Easy Crispy Onion Strings - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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These crispy onion strings are the absolute BEST! The brown and crispy outside and the deliciously moist onion inside make this the perfect topping for any burger or salad!

I love adding delicious toppings to my meals! These crispy onions strings are the best and go with everything. Try using them on this juicy air fryer hamburger, this delicious green bean casserole, or this delicious cobb salad.

Easy Crispy Onion Strings - The Recipe Critic (1)

Crispy Fried Onion Strings

I have been dying to make this recipe for so long, and now that I have finally done it, I don’t know why I waited! These crispy onion strings are so good! I love onion rings but these onion strings are a whole other level of delicious and versatile. They are crisp and browned on the outside, and the sweet onion on the inside is flavored to perfection. Once I cooked these, I had a hard time not eating them all straight off the plate!

There is always a recipe that I needed to use these for, and now I have them! I love eating these plain as an easy appetizer dipped into fry sauce! I have also had them on salads, burgers and soups… Really, the possibilities for these are endless! They make my mouth water just thinking about them, and now I make them so often that onions have become a staple item on my grocery list! Try these out. You will LOVE them!

Ingredients to Make Crispy Onion Strings

You are in luck because not only is this ingredient list short and simple, but it’s full of ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Oil: This is for frying your onions in! Vegetable oil or canola oil work great.
  • Onions: I like to use sweet onions like vidalia onions. Make sure that your slices are all about the same size so that they all cook evenly and at the same time.
  • Buttermilk: You can use storebought buttermilk or you can easily make it at home with this recipe and it’s just as good!
  • Flour: All purpose flour works great to coat your onions.
  • Seasonings: To make these onions so delicious you will use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and ground black pepper.
Easy Crispy Onion Strings - The Recipe Critic (2)

Make Onion Strings in 3 Easy Steps!

If you can count to 3, you can make these crispy onion strings because that’s all of the steps it takes to have these ready to enjoy! And trust me, once you try them, you will be hooked!

  1. Prep Oil and Mix Coating Ingredients: Heat oil in a skillet to 350 degrees. In a small bowl add the buttermilk. In another bowl combine the flour, garlic powder, onion, paprika, salt and pepper.
  2. Dredge the Onions: Slice up the onions with a sharp knife. Using tongs dredge the onion slices in the buttermilk, and then to the flour mixture. Add to the hot oil.
  3. Fry: Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Pat them with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

What to Dip These In

I mentioned before that you can use these crispy onion strings as an appetizer and you may think that’s crazy! But just you wait. Once you try these onion strings in different dipping sauces then you will always want these on your table!

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

Yum Yum Sauce

5 mins

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

Homemade Ranch Dressing

5 mins

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

The Famous Fry Sauce

10 mins

Easy Crispy Onion Strings - The Recipe Critic (7)

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Everyone always asks, “How do I keep my crispy onion strings from getting soggy?” And the answer is simple… The air fryer! It’s like the air fryer was made for this recipe! Here is how you can store your leftovers and heat them up to taste as good as they did on day one!

  • In the Fridge: Once your cripsy onion strings have cooled down then you can place them in an airtight container and put them in your fridge, they will last for 3-4 days. They WILL get soffy but don’t worry, you can wake them right up!
  • To Reheat (and make them crispy again!): Cook them in your air fryer at 36- degrees for 4-6 minutes. Flip them and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until they are crispy.

Recipes to Make Using Onion Strings

Onion Strings were high on my list to make because they go with just about everthing. And I mean everything! Soups, salads, appetizers, burgers, sandwiches. Really, anything that you add these to will be elevated and taste more delicious then it would without them!

Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

35 mins

Dinner

Juicy Grilled Garlic Turkey Burgers

22 mins

Salads

Avocado, Chicken and Bacon Chopped Salad with a Creamy Basil Dressing

20 mins

Dinner

Grilled Turkey Florentine Sandwich

30 mins

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Crispy Onion Strings

5 from 3 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

These crispy onion strings are the absolute BEST! The brown and crispy outside and the deliciously moist onion inside make this the perfect topping for any burger or salad!

Prep Time: 7 minutes minutes

3 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a skillet to 350 degrees. In a small bowl add the buttermilk. In another bowl combine the flour, garlic powder, onion, paprika, salt, and pepper.

