For me, onion rings are a weakness bordering on obsession; a perfectly fried o-ring is a thing of beauty. When dining out, I order them constantly and will even pay a couple of bucks more to substitute onion rings for fries. While some are good, and others just acceptable, I am mostly disappointed. Even at home, I have tried many different approaches and an assortment of flavor enhancers, but I still can’t truthfully call myself a ringmaster. Until I discovered my Cajun onion rings.
Crispy fried Cajun onion rings with a recipe twist. (All photos credit: George Graham)
This is the definitive onion ring, or should I say, the definitive Crazy-Crisp Cajun Onion Rings. It is the crazy level of crispness that is achieved in this Cajun recipe technique that sets this one apart. It took tons of research and numerous trial-and-error-and-trial-again attempts to arrive at this formula (and it is a scientific formula rather than a recipe), but follow it, and you will achieve o-ring greatness.
Years ago I learned an Asian trick of using rice flour for crispness and most recently I stumbled on Wondra flour as a magic ingredient. When you combine these ingredients along with White Lily self-rising flour, you have a formula for crackling crispness.
Flavor is another subject altogether. My Cajun Onion Rings recipe version adds a thing or two that I believe separates these from the rest of the pack. A heavy dose of Cajun seasoning in the soaking as well as in the batter adds just the right amount of spice. Find a sweet onion for gentler flavor and soak them. Use a beer batter to give malty heft to the batter and add cane vinegar for a bit of zing. Oh, and another thing–lard.
Cut your onions in varying sizes at a medium thickness, and fry in lard for a Cajun onion rings recipe twist.
I’ve found that frying in hog’s lard creates a crispness that is hard to duplicate with any other fat. Also, there is nothing that imparts flavor better than rendered hog lard and, even more importantly, I had a freezer full of cubed pork fat from the butchered whole hog I recently bought from farmer Charles Thompson. But, here’s a surprise. After reading some online research on the subject of lard, I discovered another reason–it’s healthy.
Praise the lard! Yes, according to some great research at Healthy Green Kitchen, the dreaded pig fat is actually a vitamin-enriched and clean oil that can be used in a variety of ways. The research is quick to point out that we are talking about rendered fat from a grass-fed, pastured pig, not commercially available generic lard that you buy in the supermarket.
Fresh properly rendered lard is actually as healthy as olive oil and contains mega vitamin D and has less saturated fat than butter. Now, I am not expecting you to go “pioneer” on me and begin raising your own hogs and rendering fat, but it does open up a whole new way of looking at our local food supply. And after all, that’s what the Cajun recipe focus of Acadiana Table is all about. Also, if you want to experiment with locally-rendered, clean hog lard then Don’s Specialty Meats in Scott, Louisiana has done the work for you–you can buy it in gallon jars.
Crispy Cajun onion rings done with a down-the-bayou recipe method.
I think one of the key lessons here is how to fry your onions so the batter doesn’t come off in your mouth with the first bite. This annoying trait of thick-cut onion rings is one of the reasons I am in such awe of perfectly cooked ones when I find them. Seems the key to this is eliminating moisture. The thickness of your ring will determine how much moisture leaches out of the rings during frying. Too thick and you have a mouthful of batter and an exposed steaming slice of onion. I go for a medium thickness to insure crispness.
Believe me, these crazy crispy Cajun Onion Rings are worth pursuing, and with these Cajun recipe steps you too will become a ringmaster.
- 4 yellow onions, peeled and sliced into medium thick rounds
- 1 cup cold beer
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup sugarcane vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup Creole mustard or coarse-grained mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- Kosher salt
- 1 gallon hog lard
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1 cup Wondra flour
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- ¼ cup Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- Kosher salt
- In a large zip lock bag, add all the onions. Pour in the beer, buttermilk, and vinegar. Season with Cajun seasoning along with salt and pepper. Seal the bag and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
- In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients and stir. Cover and refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºF.
