When Bobby Flay posted a photo of his buttermilk fried onion rings on instagram, fans lost their minds. One commenter wrote, “Damn @bobbyflay, those onion rings are a golden dream, and I still love a good burger!!” Fellow Food Network star Sunny Anderson wrote, “The pixels are exquisite… I zoomed in HARD😍😍😍”
Loyal Instagram fans aren’t the only ones loving Flay’s Buttermilk Onion Rings. In 2016, the ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ star put his onion rings to the test by challenging Bon Appétit’s Andy Baraghani to a throw onion rings. Baraghani’s onion ring batter combined beer and soda, while Flay relied on his double-dredge method. In the end, Flay’s onion rings won (via enjoy your food).
Flay’s perfect onion ring method is no secret. To accompany the onion ring challenge video, Flay’s recipe was posted on The Bon Appetit website. The chef uses thick sliced Spanish onion rings which he soaks in a buttermilk and cayenne pepper marinade for at least 8 hours. His secret is to dredge the onion ring twice before frying it. This means he dips the pickled onions in seasoned flour, scrapes off the excess, then puts it back in the marinade and flour mixture before frying. This creates the perfect onion ring that Flayed calls ” addictive “.
