Per tradition, I’m sharing a recipe for my Dad in honor of Father’s Day. I started this on my old blog, Eat Laugh Purr, and it only seems right to continue it here. Food is one way I express love and appreciation and I actually spend quite a bit of time trying to figure out what recipe to feature for Mother’s and Father’s Day. I want it to be something they would obviously enjoy but also reminds me of them too.
I told my Dad it wasn’t going to be a dessert this year because even though he has a great fondness for them, I didn’t need a whole dessert taunting me since he wouldn’t actually be here to eat my culinary masterpiece. He seemed okay with this so I went with onion rings.
Why Onion Rings?
Well, they made me think of when I worked at Hardees (also known as Carl’s Jr in certain parts of the country) and I used to bring home a Frisco Burger and fries for my Dad on Saturday night. My Mom always took her mother and aunts grocery shopping and ate with them, so my Dad was left to his own devices for dinner.
My Dad can technically cook three things: hotdogs, spaghettios and TV dinners. In fact, until my Mom retired, he’d offer these delectable options for lunch when I visited. Yes, I could have cooked us something, but Dad always made lunch because it amused me to watch him carefully prepare hot dogs and such. And yes, I’m brat. 😀
Onion Rings with Spicy Jalapeno Bacon Dip
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups Panko crumbs
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 6 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3-4 cups vegetable or peanut oil for frying
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 bacon strip, cooked crisp and chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons jalapeno, finely chopped
Directions
- Cut whole onion into 1/2 inch slices, separate into rings.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg and buttermilk together. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together bread crumbs, panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Toss onion slices into the flour mixture to coat. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg and milk into the remaining flour mixture until fully combined and a thick batter.
- Dip the floured onion rings into the batter and shake excess batter off, then roll into bread crumb mixture.
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot or deep fryer. It should be at least 3 inches deep. Carefully add a few onion rings to hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden, turning about halfway through. Don’t crowd the pot, you will need to do this in batches.
- Drain fried rings on paper towels. Salt to taste, if needed. Serve immediately.
- To make dip: combine mayo, ketchup, bacon and jalapeno in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Special Notes
Because the batter is so thick, I recommend that you make the whole amount of bread crumb mixture but only put half in a dish for coating and add bread crumb mixture as needed. Otherwise the excess batter can make it goopy.
Happy Father’s Day to a Great Dad!
These bad boys are quite delicious. I like the little kick of heat the cayenne adds, although when I make these for my Dad, I will only add a smidge. He’s not fan of a lot spice. The dip is also delicious and would be a great accompaniment to french fries or as a sauce for hamburgers. These onion rings also taste great with just ketchup too!
Happy Father’s Day to a fantastic Dad who has always supported me and kept my car running smoothly. 😀
Tanya
Oh my goodness, that picture!!!! My mouth is seriously watering at my desk right now. I love onion rings and jalapeno bacon dip????? Just get in my belly!
I won’t lie, Nadine, these are terrific! I hope you give them a try. 😀
Good idea with the onion rings! I know they’re super easy to make but I’ve never done it before! This sounds like a delicious recipe! My dad only cooks things over a grill or open fire. Lol
My Dad is not a griller but a very good microwaver. LOL!
Oh, my gosh these look delicious! And how sweet that you’d bring home dinner for your dad while your mom was out! It would never occur to me to try and make onion rings on my own but now I might have to try! Happy Father’s day to your dad!