Why it works: Onion and parsley are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 25,843 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Onion Rings
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the coating
Separate the sliced onions into rings.
Combine milk, eggs and salt to taste in a mixing bowl.
Soak onion rings in the mixture for 30 minutes.
Place pancake mix in a shallow bowl.
Remove onion rings from the milk mixture and dip them in the pancake mix.
Fry and bake
Deep-fry rings in oil at 375°F (190°C) until golden brown.
Remove from oil and place on paper towels.
Pack fried onion rings loosely, without pressing, into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 10–15 minutes.
Turn onto a serving plate and garnish with parsley.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Pancake | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,843 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Onion + milktop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,418 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
-
Egg + parsleytop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,765 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Milk + parsleytop 26% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,011 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- White onions
- Form the main body of the rings, becoming sweet and tender when cooked.
- Milk
- Moistens the coating so the pancake mix adheres to the onion rings.
- Eggs
- Bind the milk mixture and help the coating cling to the onions.
- Powdered pancake mix
- Forms a dry, crisp coating that browns during frying.
The step that matters
Dipping and frying the rings. Excess moisture on the rings or an oil that is too cool causes the coating to absorb oil and turn soggy or fall off. Shake off excess coating and fry at the stated temperature so the crust sets and browns quickly.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, egg, parsley):
- Potatofits better
- Chivefits better
- Carrotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, egg, parsley. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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