I Tried 4 Popular Fast Food Onion Rings and There’s Only One I Will Order Again

I must confess, I've never ordered onion rings from a fast food restaurant before. As a girl from the midwest, you could say I’m more of a “French fry person.” That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy onion rings. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Onion rings have “perfect food” potential. That crunchy exterior paired with a tender, sweet onion interior, makes for a delicious bite—if done right.

That’s why when I order onion rings, it’s usually from a sit-down restaurant known for them. Since I don’t eat them often, I’m finicky about how they’re prepared and my standards are high. I expect a crispy outer coating of just-enough breading. That breading should compliment, not distract from the big onion flavor inside. And no limp, greasy onion rings. Ever.

How I Tested To Find the Best Fast Food Onion Rings

I used these high standards to test this batch of fast food onion rings. Here’s how I judged:

• The onion: The onion ring should look like it came from an onion. Uniform pieces of food scare me. They should also be cut thick enough that you can taste and discern them from the breading.
• The breading: Deep-fried food is great, but if all I taste is the breading covering the onion, then I’m out. After-all, I ordered onion rings, not breaded dough rings.
• The crunch: A limp onion ring is a sad onion ring. The rings should come out hot and crispy, not greasy and saggy. 

The Best Fast Food Onion Rings, Ranked

 #4 Culvers

I thought for sure Culver’s onion rings would be the winner, but they ended up the loser. Primarily because they were greasy and almost completely flavorless. 

The rings were hot and crispy upon arrival and looked great. I appreciated their golden color and non-uniform appearance. The first bite of these rings was fine, but nothing stood out to me. Several bites later I noticed they were starting to soften from grease leftover from cooking. This made them too unappetizing to continue eating.

I’m not sure if it was just my batch or if it was an off-day for the chain I visited, but I’d like to think these could be better. I’d be willing to try them again, but I’ll keep my expectations low. 

#3 Burger King

These onion rings came out piping hot and plenty crispy. The breading was nondescript, but it was at least a bit salty to elevate the onion flavor inside. 

I found these rings to be oddly small in size. They look like some kind of mini or “kid” version. For some reason that really bothered me. Where is Burger King getting all these small onions? Are there even onions inside? I think this is their biggest downfall, because small onions mean more breading, which throws off the ratio. It's hard to tell if you’re actually getting any onion at all. Next time, I’ll stick to the fries.

#2 White Castle

Listen, I’m as surprised as you are right now. White Castle has never topped my list for anything. No offense to any White Castle fans, it’s just that I’ve never been impressed with anything I’ve ever eaten there.

Until now! The onion rings were surprisingly delightful. My batch was fried beautifully and each ring had a deep golden, crispy, crunchy coating that I really enjoyed. I was able to distinguish the onions inside, but wish they were cut thicker for bigger impact. 

I would definitely eat these again, but I wouldn't make a special trip for them. 

#1 Sonic

I loved what I saw when I opened the bag. There were big, round rings of varying sizes, all golden in color, and all looking crispy and delicious. They came out hot, but that didn’t stop me from sampling them right away.

I was rewarded with big onion flavor. In fact, it was the Sonic onion rings had the best onion flavor of the bunch. The breading was crispy and slightly sweet, providing the perfect crunch with every bite. It tasted like the State Fair—somehow reminiscent of elephant ears and corn dogs.

These onion rings won mostly because they tasted like onions. No other ring on the list came close. If you don’t mind a slightly sweet batter, then these rings will likely be your winner, too.