National Onion Ring Day Date in the current year: June 22, 2024

Onion rings, also known as French friend onion rings, are a type of deep-friend side dish or appetizer that originated in American and British cuisine but has since become popular in many other countries across the world. It is cooked by cutting an onion into rings that are battered and/or breaded and then deep-fried.

The exact origin of onion rings is unclear. It is generally believed that the earliest recipe of the dish can be found in The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined, a cookbook written by John Mollard that was published in 1802. Entitled “Fried Onions with Parmesan Cheese”, the recipe calls for cutting onions into half-inch slices, dipping them into a batter with Parmesan cheese, deep-frying the onion rings in boiling lard, and serving them with a sauce consisting of melted butter and mustard.

Other references to and recipes for battered and deep-fried onion rings can be found in cookbooks, newspapers and ads throughout the early 20th century. Several restaurants claim to have invented the dish. One of them is Kirby’s Pig Stand, America’s first drive-in restaurant. It opened in Texas in 1921, and a 1927 newspaper ad for the restaurant claimed that it was popular for several dishes including fried onion rings.

The dish became widely popular in the 1960s, when A&W Restaurants added it on the menu. Since then, onion rings have become a staple at fast-food restaurants and a popular snack at bars and pubs across the world.

National Onion Ring Day is celebrated annually on June 22. It is the perfect occasion to indulge in delicious onion rings without feeling guilty for consuming unhealthy deep-fried foods. You can celebrate the holiday by going out to your favorite restaurant and ordering a massive serving of onion rings with various dipping sauces or by making onion rings at home and inviting your friends over to share them with you.

Onion rings are, in fact, not very hard to cook. Start with cutting a large onion into ¼ inch slices. In a bowl, combine 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Dip each onion slice into the mixture, making sure it is evenly coated, and set aside.

Add 1 cup milk and an egg into the bowl, whisk everything together with a fork. Dip each of the floured rings into the batter until evenly coated and place them on the wire rack to get rid of excess batter. Then coat each ring in dry breadcrumbs. Deep-fry your onion rings for 2 to 3 minutes in oil preheated to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Place them on paper towels that will absorb excess oil and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Don’t forget to snap a picture of your onion rings before eating and share it on social media with the hashtags #NationalOnionRingDay and #OnionRingDay to promote the holiday.