Breaded Onion Rings

Burgers and fries. Nothing is more American than a greasy burger and a mound of fries to go along with it. There's a reason why burger joints are so popular. People love their burgers. And fries. Sometimes, though, we want the burger without the fries. Maybe it's the fact that we want something crunchy, maybe we are sick of potatoes, maybe we're just plain bored and want something different. Whatever the reason, the typical answer is to turn to the onion ring.

Onion rings usually fall into two categories, battered and breaded. My recipe uses both methods. I start with a very simple four ingredient batter. Once the rings are dipped into the batter, I transfer them to a bowl that has a tight-fitting lid so I can bread them. I place two cups of bread crumbs in the bowl, add the battered onions, seal the lid, and shake gently to coat the rings with the bread crumbs. After a quick fry, all that is left is to serve them up along side a juicy burger (or on it, I'm flexible), maybe with a side of ketchup. However you serve them, don't expect them to last long.

Breaded Onion Rings

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp seasoned salt

1/2  to 1 tsp sriracha hot sauce

1 bottle (12 oz) beer

2 cups bread crumbs

2 large onions, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices

Oil for frying

Heat oil in Dutch oven or electric fryer to 375 degrees F. In medium bowl, mix together flour, seasoned salt, hot sauce, and beer. Place bread crumbs in large bowl with tight-fitting lid.

Dip onion rings in batter. Remove from batter and transfer to bread crumbs, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Cover and shake to coat.

Drop breaded onion rings into hot oil five or six at a time. Fry 3-4 minutes, or until breading is golden brown and onions are soft. Remove from oil and drain. Season with salt, if desired.