  • Use a sharp knife to slice up the onions. Using tongs dredge the onion strips in the buttermilk, and then into the flour mixture. Add to the hot oil.

  • Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 10gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 422mgPotassium: 335mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 447IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 165mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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Easy Crispy Onion Strings - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Why are my crispy onions not crispy? ›

For onion crisps, you need to deep fry in plenty of oil, as the comments suggest. You should take care that your onion slices of pieces are the same size. Deep fry until golden, then remove from oil and drain well. You should be able to crisp onions in a few minutes.

Why are my onion rings not crispy? ›

Don't skip the frying thermometer though—it's important to make sure you're frying at the right temperature so your onion rings come out crispy, crunchy, and delicious. If the oil isn't hot enough, your onion rings can turn out soggy; too hot, and the oil can start to smoke.

How do you keep breading from falling off onion rings? ›

Cornstarch provides a textured surface around the onion ring which allows it to grip and hold on to the batter so that it doesn't slide right off. If also prevents gluten from developing, which yields crispier results.

Are crispy onions the same as French fried onions? ›

Crisp fried onions

Crispy deep fried onions are called "French fried onions" in Southern cooking of the United States. Smaller and irregularly shaped (from being deep-fried until they are crunchy) onions are an integral part of the American dish green bean casserole.

Why are my crispy onions soggy? ›

The first is to make sure that you aren't overcrowding the pan when frying the onion. A second reason would be that the oil is too low in temperature which results in soggy onions. Also, make sure to drain the fried rings on a paper towel to soak up any residual oil and then onto a plate.

Why add water to frying onions? ›

It was as she explained to me, to cook off the bitterness. I think all it did was soften them quickly before the sugars started to caramelize. As far as I know, there is no way to “plump” onions. But indeed sautéing onions in water gets them soft and clear with less shrinkage compared to sautéing in a fat.

Why do you soak onions in milk before frying? ›

Soaking the onions helps dilute their sulfur content, taking away that pungent, raw bite and leaving you with a pleasant, milder onion that still has some snap to it. Cuisine At Home also recommends maintaining ultimate crispiness by double-dipping the onions in buttermilk and seasoned flour.

Why are my onions still crunchy after cooking? ›

To soften them up, you can add a little hot water to them while they are cooking. Once they are soft, if you want to let them cook longer for a caramelized taste, you turn the heat up a little more until they are golden brown and remove them.

How do you get breading to stick to onions? ›

A trick for getting your breading to stick better and not fall off as much when frying is to cover the breaded onion rings with a damp paper towel for 10-15 minutes after breading while the oil heats up. This helps it get a little bit tacky and stick better so less of it falls off in the hot oil.

Why does my breading always fall off? ›

Step 1: Pat the chicken dry

It sounds counterintuitive, but a dry surface will help the flour adhere evenly to the chicken. Just as important as the first patting down of the chicken's surface, the final pat down of your meat after covering it with breading helps every piece of crunchy coating adhere.

Why does my breading fall off after frying? ›

You don't start dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial: Make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy, meaning it will not adhere properly to the chicken.

What onions does McDonald's use? ›

It's worth noting that, in most cases, McDonald's uses rehydrated onions on its burgers. The exception to the rule is that it will use freshly sliced onions for its Quarter Pounders. Dehydrated onions come to McDonald's locations in a package.

Who makes Crispy Fried Onions? ›

French's® Crispy Fried Onions are America's #1 brand of crispy onions. In everything we do, from sourcing the finest ingredients to maintaining our time-honored recipes, McCormick has been committed to excellence and to enhancing the dining experience for more than 100 years.

What is McDonald's onions? ›

To get the best balance and taste profile, we use a couple of types of onions. Quarter Pounders get a diced white onion, while red onion and caramelised onion feature in our Gourmet Creations burgers. For the Big Mac and cheeseburger we use dehydrated onion that is mixed with pure New Zealand water.

How do you're crisp fried onions? ›

To reheat, spread onions in a single layer on a shallow rimmed baking sheet. Heat in a 350ºF oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

How do you keep onions crisp? ›

Keep storage onions in a cool, dark, and dry place. Moisture and light lead to mold (ew) and sprouting (annoying, though not a deal-breaker), so stow your storage onions (red, yellow, and white as well as shallots and the diminutive pearl and cippoline) in a dry, well-ventilated basket, bin, or large bowl.

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