10 Fast Food Onion Rings, Ranked Worst To First
Onion rings don't get enough cred. When it comes to fast food restaurants, burgers really have that main character energy. As for fries, they're easily the best supporting side dish. While burgers and fries get all the fame and fortune, onion rings remain the unsung heroes of the fast food menu. But no more! We're taking onion rings seriously. In some places, these tasty rings don't just hold their own, but even — dare we say it! – outshine french fries as the superior side.
Of course, that's not always the case. Some places offer onion rings so bland or lacking in inspiration that sticking to fries is a perfectly justified choice. And in some restaurants, the onion rings are so unappetizing that they are just a downright waste of your drive-thru time.
So, how do you know the difference? We've got your back. Here is a guide to some of the best and worst of fast food's onion ring selection, so you can make the most informed choice when picking the hero of your own fast food story.
10. Burger King
As the name implies, when it comes to Burger King, the burgers — like the famed Whopper – are the real stars. Which makes sense, since the onion rings here are quite controversial. There's a twist when it comes to BK's rings: There's no onion ring. There's onion, sure, but it is not sliced like most onion ring varietals. At Burger King, the onion "rings" in question are ring-shaped, but are made with a paste that consists of diced onions instead of sliced onions.
Some customers don't seem too impressed with the BK take on onion rings. On a Reddit thread about the topic, one outraged customer wrote: "There was no actual ONION inside the 'Onion' ring! I tore one open and couldn't figure out what I was looking at!! Had the onion somehow been liquified in the frying process? Why was my ring filled with this nasty white goo?? I soon realized that this goo is supposed to be my onion and that these aren't even onion rings at all."
Not exactly a ringing endorsement. However, to BK's credit, they are one of the few fast food chains that have had onion rings on the menu for decades, so maybe we should be grateful to even have the option.
If you are in a bind and craving onion rings, and you do find yourself at the BK drive-thru, the move is to stock up on sauces. Burger King offers six sauces: buffalo, BBQ, ranch, sweet and sour, honey mustard, or BK's famous zesty sauce.
9. White Castle
In the year 2004, Harold and Kumar went on a wild adventure to White Castle. When they finally made it to the counter to order, onion rings were not on the list of items they ordered, and maybe there's a reason for that.
@primevideo Spoiler alert! #haroldandkumargotowhitecastle #kalpenn #johncho #primevideo #haroldandkumarapv #food #burger #hamburger #craving
The onion rings at White Castle aren't horrible, but they're also not exceptional. They're crunchy, decently sized, salty, and definitely have a nice fast-food grease shine to them. One Redditor says this of the White Castle onion rings: "I do enjoy White Castle's which are a rough chop, so not too small." That's an okay review, but it's not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination.
But here's the real reason White Castle's onion rings rank so low on this list. There's just no reason to order an onion ring when White Castle has an amazing option we haven't seen anywhere else in the fast food-iverse: onion chips.
What are onion chips? They're sort of a fried fast food mutant. It's as if White Castle somehow combined the crunch of a potato chip with the salty fried goodness of a french fry and the crunchy bite of an onion ring. We'd venture to say Harold and Kumar would agree that onion chips are the move at White Castle. Take it from this Redditor, who has some advice: "Go for some fresh onion chips with the zesty sauce. Makes a big difference if they're freshly cooked or not, just ask for them crispy and you should get a good order of them."
8. Sonic
The onion rings at Sonic are a wildly divisive issue. Why? Well, you expect an onion ring to be crunchy. You expect it to be salty. But you don't expect it be sweet. Yes, you read that right. Sonic onion rings are sweet.
A former employee has attested that there's a secret ingredient that was once used in Sonic onion rings, and it's a real plot twist. According to a 2009 blog post from the CopyKat Recipes blog, Sonic uses sweet onions, but that's only half of what accounted for the candy-like flavor. The other ingredient? Vanilla ice milk, which is what gave the rings their candy-like flavor.
The rings were once dipped in ice milk mix as part of the breading process before they are fried. As you can imagine, not everyone loves a candy-flavored onion ring. When debating the flavor of the onion rings, one Reddit user said, "Sonic onion rings have an odd candylike back flavor." But wherever there's a Sonic onion ring hater, there's also a Sonic onion ring fan. Another Redditor replied, "That's what makes them great!" Hey, to each their own onion ring. Employees claim ice milk is no longer used, but rather sweet onions remain the key to these sweet rings.
