For the longest time, I viewed onion rings as nothing more than a vehicle for whatever sauce they were served with. More often than not, I’d tear them in half, carefully pull the onion out and toss it aside, and then proceed to dip the remaining breading in the sauce. Onion rings, sans onion.
But then I was introduced to onion straws and I’ve never looked back. The onion is thin enough that I don’t have an issue with the texture, and it adds the perfect amount of flavor to the otherwise perfect breading.
Eric and the kids all love these Homemade Onion Straws just as much I do. Eric is probably the only true fan of onions in our family, but when these are on the menu, we all happily over-indulge. They are great on their own as an appetizer, or as a topping for many things, included sandwiches, soups, and casseroles. I’ve successfully duplicated this recipe with a gluten-free all-purpose flour and had equally outstanding results as when using non-GF flour.
Homemade Onion Straws
Ingredients
- 2 cup oil for frying
- 1 large (or 2 small) yellow or Vidalia onion(s), very thinly sliced
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 T. vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (or a combination of cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper)
Instructions
- Place the onions in a shallow dish and cover with buttermilk. In a small bowl, combine flour and seasonings.
- Heat oil in skillet until hot. Working in small batches, remove the onions from the buttermilk and put in the flour mixture. Coat completely
- Remove and shake off any extra flour.
- Place in hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.