk while you are preparing the flour and heating the oil.
2. In the meantime make a dredging station with flour seasoned with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Mix well to combine.
3. Bring the onion rings back out. Dredge in the seasoned flour. Dip back in the buttermilk and dredge in the flour one more time.
4. Heat your oil to 375°. Try and control this and maintain that level of heat. Add the onion ring rounds to the oil, turn during the frying process if necessary. Fry until you reach the level of brown you want.
5. When they come out of the oil, the best method for draining these is on a wire rack that is over some paper towels that have been placed on a baking sheet. I happen to have a restaurant size baking sheet and a cooling rack that fits inside. You'll have to rig something up otherwise drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt and follow the next step.
6. You will have to do these in batches, so place them on a cookie/baking sheet (after they have drained) and keep them warm in a 200-225 degree oven.

Serve the onion rings with steak, hamburgers, hot dogs or perhaps grilled kielbasa. Your family will love these kicked up rings!

Here's some feedback on this onion ring recipe I wanted to share with you.