Onion rings are a delicious snack – whether your battering or breading them, or frying or baking them. But they can get a bit boring on their own. Need some inspiration on what to serve with onion rings? Here’s my list of go-to side dishes that are guaranteed to impress.
The best dishes to serve with onion rings are smash burgers, lemon pepper wings, beer batter fish, and carnitas tacos. You can also go with potato leek soup, zucchini tots, loaded baked BBQ potatoes, or baked tofu nuggets. Try topping your green bean casserole with onion rings for a fun twist.
Main dishes
Pairing onion rings with the right main dish makes for a delicious cheat-day dinner.
Burgers are the obvious choice, but you can also go with street tacos or burritos for a delicious Tex-Mex twist. A bowl of potato soup topped with onion rings also sounds heavenly, right?
Or you can try a large, juicy steak if you’re feeling fancy.
Smash burgers
These burgers involve forming ground beef into balls instead of patties, then smashing them over a searing hot skillet.
This method creates thin, juicy disks with delightfully caramelized edges.
For best results, skip the lean beef and go for a blend with 20% fat.
Pssst… don’t forget to whip up the “secret sauce”! Your onion rings will go great with it too.
Why we love this recipe: these are better than the fast food version.
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Smash burgers with house sauce
Make a classic
Ultimate double cheeseburger
Skip the beef
Salmon burger with lemon dill sauce
Beer batter fish
Skip the chips and pair this beer-battered fish with onion rings instead.
You can even use the same beer batter for both.
The beer gives the batter a light, airy texture and creates an irresistible thin, crispy coating when deep-fried.
Enjoy this combo with tartar sauce for dipping and an ice-cold beer to wash it all down.
Why we love this recipe: it has a 4.93 rating from 639 votes.
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Beer batter fish
Keep it simple
Cornmeal fried fish
Preheat the oven
Baked fish sticks
Potato leek soup
Whether you need something to warm you up or lift your spirits, this potato leek soup has your back.
It’s a blended soup, so you get a luscious consistency even without dairy. But you can mix in some cream if you want it to be extra decadent.
Top this soup with crispy onion rings instead of croutons for a fun twist.
Why we love this recipe: it’s pure comfort in a bowl.
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Potato leek soup
Make it different
Spiced carrot and sweet potato soup
Make a classic
Tomato basil soup
Carnitas tacos
These tacos are loaded with juicy and tender carnitas – a Mexican classic.
It’s similar to pulled pork, except this version isn’t completely slathered with barbecue sauce.
Instead, it’s broiled with its braising liquid, giving you ultra flavorful shreds of pork with charred edges.
Top these tacos with your favorite fixings before plating them alongside golden onion rings.
Why we love this recipe: these are guaranteed crowd-pleasers.
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Carnitas tacos
Make it different
Pork belly tacos with pineapple salsa
Make it meatless
Mushroom carnitas tacos
Grilled cheese
Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food, with its gooey, melty center and perfectly crispy, golden-brown outside.
Caramelized onions are a common addition to grilled cheese, so I thought why not onion rings? And my god it was delicious. I don’t want to describe it too much because you just have to try it for yourself.
Why we love this recipe: you probably already have the ingredients on hand.
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Classic grilled cheese
Go fancy
Gourmet grilled cheese
A different sandwich
BLT
Green bean casserole
Impress your guests with this jazzed-up green bean casserole.
Instead of using canned mushroom soup and green beans, this recipe goes with fresh green beans and a homemade cream sauce.
The greens will be perfectly crisp-tender and the sauce is way more flavorful than normal.
Green bean casserole is usually topped with crunchy French fried onions, but why not switch it up with onion rings?
Why we love this recipe: everyone will be clamoring for seconds of this casserole.
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Green bean casserole
A classic combo
Broccoli cheese casserole
Make it indulgent
Cheeseburger casserole
Bacon-wrapped filet mignon
Whether you’re treating yourself or cooking for someone special, you can’t go wrong with a bacon-wrapped filet mignon.
