Oven baked Onion Rings

I love fried food.  I could eat french fries, onion rings, donuts, corn dogs and deep fried cheesecake every day.  But I can't.  I want to fit into my jeans and I don't want a heart attack before I hit 60.  So I treat myself occasionally and then find a substitute for the other 200 days of the year.

I was craving a burger and onion rings.  It was a warmer day, it felt like spring and I wanted Dave to grill.  We made some moose burgers and then it hit me, I needed onion rings to go along with.  I thought about pulling the deep fryer out, but reminded myself of the deep fried ice cream I had last night when we went out to eat, so I thought I could come up with a lighter version.

This is an easy process.  You just set up three bowls; one with flour, one with buttermilk or beaten egg whites, and one with bread crumbs.  I used panko here because I wanted that crunch.

Cut your onions a good 1/4 inch thick and choose only the complete circles and thick cuts.  Save the rest for something else.  Dip the onion ring in the flour, then the buttermilk, back in the flour, buttermilk and then the panko.

Notice the sun?  Basic awesomeness.  This time of year I am so excited for sun.

Bake and it is that easy!

Now, they are not the same as the deep fried onion rings you get at a restaurant, or you could deep fry them yourself, but this is a delicious treat and one that you can have more often, maybe even every day.

Oven Baked Onion Rings

2 onions, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup butter milk (or use three beaten egg whites)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like them spicy)
coarse salt

Preheat oven to 450ºF.  Place cookie sheet in oven while it heats up.

Add cayenne pepper to flour and mix.  Place in a bowl.  Put buttermilk in a separate bowl, and panko in a separate bowl.

Remove cookie sheet from oven, spray with cooking spray.

Dip onion rings, one at a time, in flour, then buttermilk, repeat flour and buttermilk dips, then cover in panko.  Place on hot cookie sheet.  Repeat with all the onion rings, laying them in a single layer on the cookie sheet.  You will not use all the onion.

Spray onions with cooking spray, this will help with browning, and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until onions are soft and breading is golden brown.

April 8, 2013  Daylight  hours,  minutes,  sec.  Temp.  H 19 /L -9 ºF