For the most part, I can deal with the absence of fried food in my life.
I have to admit, however, that I cry a little when I am to eat with friends and everyone is chowing down on the tower of onion rings they ordered as an appetizer to “share.”
People are sharing, and I am missing out on all the fun.
To cope with my sadness, I decided to create my own fun and come up with a gluten free version of beer battered onion rings.
This one is only mildly tricky, as most beer is certainly not gluten free, but you have some options.
I started out with these ingredients: onions, gluten free flour, club soda (because I am not a fan of gluten free beer), baking powder, salt, and an egg yolk and egg white (separate while still cold).
The process is actually so simple I regretted it- because now I want these all the time.
First and most importantly, you want to slice your onions (crosswise into one inch pieces) and place them in ice cold water while you prepare your batter. This is super important to help the onions not absorb bacteria while they wait to be used, and to help them not be bitter or too strong.
Second, combine your egg yolk and your club soda (or gf beer). Then sift your dry ingredients together and add to the egg/soda mixture to create a smooth batter.
Whip the egg white to a soft peak and fold it into the batter. Once it is all mixed in, your batter should look something like this:
You will want to have oil in your pan and be getting it hot before you begin battering your onions. I usually try to have my oil cover the entire onion, so you will want to have at least one and a half to two inches of oil in the pan!
Once your oil is heating, begin by draining the water from the onions, and placing them on a paper towel to dry.
A major key to success in this recipe is to dredge the onions in a light coating of flour before dipping them into the batter. This will help the batter cling to the onion ring when you bite in- no one likes it when it all falls off in one bite!
Dip the coated onions in batter, then place into the hot oil.
The battered onions will initially sink to the bottom of the pan, but as they cook they will slowly float towards the top.
When the onion rings are golden, brown and delicious looking, you are on to something great. They should look like this:
Once you reach this point, remove the onion rings and salt them immediately as they drain in a wire basket or on a paper towel.
Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

Gluten Free "Beer" Battered Onion Rings
Here's What You Need
- 1 egg yolk beaten
- 8 oz club soda
- 5 oz gluten free flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.25 tsp salt
- 1 egg white whipped to soft peaks
- 1.5 lb onions sliced crosswise
Here's What You Do
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Peel and slice onions crosswise into 1 inch pieces. Place in cold water while preparing batter. Combine egg yolks and club soda. In separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Mix well into soda/egg mixture to make smooth batter. Whip egg white until peak forms and is fluffly. Fold into batter.
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Heat one and a half to two inches of oil in a deep pan. (350F is ideal).
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Dredge onions in flour then dip into batter. Fry in deep fat at 350 degrees.
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Remove and drain excess fat, then salt to taste.
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Enjoy with your favorite sauce!