Cooking Lesson #931: Air Fryer Onion Rings With Comeback Sauce

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? In the good old days many restaurants made their own onion rings. Curly’s on Wilshire Boulevard’s Miracle Mile had about the best. Today, most restaurants use frozen onion rings, a far cry from the rings of yesteryear.
 
I’ll be honest, I won’t mess with frying onions at home. In fact, I don’t oil fry much of anything these days. I’ve found that air fryer onion rings are just as satisfying as the deep-fried ones and they won’t coat your backsplash with oil or give you high blood pressure. However, they may cause elevated heart rates… it’s just so thrilling to eat a pile of great onion rings.
 
For my Air fried Onion Rings I use Vidalia onions, so I get great, big, sweet rings. They’re dipped in panko crumbs, buttermilk and flour, which yields a super light, crispy, crunchy onion ring. The crust is terrific with the sweet onion. Don’t forget my Comeback Sauce—just a dollop or quick dip will do.
 
If you’ve never had Comeback Sauce, it’s the South’s answer to fry sauce, and it’s got elements of Thousand Island dressing and barbecue sauce. My version is sweet and tangy with just a hint of heat. It really brightens up the onion rings, and yes, you will be coming back for more—it’s a dipper’s paradise and it okay to double dip (take that, Seinfeld).
 
Prep time:  12 minutes
Air fry time:  10 to 12 minutes a batch
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the onion rings
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 large Vidalia onion, cut into 1/2-inch rounds and separated into rings
Cooking spray
 
For the Comeback Sauce
1/4 cup plain 1% low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce
Pinch of kosher salt
 
Directions 
To make the onion rings

1. In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, smoked paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
2. In a second shallow dish, lightly beat the eggs with the buttermilk.
3. In a third shallow dish, stir together the panko and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
4. Dredge the onion rings in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
5. Dip the rings in the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off.
6. Dredge them again in the panko mixture, pressing to adhere.
7. Coat both sides of the onion rings well with cooking spray.
8. Place the coated onion rings in a single layer in an air fryer basket and cook them in batches at 375° until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 10 minutes.
9. Turn the onion rings over halfway through cooking.

To make the Comeback Sauce

1. Stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, hot paprika, sriracha and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Transfer the cooked onion rings to a platter and serve immediately with a side dish of the Comeback Sauce.
3. Allow your guests to eat them while they’re hot while you make the next batch.

ChefSecret:  Onion rings are definitely happy hour treats. You’ll want to double the recipe and pair them with an ice cold beer. Think about something light, refreshing, and not too hoppy, like an IPA.

Quip of the Day:  Why did the onion ring go to school? Because it wanted to be a “ring-leader.”
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Appetizer #AirFryerRecipes #AirFryerOnionRings #OnionRings #ComebackSauce #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

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