You might think the bacon is too extra, but it keeps the steak juicy and adds a delectable smokey note.
Whip up a batch of onion rings and serve alongside this wrapped filet mignon for an elegant homemade steak dinner.
Why we love this recipe: it’s restaurant-quality, without the hefty price tag.
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Bacon-wrapped filet mignon
Fire up the grill
Grilled rib-eye
Make it healthy
Grilled flank steak salad
Appetizers/snacks
Onion rings are the perfect party food!
Pair them with classic treats like chicken wings, potato wedges, and mozzarella sticks for the ultimate spread.
Looking for something different? Why not try zucchini tots for a healthier twist?
Stuffed jalapeños
These little peppers are packed with a creamy, cheesy filling often with a hint of smoky bacon or chorizo to add depth.
The contrast between the spicy jalapeño and the cooling cheese means everyone can enjoy these. They’re fun to make too, my top recommendation is to shred your own cheese. I find the pre-shredded stuff has way less flavor.
Why we love this recipe: it has a secret ingredient to really make your jalapeños pop.
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Stuffed jalapeños
Make it lighter
Low calorie jalapeno poppers
Make it tangy
Pickled jalapenos
Lemon pepper wings
These baked wings are so deliciously crisp that you won’t even notice they’re not fried.
The secret? Coating the wings in baking powder.
It draws moisture to the surface, which evaporates and creates a crunchy surface.
The wings are then tossed in a zesty lemon pepper sauce, making them extra tasty and finger-licking good.
Why we love this recipe: these won’t last long on the table.
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Baked lemon pepper wings
Ditch the oven
Spicy fried chicken wings
Make it plant-based
Buffalo cauliflower wings
Cheesy zucchini tots
Aside from shredded zucchini, these tots are packed with cheddar and parmesan cheese, which helps elevate the zucchini’s mildly sweet flavor.
And means any fussy kids will be none the wiser that over 2 lbs of zucchini are split across these treats.
Pair your onion rings with these zucchini tots and your favorite dip for the perfect afternoon snack.
Why we love this recipe: you can make a big batch and freeze the rest for later.
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Cheesy air fryer zucchini tots
Make a classic combo
Broccoli cheese bites
Stick with the basics
Homemade tater tots
Loaded BBQ baked potatoes
The great thing about loaded baked potatoes is their versatility – you can customize them to your heart’s content.
This recipe goes for a barbecue theme: a creamy potato and spinach stuffing topped with sweet-tangy BBQ chicken, mushrooms, and blue cheese crumbles.
Pair these loaded potatoes with a side of onion rings for the ultimate cheat day treat.
Why we love this recipe: you can serve the toppings in bowls and let everyone load their own spuds.
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Loaded BBQ baked potatoes
Change the toppings
Chili baked potatoes
Make it sweet-savory
Buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes
Sloppy joes
Making sloppy joes from scratch is so easy. Once you’ve done it once, you won’t want to touch the canned stuff again.
The recipe calls for basic pantry staples. And you only need one pot to cook this, making clean-up a breeze.
Load up this sweet-tangy meat mixture in toasted buns and add some onion rings for a delectable crunch. YUM.
Why we love this recipe: it’s ready in 20 minutes, making it excellent for busy weeknight dinners.
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Sloppy joes
Make another favorite
Pulled pork and slaw sandwich
Make it plant-based
BBQ lentil sloppy joes
Parmesan baked popcorn shrimp
Need a new game day snack to serve alongside onion rings? Look no further than popcorn shrimp.
These morsels are breaded with a panko and parmesan mixture giving your plump shrimp a contrasting crunchy coating.
And they’re baked, so you don’t have to deal with a boiling pot of oil to enjoy them.
Why we love this recipe: these are highly addictive.
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Parmesan baked popcorn shrimp
Skip the oven
Fried calamari
Make it different
Nashville hot fried oysters
Baked tofu nuggets
Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just easing your way into meatless Mondays, these tofu nuggets are a must-try.
