Cheesy Crunchy Onion Rings Recipe That Everyone Loves

Enjoy golden, bubbling cheese encased in a shatteringly crisp coating with this cheesy crunchy onion rings recipe.

Scale

500 g yellow onions (1 large or 2 medium)
150 g sharp cheddar cheese (1½ cups shredded)
250 g all-purpose flour (2 cups)
60 g cornstarch (½ cup)
5 g baking powder (1 tsp)
10 g kosher salt (2 tsp)
50 g egg (1 large)
240 ml buttermilk (1 cup)
120 g panko breadcrumbs (1½ cups)
Neutral oil for frying (canola, peanut, or sunflower)
Optional: 2 g smoked paprika (½ tsp), 2 g garlic powder (½ tsp), 1 g black pepper (¼ tsp)
Vegetable oil spray or melted butter (10 ml / 2 tsp)

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Slice the onions and prepare the cheese. Cut the onion into rings, and fit cheese sticks inside each ring.
Dredge the rings in flour seasoned with salt and baking powder; rest for 5 minutes.
Whisk together buttermilk, egg, cornstarch, and paprika to make the batter.
Set up the coating station with batter and panko breadcrumbs.
Heat oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry rings in small batches until golden brown, about 2–3 minutes.
Drain on a wire rack and season lightly with flaky salt.
Serve immediately for the best texture.

For best results, avoid overcrowding the fryer. Make-ahead options include freezing panko-coated rings to fry later.