Guinness beer battered onion rings with a spicy curried mayo dip is the ultimate appetizer ~ but these onion rings are so gutsy and satisfying, there’s really no meal required!
beer battered onion rings are perfect!
There are those humongous rings that are so fat and juicy you have to carve them like steak. Then there are the wispy strings that seem like they’re all batter and no onion and require a fancy shoveling technique to get them to your mouth…let’s just call these Guinness battered onion rings the Goldilocks of the onion ring world ~ not too thick, not too thin ~ they’re just right.
what you’ll need for Guinness beer battered onion rings
This batter couldn’t be more basic, and so these onions rings can be on your table any time you’ve got an onion, a bit of flour, and a bottle of beer. The rich robust flavors of the stout beer make for an extra delicious batter, you might even be tempted to reach for a spoon!
- onions
- I used yellow onions. Look for large glossy onions that feel heavy for their size.
- flour
- Guinness Stout
- Guinness beer has been around since 1759 and has the most complex flavor of any beer I’ve ever had. Stout is a dark, heavy bodied beer that’s bitter, sweet, fermented, fruity, with a hint of coffee and chocolate. It makes a fabulous batter! We love it so much we even bake with it: Guinness Cake with Irish Cream Frosting!
- vegetable oil
- I recommend a generic vegetable oil for frying.
a Guinness beer batter couldn’t be simpler
- Whisk the Guinness into the flour until you’ve got the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
- It’s that simple. You don’t even have to measure!
what else can you do with your beer batter?
How about frying up some mushrooms, green tomatoes, or zucchini sticks? This is an all purpose batter you can use for all sorts of frying.
tips for frying great onion rings
Tip #1 The top secret to making a great onion ring is getting the oil hot enough.
That means it needs to be at 350F for perfect frying. This can sometimes take much longer than you think, and the only way to know for sure is to use a thermometer that is made for the purpose. They’re inexpensive, and clip onto the side of the pan so you can monitor the temperature of your oil. You can also use it when making candy, or yogurt! When your oil is at temperature all you have to do is drop your onion rings in, bat them around a bit so they’ll cook evenly, and they’ll come out crispy and delicious every time.
Tip #2 Work in batches
Don’t crowd your pan with too many rings, they’ll stick together and lower the temperature of the oil. There’s a kind of pleasant zen to frying onion rings…just go with it and enjoy the process. Be aware that the wider your pan, the more you’ll be able to fry at a single time. Each batch only takes about 2 minutes. You don’t need a huge vat to fry onions rings, try using a saute pan, or wok.
a great onion ring deserves a great dip
The spicy curried mayo dip isn’t just an afterthought, I’ve blended in plenty of curry powder, turmeric, and fiery cayenne for a powerful flavor that stands up to the rings. The flavor and color actually develop as the dip sits, so plan to make it a little bit ahead of time to let the grains of spice melt into the mayonnaise. You might want to save this recipe for other uses, too, I think it would be amazing on a roast beef sandwich.
more pub-worthy grub
- Fried Olives
- Cornflake Crusted Cheese Curds
- Baked Truffle Fries
- Sweet and Spicy Bar Mix
- Vidalia Onion Strings with Horseradish Aioli
- Short Rib Fries
- Crispy Crab Balls
- Baked Caramelized Onion Dip
Guinness Battered Onion Rings
Ingredients
- vegetable oil for frying
- 4 onions, peeled and thickly sliced
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 pint Guinness Stout
sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put about 6 inches of oil in a medium sized pot and heat over medium high heat until the temperature reaches 350F
- Put the flour in a bowl and whisk in enough Guinness to make a mixture similar to a thick pancake batter.
- When the oil has reached 350F, work in batches and dip the onion rings into the batter, and then into the oil. Fry, flipping them once or twice, for about 2 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels. You can keep the rings warm in a low oven if you like, while you finish the rest.
- Stir the sauce ingredients together and taste to adjust any of them. Set aside until needed.
- Serve the onion rings piping hot, with the sauce.
Notes
- I wish I could tell you that onions rings make great leftovers, but they really don’t. If you MUST, like my husband, finish them off the next day, heat them on a baking sheet in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes, or until hot.
Nutrition
I’m anxious to try this recipe so I’ll definitely add the beer to my shopping list. Just a quick question. Can the oil be reused? I’m never sure and it seems like such a waste to only use it once. Thank you!
The oil can be reused if you strain it. And you can safely dispose of it when you’re done by putting it back in its original container and throwing it in the trash.
We really enjoyed this recipe but they didn’t turn out crisp. They were more soft and mushy with no crunch. 🙁 would that be because the oil isn’t hot enough? I got it to 350 but maybe it didn’t stay there. Thanks!!
That sounds like a temperature issue Liz, and I do know that the minute you add food to hot oil it brings down the temperature, and for each batch you fry you do need to get it back up to temperature. It’s also possible your thermometer is off, I have to replace my deep fry/candy thermometers often for that reason.
These look delicious and I need try these immediately! That sauce looks absolutely perfect for these too. Yummy! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve never even made onion rings but I sure do love them! Every size and consistency, lol. But these are in a class all of their own. Wow, Sue, I love this post, the photos, the fabulous dip. This is why I became an instant fan the minute I landed on your page all those years ago.
Every time I see an onion ring recipe from you my mouth starts to water, Sue! These look wonderfully crisp and delicious!