They boast an almost meat-like texture that you might even fool your meat-loving friends into thinking they’re the real deal.
The trick lies in pressing the tofu – this squeezes out extra moisture, making it firmer and less spongy.
Why we love this recipe: the oven does the cooking.
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Baked tofu nuggets
Skip the tofu
Chickpea vegetable nuggets
Stick with the basics
Baked chicken nuggets
Pepperoni pizza twists
These pepperoni twists are a mainstay in my party spreads.
They taste just like pepperoni pizza, but they’re easier to handle and you can even dip them.
Mom on Timeout makes these with homemade pizza dough, but I’ve had success with using the frozen variety. Just remember to let it thaw an hour before cooking.
Why we love this recipe: these are kid-friendly.
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Pepperoni pizza twists
Make it mini
Pepperoni bites
Back to basics
Homemade margherita pizza
Mini meatball skewers
Mini meatball skewers are the perfect finger food – they’re fun, flavorful, and easy to eat on the go.
They’re easy to customize too. You can pick from loads of different sauces – this recipe goes for an Asian style one with hoisin and sesame seeds, but I’ve also had buffalo chicken meatball skewers and marinara ones.
Why we love this recipe: it’s got 5 stars.
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Mini meatball skewers
Keep it classic
Marinara meatball skewers
Spice it up
Thai meatball skewers
Dipping sauces
Perfectly-cooked onion rings are superb on their own, but they’re even better with a dipping sauce.
I love sriracha mayo because it’s creamy and spicy, but ranch dressing and marinara sauce are also great options.
Sriracha mayo
This isn’t technically a side dish, but you can’t have onion rings without a dipping sauce, and my go-to is sriracha mayo.
Not only does it pack a pleasant mild heat, but it also boasts a sweet-tangy flair, thanks to the addition of fresh citrus and honey.
And the best part? You can make it as as spicy and tangy as you want.
Why we love this recipe: it’s versatile.
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Sriracha mayo
Make a classic
Honey mustard dip
Go Thai
Sweet chili sauce
Beer cheese dip
Not a fan of mayo? Dunk your golden onion rings in this cheesy dip instead!
Don’t fret about the beer – it’ll only add a subtle zing but won’t overpower the sharp notes of the cheddar cheese.
Psst… the dip will thicken as it cools, so I like serving it straight away to keep it warm and dippable.
Why we love this recipe: it only calls for seven ingredients.
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Beer cheese dip
Make it Tex-Mex
Queso dip
Make it dairy-free
Vegan cheese sauce
Spicy chipotle ketchup
Forget about plain ketchup; it’s time to turn up the heat with a spicy chipotle twist. This sauce combines the tangy sweetness of tomatoes with the smoky depth of chipotle peppers, creating a condiment you’ll keep coming back to.
Making your own ketchup means you know exactly what’s going in it too. I recommend making. abig batch and then freezing it in portions so you always have some on hand.
Why we love this recipe: it adds a smoky kick to every dip.
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Spicy chipotle ketchup
Explore more flavors
Mango habanero sauce
Stick to classics
Homemade BBQ sauce
Cilantro lime crema
This cilantro lime crema is fresh and zesty. The acidic lime helps to cut through the greasiness of the onion rings.
The recipe recommends leaving the sauce to develop overnight, but warns that it may thicken so you can thin it out again with a splash of water or extra lime juice. If you want to make it lighter, you can also swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt.
Why we love this recipe: it only takes 5 minutes to make.
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Zesty cilantro lime crema
For a fruity twist
Avocado lime dressing
Herb it up
Basil pesto aioli
What To Serve With Onion Rings [20 Sides]
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tbsp Sriracha, or any hot chili sauce
- 1 tsp lime juice
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ tsp honey or agave nectar, optional
Instructions
- Stir all the ingredients together until you have a smooth mixture. Give it a taste and adjust to your preference (add more Sriracha for heat, increase the honey to make it milder).
- Serve immediately with your onion rings or leave it to chill in the fridge for up to three days.
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