Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Seasoning Belongs On Onion Rings
Everything bagel seasoning is good on, well, basically everything. With its combination of salt, garlic, poppy and sesame seeds, and onion, it's a melange that works on so many different things. It's one thing to add the seasoning to dips or sprinkle it over roasted vegetables, but you may be surprised to know that it really shines when used on onion rings.
Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel is the perfect addition to your arsenal of onion ring seasonings. And if you don't have an arsenal of seasonings, this is a good place to start. It brings a shake of salty, savory goodness to the richness of battered and deep-fried onions. It may not be the first thing to come to mind, but the garlic and onion in the seasoning naturally work with the fresh onion flavor. The combination of sesame and poppy seeds adds a note of nuttiness, and the salt pulls it all together.
Using the seasoning to spice up your onion rings
The simplest way to incorporate the seasoning from Trader Joe's would be to sprinkle it over the onion rings once they are done, but still hot enough so that the seasoning sticks to them. That's a fine way to enjoy it, but there's a better way -– incorporate the seasoning into the onion rings' coating itself.
Start by slicing your onions and submerging them in a bath of buttermilk and salt for about half an hour. This adds flavor and helps tenderize the onion. While your rings are resting, get a bowl of flour ready for dredging, and mix in a healthy dose of your Everything But The Bagel seasoning. Mixing it in with the flour ensures that all the delicious seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the coating.
After removing your onion rings from the buttermilk mixture and dredging them through the now-seasoned flour, fry them in two inches of 350-degree oil on the stovetop. They should need about four minutes to reach a perfectly golden brown. Remove them and drain them on a paper towel.
Other onion ring tips
If you want to go all out with your everything-seasoned onion rings, you can also incorporate the seasoning into a dipping sauce. Simply mix some Everything But The Bagel seasoning into plain Greek yogurt and add a squeeze of lemon for a bright dip that complements your onion rings. Minneapolis chef Christina Nguyen swears by the Trader Joe's seasoning to elevate creamy dips. "It goes really well with creamy things, like cream cheese or tzatziki or hummus," she told Eater.
Pairing your seasoned onion rings with a creamy Everything But The Bagel spiced dip is an easy way to make a restaurant-quality snack. And if onion things aren't really your thing, don't despair. As we said, this seasoning works on nearly anything and is easy to experiment with. Try it on homemade chicken nuggets for a more adult twist on the kiddie favorite. Or use it on fried pickles or zucchini slices. It's sure to become a regular in your kitchen.