Firecracker Onion Rings

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword baked-onion-rings, firecracker-oniion-rings

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 364kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

1 jumbo sweet onion OR 2 large onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp hot sauce
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
3 1/2 tsp Creole Cajun or Old Bay seasoning, divided use
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs beaten
3 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp canola oil or peanut oil
cooking spray

Instructions

Onion: Peel onion and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Separate the rings.
In a bowl, or large plastic storage bag, mix together the buttermilk, hot sauce, and 1 tsp of Creole seasoning.
Add the onion rings. Soak for 30 minutes in the refrigerator turning occasionally. Remove onion rings from the marinade reserving 1 cup. Discard the rest.
Prepare: Preheat the oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Spray liberally with cooking spray. (Have nearby an extra pan, if needed)
Seasoned Flour: In a shallow bowl whisk together self rising flour, 1 tsp Creole seasoning and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.
Egg Wash: Whisk together 1 cup of buttermilk marinade with eggs.
Seasoned Breadcrumbs: In a separate shallow bowl whisk together panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 tsp seasoning, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp kosher salt into panko breadcrumbs. Toss mixture with canola oil. Mix thoroughly.
Dip the onion rings into seasoned flour, then into egg-buttermilk wash, then into the seasoned panko bread crumbs.
Arrange side by side on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. Spray breaded onion rings with cooking spray.
Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully turn and continue to bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until golden and crispy. Rotate pans from top to bottom shelves, if needed.
Sprinkle with additional seasoning immediately after baking, if desired. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Deep Fry: Prepare the onion rings per the recipe and drop individually into peanut oil or canola oil preheated to 350-360°F. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning as needed for even browning.
Place onto a baking sheet on paper towels to drain and into a 225°F oven to keep warm while frying additional batches.

Notes

When preparing a dish that requires dredging, use one hand for the dry ingredients and one hand for the wet ingredients. Otherwise, if you dip a wet hand into the flour and bread crumbs, they'll become too moist and begin to clump. Clumpy breading won't adhere to the food, in this case, the onion rings.

Nutrition