Make Your Onion Rings With This Sweet Ingredient And You'll Never Go Back

It's hard to make the batter for onion rings stand out when paired alongside ... well, onions. The pungently sweet alliums pack a punch in each bite, with the batter often being there as a muted barrier that stops one from biting straight into an onion. However, there are some ingredients that clearly make the appetizer better, and brown sugar is one that you won't be able to let go of.

Common ingredients for onion ring batter, like garlic powder or pepper, aim to enhance the onion's earthy taste. Brown sugar, on the other hand, adds a sweet twist that allows the ingredient's honeyed side to stand out even more. The secret ingredient for tasty onion rings has a rich, toffee flavor to it that adds depth to the pungent onions and infuses them with a subtle caramelized-onion effect — without having to stand over the alliums for an hour.

You can never add too much brown sugar to onions, but in the case of deep-fried onion rings, half a teaspoon or so is the best choice. Not only should the sugar not be a dominant ingredient in the appetizer, but too much of it can result in scorched onion rings, given sugar's quickness to caramelize. To make the onion rings, stir the brown sugar with flour, salt, and pepper. Once the rings are dredged in the flour mix, dip them in a blend of eggs, flour, buttermilk, and oil before frying.

Along with adding in the molasses-infused sugar to the batter, seasoning the flour with savory spices is a great tip for making the best onion rings. To complement the brown sugar, opt for picks that mirror its depth. Cajun seasoning adds a heady touch to the appetizer, while Old Bay seasoning infuses onion rings with a spiced flavor.

Batter seasonings aside, what you dip the onion rings into is equally as important. With the depth that brown sugar brings, ordinary ketchup won't cut it for the revamped appetizer. Barbecue sauce is always a delicious choice, especially when it brings complexity to the onion rings. Carolina BBQ-style honey mustard is sweet, tangy, and spicy — all the best components to complement onion rings. The vinegary Carolina-style condiment brings out the onion's pungent bite, while the peppery mustard and heady honey add depth to the dish.

If you want to double up on the onions, pair the appetizer with luxe caramelized onion dip. The vividly sweet onions in the crème fraîche dip makes the pepperiness of the onion rings stand out even more, while also coaxing out the brown sugar's flavor. To ensure the duo isn't too sweet, Worcestershire sauce, freshly-cracked black pepper, chives, and sea salt make an appearance.