Beer Battered Onion Rings
Chef Jack Ovens
Qualified Chef · 1.63M Subscribers
Updated August 2026
Proper crispy, crunchy onion rings with a light, airy batter, double-dredged so the coating actually stays put in the fryer. Served with a ranch sauce made completely from scratch, no bottled stuff involved.
Two things matter most here: don’t skip the flour layer before the batter goes on, and take your time pouring the oil into the ranch sauce. Both of those steps are where things go wrong if you rush them.
Great as a starter, a side for burgers, or just something to pick at while everyone’s standing around the kitchen.
Beer Battered Onion Rings
ONION · SIDE · MEDIUM
Why You'll Love These Onion Rings
Way Better Than the Frozen Stuff
The double-dredge technique is the real difference-maker. That first layer of flour gives the wet batter something to actually grip onto, so you're not left with rings that shed their coating in the oil.
The buttermilk soak softens the onion's sharpness before it even hits the fryer, so you get sweetness and crunch without any harsh raw-onion bite.
And the ranch sauce isn't an afterthought — it's a proper homemade mayo base with fresh herbs, worlds apart from anything out of a bottle.
Beer Battered Onion Rings & Ranch Sauce
Ingredients
Onion Rings
- 2 Brown (Yellow) Onion Sliced Into Rings
- 250 ml Buttermilk
- 140 g Plain Flour All-Purpose
- 2 g Garlic Powder
- 180 ml Beer of Choice or Soda Water
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 litre Neutral Oil
Ranch Sauce
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 5 g Dijon Mustard
- 5 g Flat Leaf Parsley Chopped
- 5 g Dill Chopped
- 6 Chives Sliced
- ½ Lemon Juiced
- 375 ml Olive Oil
- 1 g Garlic Powder
- 1 g Onion Powder
- 125 ml Buttermilk
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Method
Onion Rings
- Peel and slice the onion into rings. Place the onion into a mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, and mix to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Pour the canola oil into a large, high-rimmed pot or pan, place onto high heat, and heat to 180°C (350°F).
- To make the batter, add half of the plain flour into a mixing bowl. Add the sea salt flakes, ground white pepper and garlic powder, and mix to combine. Pour in the soda water and whisk until smooth.
- In another bowl, add the remaining plain flour for dredging.
- Remove the onions from the buttermilk, removing any excess. Place the onions into the flour (in batches), mix to completely coat, and shake off any excess flour. Add the dredged onions into the batter, remove any excess batter, then gently place the prepared onions into the hot oil.
- Fry the onion rings for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove and place onto a wire rack to drain.
Ranch Sauce
- In a mixing bowl, add the egg yolks, dijon mustard, flat-leaf parsley, dill, chives, and lemon juice, and whisk to combine.
- Secure the base of the mixing bowl with a wet towel or grip mat. While continuously and vigorously whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil to create an emulsion. If it starts to pool, stop adding the olive oil and whisk it in before continuing.
- Once the mayonnaise has been created, add the onion powder, garlic powder, buttermilk and season to taste, and whisk to combine. Serve the ranch sauce alongside the onion rings. Dig in.
Chef's Tips
Let the onions sit in the buttermilk for the full 15 minutes — this softens their bite and helps the flour coating stick properly.Don't skip the double-dredge (flour, then batter) — the flour layer underneath gives the wet batter something to grip onto, so the coating stays put in the fryer instead of sliding off.Pour the oil into the ranch sauce as slowly as possible at the start — this is the step most likely to split the emulsion, so patience early on pays off later.
Storage & Reheating
Onion rings are best eaten fresh, as the coating loses its crispness quickly — they'll keep in the fridge for up to 1 day and can be re-crisped in a hot oven or air fryer (avoid the microwave). Since the ranch sauce contains raw egg yolks, use pasteurised eggs if possible, keep refrigerated, and use within 5-7 days rather than the usual 2-week fridge life of a cooked sauce; take extra care if serving to pregnant, elderly, very young, or immunocompromised guests.
Serving 160gCalories 440kcalCarbohydrates 23.1gProtein 5.6gFat 35.7gSaturated Fat 5.4gPolyunsaturated Fat 3.91gMonounsaturated Fat 25.06gTrans Fat 0.1gCholesterol 55mgSodium 92.2mgPotassium 166mgFiber 1.1gSugar 2.6gVitamin A 137.2IUVitamin C 5.24mgCalcium 73.6mgIron 0.8mg
Common Questions
What if my ranch sauce splits?⌄
Stop adding oil straight away and whisk hard until it comes back together before continuing. If it's split badly, start again with a fresh egg yolk and slowly whisk the split mixture into that instead.
Can I use beer instead of soda water?⌄
Yes, a light lager or pale ale works well and gives the batter a bit more flavour and lightness from the carbonation. Use the same quantity either way.
Is it safe to eat the ranch sauce with raw egg yolks?⌄
For most healthy adults, yes, especially using pasteurised eggs. It's worth taking extra care serving it to anyone pregnant, elderly, very young, or immunocompromised, and using it within 5-7 days rather than treating it like a cooked sauce.
Why did my onion rings turn out soggy?⌄
Usually the oil wasn't hot enough to begin with, or too many rings went in at once and dropped the temperature. Fry in smaller batches and check the oil's back up to temperature between rounds.
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