The Amish Take On Onion Rings Is 10x Better

It's always a good time for onion rings, with their crispy golden crusts and tender insides. They can be dressed up or down and work for every meal, even breakfast. It's almost impossible to imagine that there's anything better than a perfect circle of breaded onion, deep fried until it's crunchy. The Amish's version of fried onions is so much better and easier to make at home. Welcome to the world of Amish onion fritters –- a cross between an apple fritter and an onion ring that could be your new favorite appetizer.

When you make Amish onion fritters, you can skip the painstaking work of slicing your onions into perfect rings and of gently breading each ring before it goes in hot oil. Instead, you dice up the onion and put it into standard, onion ring, or fritter batter. Then drop the batter into hot oil a spoonful at a time to create the fritters. Also known as onion patties and Spanish onion fritters,  Amish onion fritters are great dipped in homemade ranch dressing and other creamy dipping sauces. You get a bit of onion in every bite, and you can tweak the recipe to include fresh herbs and a variety of seasonings for different flavors.

Amish onion fritters should be crispy and light with a golden brown crust and a bit of a bumpy or grainy texture (depending on how finely you dice the onion). The process is similar to turning leftover corn into fritters or whipping up easy, 3-ingredient apple fritters. You can add a few extras into the batter, though, for even more flavor, texture, and interest. Add finely minced scallions, garlic, leeks, or shredded vegetables like zucchini and carrot, and herbs like thyme, dill, and parsley for more flavor.

For a texture that's a bit crispier and lighter, add some seltzer or sparkling water to your batter. Even though there are technical differences between seltzer and sparkling water, both have plenty of bubbles, and those bubbles are the key to aerating the batter and creating a much lighter and fluffier fritter. If you're looking for a more tender texture and tangier flavor, add some buttermilk to the batter.