- In a large wide pot on medium heat, add the lard and bring to 375ºF.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flours along with the Cajun seasoning. Remove the bag of marinade from the refrigerator and pour off the liquid into the mixing bowl. Stir the dry and wet ingredients together until it forms a smooth batter. Add a bit of water if it is too thick.
- Place the onions rings into the batter and coat. Several at a time remove the rings and shake excess batter from them and slowly add them individually to the hot lard. They will float to the surface and begin crisping immediately. Repeat in batches until you have filled the pot without crowding the rings. When the rings brown on one side, turn them over and let cook until golden brown. After each batch, sprinkle with salt and move the fried onion rings to a rack-lined metal sheet pan placed into the oven for keeping warm. Once all of the onion rings are finished cooking, place the tray on the table and serve with the spicy dipping sauce.
YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE: If you like this Louisiana cooking story and Louisiana recipe then accept my personal invitation to subscribe by entering your email at the bottom or top right of this page. It’s quick and painless. You will receive an email alert and be the first to see when new Louisiana cooking stories and Louisiana recipes are added.
Thanks, George.
Love this recipe and the details of how to get it SO right. Especially love knowing where to get clean hog lard. “Praise the Lard” indeed! Thank you!!
George you’ve done it again. Outstanding onion rings. Made them Mardi Gras day. Haven’t had rings that good, ever. Best I remember we’re at Luthers bar b que before it closed on Bertrand drive. Lately found some good ones at Don’s Hut on Johnston but these are worth the effort. I had a little too much salt as I used my “go to cajun seasoning” Tony’s. Should have used a reduced salt version. Regardless the batter was so good that I found myself eating them right of the refrigerator on Wednesday.
Hey Clark – Thanks for sharing the results with us. You are now an official ringmaster. And yes to using “no salt” seasonings. Salt is a very bold flavor additive and must be controlled by the hands of the cook. All my best, George
Love onion rings! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe, a little cajun twist only ever made things better 🙂
George,
My farm Market Basket Youngsville does have rendered hog lard, also leaf lard available, both at the Hub City Farmer’s Market (Saturday 8-12, across from Champagnes’s, Oil Center) and the property in Youngsville (map on the website).
Charles
Charles – Thanks for the info. I am always looking to connect my readers straight to the source. I have included it in the story. Best, George
George, this recipe sure looks good, as I am a great lover of onion rings. The best I have ever found, if you like them thin and crispy, is at Di Cristina’s restaurant in Covington, La. They only have one size, so if you decide to give them a try, be sure to bring a couple of friends along as their portion is huge. For years, I have tried to order a small size, but they will only serve the amount of rings that come from one onion, this must be one super size onion. While there, order their crab claws in a white sauce. Between the two appetizers, onion rings and crab claws, you will probably not have to order your main course. Prices are reasonable, and I have never been disappointed with any meal there, regardless of what I ordered.
Hey Lee – I love Covington and travel there often, so Di Cristina’s will surely be on my list next time. Thanks for the great comment and recommendation. All the best.
What the heck is sugarcane vinegar? I hate recipes that throw in something weird that is hard to find!
Susan- SImply put: Cooking should be fun; substitute another vinegar if you don’t want to take the time to discover new ingredients. Cane vinegar is not that hard to find. In fact, here’s a link to WalMart. All the best.
Will the lard pop or splatter in the oven when the pot is heated to 375?
Lisette- No, not unless moisture (water) gets to it. Think about frying chicken: As the oil (any kind of oil) heats up to high temperature, there is no hissing or popping, but as soon as you add that big ol’ battered, skin-on chicken breast, the sound effects begins. The reason is simple: There is lots of moisture in the chicken and especially in the skin that begins to leach out into the hot oil and the result is a mini explosion (remember…oil and water don’t mix). So, unless there is a lot of moisture in your onion, you should be fine. All the best.