I wasn’t sure how I felt about onion rings—until I made these. Now I do, and you should know why.
For a long time I thought I didn’t like onions. I was wrong. Onions are one of the best flavor enhancers around. My husband went through a phase of eating caramelized onions every day for weeks, and watching him taught me to appreciate them — and also to always have breath mints on hand.
Once I started using onions the right way, everything changed. I don’t claim onions are a “real” health vegetable like spinach or broccoli; to me they’re here to make food taste incredible. That’s enough.
These onion rings were inspired by a TV marathon meal where Ina Garten served cornmeal-fried onion rings with a juicy filet and a decadent blue cheese sauce. I wanted the crunch and the flavor, but without deep frying. So I baked them—super crispy, crunchy, and not soggy. They stay crisp and sweet, exactly how I like them.
I baked these on a weekend when I do important things like bake cupcakes for breakfast and avoid cleaning. The result: a crunchy, flavorful onion ring that’s a huge hit at home. They’re currently one of my favorite things to make.
Healthy, Crunchy Onion Rings [& Grilled Flank Steak]
2 to 4
Ingredients
Healthy Crunchy Onion Rings
- 2 large Vidalia onions
- 1 quart buttermilk
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup medium ground cornmeal
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Grilled Flank Steak
- 1 pound flank steak (about 1 inch thick)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup sherry wine
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
Healthy Crunchy Onion Rings
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12–24 hours ahead, slice onions into 1/2-inch rings. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place in a baking dish and pour buttermilk over them. Let soak 12–24 hours.
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When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk egg whites in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, whole wheat flour and panko with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top; spray the rack with nonstick spray.
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Remove each ring from the buttermilk, dip in egg whites, then immediately press into the breadcrumb mixture to coat. If crumbs don’t stick, dip again and press. Arrange rings on the wire rack. Lightly spray or brush with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes, flip gently with tongs, spray again, and bake 10 more minutes until crisp and golden.
Grilled Flank Steak
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12–24 hours before grilling, whisk olive oil, sherry, soy sauce, ground ginger, minced garlic and brown sugar in a baking dish. Add steak, turn to coat, and marinate 12–24 hours, turning occasionally.
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Preheat grill or grill pan. Grill steak about 6 minutes per side for medium/medium-well. Remove and rest 10 minutes, then slice against the grain. Serve with the onion rings.
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I made the steak too — it was fancy and delicious. You should try it with the onion rings.