Sarra Barefoot Contessa onion rings are thick-cut Spanish onions soaked in seasoned buttermilk, dredged in a flour and cornmeal coating, and fried in vegetable oil until golden and crunchy. The recipe serves 4 to 6, takes about 45 minutes including the buttermilk soak, and uses just six ingredients.
This recipe appears in Ina’s Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook (2006) under the name “Cornmeal-Fried Onion Rings.” In the headnote, she writes that she “always thought they were impossible to make” until she discovered that using a large pot instead of a frying pan keeps the grease from splattering all over the kitchen. She designed them to serve piled on top of a grilled rib-eye steak, and says “your friends will go crazy.”
The technique that makes these crispy instead of greasy is the buttermilk soak. Marinating the raw onion slices in seasoned buttermilk for at least 15 minutes does two things at once: the acid tenderizes the sharp bite out of the onion, and the thick liquid gives the flour-cornmeal mixture something to grip. Skip the soak and the coating slides off in the oil, leaving you with naked, greasy onion slices and a pot full of burnt crumbs.
Barefoot Contessa Onion Rings Recipe
Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes15
minutes320
kcalIna’s six-ingredient fried onion rings from her At Home cookbook, designed to pile on top of a grilled rib-eye steak. Buttermilk-soaked rings get a crunchy cornmeal coating that stays crisp in a warm oven for up to 30 minutes while you finish frying.
Ingredients
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2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
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2 cups (480ml) buttermilk
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
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1/4 cup (35g) medium yellow cornmeal
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1 quart (950ml) vegetable oil
Directions
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Slice and soak the onions: Peel the onions and slice them 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Separate them into individual rings. Combine the buttermilk with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and marinate for at least 15 minutes. They can sit for a few hours.
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Make the coating: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
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Set up the warm oven: Preheat the oven to 200F (95C). Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
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Fry in batches: Heat the oil to 350F (180C) in a large pot or Dutch oven. Use a candy thermometer clipped to the side to hold the temperature steady. Working in batches, lift onion rings from the buttermilk, dredge in the flour mixture, and drop into the hot oil. Fry for 2 minutes, turning once with tongs, until golden brown. Do not crowd the pot.
- Keep warm and serve: Place the finished rings on the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining batches. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, not a shallow skillet. The tall sides contain splatter and keep the oil temperature more stable between batches.
Do not crowd the pot. Dropping too many rings at once drops the oil temperature and the coating absorbs grease instead of crisping. Work in small batches of 6 to 8 rings at a time.
Ina says the finished rings stay crisp in the 200F oven for up to 30 minutes. Keep them in a single layer so steam escapes from all sides.
FAQs
Why does Ina soak the onions in buttermilk first?
The buttermilk does three things at once. The acid softens the sharp, raw edge of the onion so it turns sweet and tender inside the crispy shell. The thick consistency coats every surface of the ring, giving the flour mixture something to cling to. And the tang adds flavor to the coating itself.
Ina says the rings can sit in the buttermilk for up to a few hours, so you can prep them well before frying. Fifteen minutes is the minimum, but longer is better because the acid has more time to mellow the raw onion bite.
Why does Ina add cornmeal to the flour coating?
The quarter cup of cornmeal mixed into the flour is what gives these onion rings their distinctive crunch. Plain flour coatings puff up and turn soft quickly, but cornmeal stays gritty and crisp even as the rings cool.
The cornmeal also adds a slightly sweet, toasty flavor you do not get from flour alone. Ina uses medium-grind yellow cornmeal, not fine. The coarser grind creates more texture on the outside of each ring, which is what makes these feel like a restaurant side instead of something limp and doughy.
Can you keep onion rings warm without them going soggy?
Ina’s trick is holding them in a 200F (95C) oven on a paper towel-lined baking sheet while she fries the remaining batches. She says they stay crisp for up to 30 minutes this way, which gives you plenty of time to work through all the onions without rushing.
The key is keeping them in a single layer so steam escapes from all sides. Stacking traps moisture underneath and the bottom rings turn soft within minutes. This low-oven hold works for other fried or baked appetizers too. Ina’s Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms also hold well in a warm oven if you need to stagger your cooking for a party.
What kind of onions work best for onion rings?
Ina calls for large Spanish onions, the big, mild, yellow-skinned variety found at most grocery stores. They have a higher sugar content than regular yellow onions, so they sweeten as they fry and pair well with the salty cornmeal coating.
If you cannot find Spanish onions, regular yellow onions work as the next best swap. Use 3 yellow in place of 2 Spanish to get the same volume. Avoid red onions because they turn muddy and gray when fried, and skip white onions because they are sharper and do not sweeten enough during the brief 2-minute fry.
What should you serve onion rings with?
Ina designed these specifically to pile on top of a grilled rib-eye steak, and that is still the best way to eat them. The salty, crunchy rings against charred, juicy beef need nothing else to be a perfect plate.
For a full steak dinner, add a green salad with a sharp vinaigrette and Ina’s Garlic Bread on the side. If you are serving the rings on their own as a snack, set out a small bowl of ketchup or ranch for dipping, though Ina does not bother with a sauce because the buttermilk-cornmeal coating carries enough flavor on its own.
