Step 1: Preheating Your Oil
Set your oil to heat on a medium heat setting to heat, if using a pot on stove. If using a deep fat fryer following instructions regarding temperature of fat.
While your fat is heating, prepare your puff batter.
Step 2: Making Your Onion Ring Batter
Onion Ring Batter
Into a small bowl:
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Shake of paprika
Shake of seasoning salt
1/2 cup water
Combine dry ingredients and whisk together to mix.
Step 3: Slicing Your Onions
Slice onions 1/8-1/4" inch thick and gently separate into rings.
Your onion rings will turn out better if your onion slices don't snap when you trying to separate them, so use care when separating them.
Step 4: Coating Onion Rings With Batter
Drop sliced onions into batter in bowl and stir gently with a spoon. This saves time, over dipping each ring separately into batter. Make sure all onion rings are coated with batter before dropping into hot oil.
Step 5: Cooking Onion Rings
Using a fork, drop one onion ring into fat to test temperature. Your onion ring should not cook too quickly or turn dark. If necessary, reduce temperature. when your fat temperature is just right and your "tester" onion ring has cooked the way it should, you are ready to proceed.
Remember: You want your fried onion rings to puff up and turn golden brown, not overcook. If they over cook they will taste bitter.
When fat is ready, gently drop onion rings into pot one-by-one or place in fryer basket and lower into fryer. Avoid being splashed by hot fat by using caution when slipping rings into hot oil.