Red Robin Towering Onion Rings

Love Red Robin Onion Rings? You can make these crispy Panko crusted onion rings at home.

Homemade copycat Red Robin Onion Rings stacked on a white plate.


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Panko Onion Rings

Red Robin is renowned for its wide array of burgers that can satisfy just about any burger lover – you can even get a veggie burger. Along with your burger, you have a choice of sides including onion rings.

When I go to Red Robin, I always order their onion rings, they bread their onion rings with Panko bread crumbs. They are thickly cut and evenly breaded which makes them so crunchy. And, they taste really good! You can even order a tower of onion rings that your kids will love to help make lower.

Best of all when you make these at home, you can serve them as a snack during the next big game!

The Name Red Robin Came From the Song

Red Robin got its start around 1940 when the owner (Sam) of a Seattle tavern changed its name to Sam’s Red Robin. This was because he loved to sing When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along with the barbershop quartet that he was part of.

In 1969, Gerry Kingen bought the bar and dropped “Sam’s” from the name but kept Red Robin. After ten years of success, Kingen decided to sell franchises. Today there are more than 550 Red Robins bobbin’ along across the United States and Canada.

Red Robin Onion Ring Ingredients

Here’s what you need:

  • Large sweet onions
  • All-purpose flour
  • Seasoned salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Whole milk
  • Eggs
  • Panko breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable oil for frying
Ingredients for homemade Red Robin Onion Rings

How to Make Red Robin Towering Onion Rings

  1. Add enough oil to fill the cooking container to 3 inches deep and heat oil to 350 degrees.
  2. Peel onions and cut into ½ to ¾-inch slices. Separate slices into rings. Save the center rings for another recipe.
  3. Set up a breading station by placing three small bowls or dishes into a row.
  4. In the first shallow container, add flour, seasoned salt, and black pepper, stir to combine.
  5. In the second container, combine the eggs with 1 cup of milk. Whisk the eggs and the milk together until they are well-combined.
  6. Finally, in the third container, add the panko breadcrumbs.
  7. Dip the rings into the flour, and allow them to rest a couple of minutes on a wire rack.
  8. Then dip the floured onion ring into the egg wash mixture. Shake the onion ring gently to remove the excess egg wash, then place it into the panko breadcrumbs.
  9. Coat the panko breadcrumbs over the onion slices well. Place the onion ring back onto a wire rack and allow it to rest a minute or two before cooking.
    Homemade Red Robin Onion Rings before frying
  10. Cook for two to three minutes in the hot oil flipping halfway through cooking. Cook the onion rings until they are golden brown.
  11. Remove onion rings and drain on a wire rack before serving, do not use paper towels the onion rings will steam on the paper towels and the batter will get soggy.

What type of onions are Best for Onion Rings?

There is really no right answer to this question. A sweet onion like Vidalia or Walla Walla is an excellent choice, but if you prefer a milder taste, red or white onions will be just fine. If you want a bit more “bite” in your onion ring, go for a yellow onion. Click here for a guide to cooking with every type of onion.

What is Panko?

Panko is a type of breadcrumbs, but a little bit different from your average breadcrumbs. Panko is lighter, crispier, and flakier. Because of its comparative lightness, Panko will absorb less oil and grease making it perfect for breaded fried foods like onion rings.

The word panko is a translation of a Japanese word and panko is widely used for light breading in Japanese dishes. Learn more about panko and find out how to make panko bread crumbs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Red Robin Onion Rings Vegan?

No, these onion rings are lacto ovo vegetarian. The battering process contains milk, the panko crumbs are made from bread that contains eggs.

How do you keep the breading from falling off the onion rings?

You can keep the breading from falling off, by not over breading the onion rings, don’t try to cake on the breading. Also, let them rest for a few minutes on a wire rack before frying. This will give the batter some time to set up.

How do you make Red Rebin Onion Rings Sauce?

You can make the Red Robin Campfire sauce very easily. It is a combination of mayonnaise, barbeque sauce, Tobasco Chipotle sauce, ground chipotle pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. You can get the copycat recipe for the Red Robin Campfire Sauce.

Homemade copycat Red Robin Onion Rings on a white plate.

Like more copycat Red Robin recipes? Check these out

And, if you really love onion rings, try these recipes

There’s more! Take a look at my easy side dish recipes and the best fast food copycat recipes.

Homemade copycat Red Robin Onion Rings stacked on a white plate.

Red Robin Towering Onion Rings

Make your own Red Robin Towering Onion Rings at home with this easy copycat recipe. These onion rings make the perfect appetizer or side dish. 
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Red Robin Onion Rings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 446kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 large sweet onions
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Preheat vegetable oil to 350 degrees.   Add enough oil to fill the cooking container to 3 inches deep.
  • Peel onions, and cut into ½ to ¾ inch rings. Separate onions into rings. Take the center rings and save for another recipe. You can chop those small rings for chopped onions in another recipe. 
  • Set up a breading station by placing three small bowls or dishes into a row. In the first shallow container add flour, seasoned salt, and black pepper, stir to combine. In the second dish combine the eggs with 1 cup of milk. Whisk the eggs and the milk together until they are well-combined. Finally, in the third container, add the panko breadcrumbs. 

Breading the Onion Rings

  • First, dip the rings into the flour, and allow them to rest a couple of minutes on a wire rack. Then dip the floured onion ring into the egg wash mixture. Shake the onion ring gently to remove the excess egg wash, then place into the panko breadcrumbs. Coat the panko breadcrumbs over the onion ring well. Place the onion ring back onto a wire rack and allow it to rest a minute or two before cooking. This will help keep the coating in place.

Cooking the Onion Rings

  • Make sure you heat the oil to 350 degrees. You can use a deep fryer, or you can simply use a frying pan with 2 or 3 inches of oil in the frying pan. Cook for two to three minutes filling flipping half way through cooking. Remove onion ring and drain on a wire rack before serving. 

Notes

  • Sometimes panko breadcrumbs aren’t very uniform coming out of the package. You can place your panko crumbs into a plastic bag and gently roll a rolling pin over them to make them more uniform. The Panko crumbs will coat the onions better this way.

Nutrition

Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 7.9mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 3.3mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandy Stephens

    Can these onion rings be made in an air fryer also? We are watching our fried foods but do use the air fryer instead. Thanks the look wonderful!!

  2. Aurora

    What temperature should the oil be for frying?
    Can I use canola or olive oil instead of vegetable oil?

  3. EllenLV

    Oh that looks so good, thank you Stephanie, Red Robin is 5 miles from my house, and I have never been there. These look scrumptious. Thank you!

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