However, on this list, candy-flavored rings are not where it's at. Maybe this is old-fashioned of us, but salty and savory are the criterion for a good onion ring here. If we wanted something sweet, we'd order dessert. But when we order an onion ring, we expect an onion ring, darnit!
7. Carl's Jr / Hardee's
Burgers are really the focus of Carl's Jr/Hardee's, but there are onion rings a-plenty. That's because Carl's Jr. includes onion rings in its colossal and wildly intimidating Western bacon cheeseburger, which consists of a charbroiled all-beef patty, two strips of bacon, melted American cheese, crispy onion rings, and tangy BBQ Sauce on a seeded bun.
Now, if you order that mega-burger and you're still itching for more onion ring-y savory goodness, you can order the onion rings just as a side, as opposed to a topping. However, since the onion rings are not seasoned, they might not satisfy as a side dish the way they do as a burger topping in conjunction with crispy bacon or salty cheese. The rings are salted, but there's nothing truly distinguishing or unique about the flavor. It might be a better choice to go for the fries, or better yet, Carl's Jr.'s waffle fries. Yum.
On Reddit, customers seem largely uninspired, but not wholly dissatisfied, with one person writing of Carl's Jr.'s onion rings: "Carl's onion rings are too breaded but at least the onion part is full." This will probably not be the best onion ring of your life. But you know what? It's still an onion ring, and sometimes, that's good enough.
6. Dairy Queen
The first menu item that pops into your mind when you hear the words "Dairy Queen" is probably not onion rings, but the ice creamery does indeed sell onion rings as a side dish. Their onion rings are super crumbly and breaded, which makes for a lovely crunchy bite.
Some customers rave about them. One satisfied customer on Reddit said of DQ's onion rings, "They aren't too breaded, and they have real onion rings that aren't too hard or thick. I definitely get them instead of fries every time. They are very similar to Red Robin onion rings but cheaper and smaller."
Now, onion ring snobs might be quick to point out that the Dairy Queen onion rings are not made from scratch fresh every day. In fact, as this TikTok shows, the onion rings at Dairy Queen are pre-made and packaged frozen, then shipped to your local DQ to be fried up and served to happy customers alongside their famed Blizzards or Dilly Bars.
@yourlocaldq1 Onion Rings #DanceWithTurboTax #ReadySetLift #dq #QuakerPregrain #food #icecream #delicious #viral #fyp #yummy #dairyqueen #enjoy #trending
If the rings being frozen as opposed to made from scratch is a dealbreaker for you, then stick to hot dogs or ice cream cones at DQ.
5. Whataburger
A Texas favorite, Whataburger is known across the land for its burger options: the Whataburger (of course!), the Whataburger Jr., the Triple Meat Whataburger, the Bacon and Cheese Whataburger, and the Justaburger. They also have non-beef options, such as the Whatachick'n. According to Whataburger, owner Harmon Dobson's goal was to "make a better burger that took two hands to hold and tasted so good that when you took a bite you would say 'What a burger!'"
While burgers are top of mind at this place, they do offer a choice of sides that include onion rings. Something interesting about these rings is that they greatly vary in size — even in the same box — so you might get a gigantic one in there as well as some little guys. Now, not everyone enjoys that element of surprise. Some might claim it's inconsistent, and that's one of the reasons Whataburger didn't clinch a higher spot on this list.
That being said, the rings do taste great. As far as flavor and texture, the onion rings at Whataburger crunch nicely, which means they can also be a nice topping for a Bacon and Cheese Whataburger. The rings have a bit of garlic seasoning that adds some complexity to the flavor, which makes them stand out from the crowd a bit. To enhance the experience, try the rings with one of Whataburger's many amazing sauces, which include a choice of honey mustard, creamy pepper, honey BBQ, buffalo sauce, jalapeno ranch, ketchup, fancy ketchup, or even gravy.
