Estate Dinners
Big Battered Onion Rings with Horseradish Sauce
The Strategy:
For truly irresistible results, prepare your rich buttermilk and beer batter in advance, then simply fry these thick, sweet white onion rings just before your guests arrive. Each gloriously crunchy, golden bite offers a delightful sensory balance against the creamy, zesty horseradish dipping sauce. Serve them piled high and steaming, a perfect, irresistible companion to any festive outdoor gathering.
Ingredients
- 2 large white sweet onions, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices, about 3 cups
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 cup rice flour
- 2 cups club soda
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- flaky salt (like sea salt)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- 2 or more drops hot pepper sauce
Instructions
- Separate the onion rings and place into a shallow bowl or baking dish. Cover with buttermilk, pushing the rings down into the liquid.
- Whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 cup rice flour in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Stir in the club soda and beer.
- Add the remaining 2 cups all-purpose flour into a shallow baking dish. Whisk in chili powder and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat to 350°. The vegetable oil should come no higher than one third up the side of the pot. Once you add the onion rings, the oil will bubble up. The temperature of the oil will go down when you add battered onion rings and then come up again as they cook. I use a candy thermometer to make sure that the temperature stays hot before I add more onion rings to the oil.
- Lift an onion ring out of the buttermilk and shake off the extra liquid. Dredge into the seasoned flour and then dunk into the beer batter, again shaking off the excess liquid.
- Place the battered onion ring into the hot oil. Continue this process to fry several rings, being careful not to have too many in the oil at once. You want them to swim freely as they fry. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to flip the rings until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the rings to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Continue frying until you’ve done all the rings. Once you remove them from the oil, immediately sprinkle with parsley and flaky salt.
- To make the sauce, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, paprika, and oregano. Season with some of the salt and pepper. Stir in as much pepper sauce as you like.
- Serve the dipping sauce in a small bowl. Dip a hot ring into the sauce and chow down!
The full recipe lives in the Vault
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The Heart of the Table
Taking the extra time to fry up a scratch-made batch of onion rings is a pure act of devotion. It’s a messy, hands-on process that tells your guests they are worth the effort of a truly spectacular side dish. When a massive platter of these crispy, golden rings hits the table, it instantly sparks joy and encourages everyone to reach in, share, and connect over the simple, nostalgic pleasure of comfort food done right.
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Serve the onion rings piled high in a towering, generous mound on a large rustic wooden board lined with brown parchment paper. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and fresh parsley immediately as they come out of the oil. Serve the pale pink horseradish dipping sauce in multiple small ceramic ramekins around the board so everyone has easy access.
- THE POUR: An ice-cold, crisp Pilsner or a bright, citrusy IPA. The sharp carbonation and slight bitterness of the beer will beautifully cut through the rich, heavy batter and cool the subtle heat of the horseradish sauce.
- THE VIBE: Lively, incredibly fun, and generously indulgent. This is the perfect, unpretentious anchor for a weekend cookout or casual evening gathering where the focus is entirely on robust flavor and shared enjoyment.
