Cooking With Beer – Founders Solid Gold Beer Battered Onion Rings

(Courtesy Founders Brewing)

Festive foods take on new meaning when made with serious beer. And who doesn’t love battered onion rings made with the right craft beer?

This tasty beer battered onion rings recipe comes from Founders Brewing’s Culinary Director, Justin Golinski who notes that the dish represents all four important food groups (beer, onions, oil, batter) so there’s no reason to feel guilty.

And the beer used is Founders Solid Gold a 4.4% ABV Premium Lager which the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based brewery introduced in 2018, and remains one of their most popular year-round offerings today.

Solid Gold Battered Onion Rings

Ingredients

1 large sweet onion
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1½ (or more) cups all-purpose flour, divided
1½ teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
¾ cup chilled club soda
1 cup chilled Solid Gold
8 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Special Equipment

A candy or deep-fry thermometer. This is important.

Directions

Slice the onion into ½”-thick rounds and separate it into individual rings. Place the rings in a large bowl and pour in buttermilk so they are submerged. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Combine cornmeal, baking powder, smoked paprika, ¾ cup flour, and 1 ½ tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually add the club soda and Solid Gold. The mixture should be similar to the consistency of thin pancake batter…whisk in more beer or flour as needed, all the while, being careful not to overmix.
Place the remaining ¾ cup flour in a shallow bowl. Fit a large pot with the thermometer and pour in oil to come up about 2″. Set the burner to medium-high until the thermometer registers 375°.
Remove the onion rings from buttermilk, and let the excess drip back into the bowl. Dredge in flour, then dip the rings into the Solid Gold batter, letting some of the excess drip back into bowl. Work in small batches as to not overcrowd the pot. Fry, and turn the rings occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the crust is puffed and golden brown–about 2 minutes.
Transfer the onion rings onto a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet, and season immediately with salt. Serve hot, alongside your favorite dipping sauce and another can of Solid Gold

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