4. The Habit Burger Grill
Founded in Santa Barbara, the food at The Habit Burger Grill is "inspired by this coastal town's laid-back vibrancy and passion for culinary exploration." Those chill, Cali vibes are responsible for some awesome food, and the onion rings can be counted among those menu items that are totally worth your time and taste. They are crunchy, golden brown, and served with ranch dressing that adds a delightful tangy flavor to every bite. One key reason the Habit Burger Grill's onion rings are so good is that they put spices in the batter. It adds a depth and dimension of taste to the onion rings, making them feel higher quality than most competitors. For this reason, many fans opt to eat their onion rings completely sauceless — although you can never go wrong with the Habit Burger's ranch dip.
Take it from this thread on Reddit, where a hungry user asked if they should get fries or onion rings during their trip to The Habit. The response? Absolutely overwhelming! All votes for onion rings (sorry french fries, you're great too). So head on down to The Habit, grab a side of freshly made rings, and bask in the goodness. Gnarly, man.
3. Fatburger
If you're a Californian, you know about the glories of Fatburger. Founded by Miss Lovie Yancey in Los Angeles, California in 1947, it was at first called "Mr. Fatburger" after her husband. Originally a three-stool hamburger stand, Yancey dropped the "Mr." after she split with her husband, and she worked 18-hour days to turn Fatburger into an icon. The hamburger shop mostly stuck to expanding in California until the 90s, and then it exploded across the country and became beloved by people in all fifty states.
Fatburger calls themselves "the last great hamburger stand." With a slogan like that, you wouldn't expect onion rings to be a top priority, but they do offer them on the menu – albeit in a supporting role. Fatburger describes their rings as a "worthy sidekick."
But this sidekick packs a real punch in its own right. Made fresh daily, the onion rings are super duper crispy, and coated in batter and then deep fried to golden brown. While the onion rings do not get top billing here, their size and crunch are worth your time. The onion rings are thickly cut, and battered up fresh. The order will usually come with a few variations of differently sized rings, but they all manage to be pretty hefty, and you might be lucky enough to get a truly huge ring in your order. If you want some giant onion rings with a killer crunch, this is the place for you. Thank you Miss Yancey!
2. Jack in the Box
Before Jack in the Box stans lose their minds about Jack in the Box not taking first place, give us a minute to explain this ranking choice. It's not actually that the onion rings in Jack in the Box are undeserving of first place. Nor is it that they are unappetizing. In fact, they are wildly tasty. The onion rings are not bad, but it's just that the side dish menu at Jack in the Box is so good. When your choices include mozzarella sticks, curly fries, jumbo egg rolls, and even jalapeño poppers stuffed with gooey golden cheese, playing it safe and sticking to only ordering onion rings may leave you with FOMO.
But if a crunchy, crumbly onion ring is what you're craving, Jack in the Box really won't disappoint. Their onion rings are panko-crusted, which gives them an edge and adds a real crunchy kick to your bite. Take it from this Jack fan on Reddit, who even has a hot and spicy tip to make the experience more unique: "The best fast food chain onion rings are the Panko onion rings from Jack-in-the-Box. Ask for their fire-roasted salsa and dip your rings in that." Want onion rings, but don't want to miss out on those cheesy jalapeño poppers or the egg rolls? Perhaps the best move here is to have a side dish feast, and just order it all.
1. Culver's
Midwesterners have been spoiled by Culver's for years. Originating in Sauk City, Wisconsin, according to the restaurant's website, the Culver family (George, Ruth, Craig, and Lea Culver) first opened the restaurant in 1984 under the name "Culver's Frozen Custard and ButterBurgers." While the butterburgers and the delicious creamy custard are the most talked about menu items, the onion rings are raved about far and wide.
Culver's thick-cut onion rings are made from whole white onions, then battered with a delicious blend of spices and seasonings. What's nice about these rings is how you can actually taste the onion, not just the batter. They are fried fresh to order, and Culver waits to salt them until the exact second they leave the fryer. The result? Just heavenly. Take it from this happy customer on TripAdvisor: "I went to Culver's for the first time recently since my child's sports team was doing a fundraiser through the restaurant. I had a butter burger and their onion rings. While the burgers were very good the onion rings were easily the best I've ever had. They were so tasty and had the perfect texture and crunchiness to them. I will definitely be back, even if it's only to fill my Culver's onion ring craving I never knew I had until I tried them for the first time."
Next time you stop by Culver's for your weekly caramel fudge cookie dough custard, try adding a savory order of onion rings to complement that sweet treat. Your taste buds will thank you.