The Secret Ingredient For Delicious Onion Rings Makes Total Sense

In some recipes, a critical flavor boost can come from unusual and unexpected places. In other cases, it could hardly be more obvious. Onion rings fall into the latter group. Though few home cooks are likely taking advantage of it, there's an easy — and logical — way to make your onion rings even more delicious, and it's waiting on your spice rack.

Amping up your onion rings' flavor is as simple as adding onion powder to your usual seasoning. While it naturally comes from the same source as the onions that make up your rings themselves, the process of dehydrating, grinding, and drying that creates onion powder creates a distinctive variation in the flavor profile. Roasted notes in the powder complement the sweetness of the fresh onions, resulting in a complex blend of allium flavor that onion fans will love.

You won't need much to make a big impact. Around half a teaspoon per whole onion applied directly to the sliced onions before battering and cooking is enough to amp up the experience. 

One of the best parts of adding onion powder to your onion rings is that it's easy to integrate into your current process, whether you're partial to a baked onion rings recipe or a crispy fried onion rings recipe. It's also an affordable way to add flavor to your dish, with a single small bottle providing enough for numerous batches. Plus, there's no rush to use it, as properly stored onion powder can last three to four years. 

Home cooks should be careful that they're adding the seasoning they expect, though. While they might appear similar, onion powder, granulated onion, and onion salt are distinct and provide different flavors and effects. Granulated onions are less finely ground than powder, while onion salt pairs these granulated onions with, as the name implies, salt. Using one of these by mistake may make your onion rings too salty or pungent.

Of course, adding more onion to the mix won't help if you're concerned about the effect on your breath. But if you hate bad breath from onion rings, deep fry squash instead and you can still get a bit of a flavor boost from a sprinkle of onion powder.