Guinness Beer Battered Onion Rings

These Guinness Beer Battered Onion Rings are a delicious appetizer to help celebrate your St. Patrick’s Day. Large onions are thickly sliced into rings, coated in a rosemary paprika seasoned batter with Guinness beer, then fried until crisp and golden. They are paired with a Mayonnaise Dijon dipping sauce that also has a splash of Guinness.

You may not need the full 1 1/2 cups of Guinness. When I initially made the batter, it ended up being too thin and fell off immediately when the onion hit the oil. I added more flour to thicken it. It was storming the day I made these, so I blame the humidity. Start with just a cup of Guinness and add more if needed to create a batter that will hold on to the onion ring. There shouldn’t be any lumps. If you find the coating falling off during the frying process, mix a little more flour into the batter.

Once the oil is thoroughly heated, dip an onion ring into the batter and coat thoroughly. Allow the excess to drip off before transferring to the oil. I used chopsticks (tongs will also work) for this. Make sure the onion doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. My pot was large enough for 2-3 rings at a time. You can keep the fried onion rings in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200 degree F oven while the remainder are frying to keep warm.

Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil at 365 degrees F.

Guinness Beer Battered Onion Rings
Adapted from Foodness Gracious
Serves 4

Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Guinness
Freshly ground black pepper
Onion Rings:
Canola oil for frying
2 large onions
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1 1/2 cups Guinness beer

 

To make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon Guinness. Season with pepper. Set aside or refrigerate until needed.

To make the onion rings: Pour enough oil into a deep pot to reach a depth of 3 inches. Place over medium heat to reach 365 degrees F.

Peel the onions and cut across into thick rings. Separate and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, rosemary, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk in just enough Guinness to form a thick, lump-free batter similar in consistency to pancake batter.

Line a baking sheet with clean towels and set near the pot of oil.

Dip one of the onion rings into the batter and coat thoroughly. Allow the excess to drip off and place into the hot oil. Keep it from sticking to the bottom. Fry until golden on both sides, 1-2 minutes per side. Use tongs or chopsticks to remove to the towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining onions and batter, being careful not to overcrowd. Don’t coat in batter until right before placing in the oil.

Season with more salt and rosemary if desired and serve warm with the dipping sauce.