These Are the Best Onion Rings You'll Ever Make at Home

by Matt Duckor

Most of the foods we loved in our youth are forgettable when you really think about it. Eating Bagel Bites is like struggling to chew off damp pieces of cardboard. Lunchables were clearly dreamed up by a branding genius that made kids think it was cool to assemble meals from depressing processed ingredients.

But then there are onion rings. Even the slightly soggy ones fried in oil that should have been changed long ago aren't that bad. But what about a truly a great onion ring? Can one even achieve greatness when the dish is so simple and the stakes are so low?

Chef Spencer Bezaire of L & E Oyster Bar in Los Angeles set out to answer that question. As it turns out, it's not only entirely possible to blow minds and break hearts with fried onion slices -- it's totally doable at home.

The man does amazing things with seafood at this East LA spot, turning out genius plates of everything from smoked, marinated mussels to a dungeness Crab Louis topped with pickled vegetables. But it's Bezaire's perfect onion rings that really caught our attention on a recent visit.

They arrive stacked high on a plate, the better to show off their husky, oversized form factor. A bite yields an immediate crunch, the kind that sends a jolt of pleasure up through your jaw and all the way to your cerebral cortex. But, almost immediately, you notice just how light and tempura-like the coating is. And, woah, there's a bit of spice there, but it doesn't cover up the hint of another flavor creeping in--is that beer?

Basically, there's a lot going on in these onion rings. Bezaire broke things down for us, unlocking the ring-shaped genius behind his fried onions.

Check out the slideshow above to learn how to make the best onion rings at home.

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