FOOD NEWS
The Reason Sonic's Onion Rings Taste So Good
By Cynthia Anaya
Sonic's official website states that their onion rings are made by hand, sliced, and cooked fresh daily on the premises, giving them that nice, crispy texture and golden color. One former employee and creator of the CopyKat Recipe blog reveals what she thinks is the reason behind their popular taste.
In a 2009 CopyKat post, former Sonic employee Stephanie Manley asserted that the secret to their unique onion rings is that they dip them in vanilla ice milk mix before frying. Several commenters on the page confirmed her statement, but a few disagreed, one claiming the original batter is actually made with condensed milk.
Sonic's website doesn't list vanilla ice cream as an ingredient for their onion rings directly, but the official nutritional Information guide for fall 2022 records 14 grams of sugar and 6 grams of protein can be found in a small onion ring. The guide doesn't state which ingredients contribute to the sugar or protein, so perhaps only select Sonic locations use ice cream mix in their batter.