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[1] Onion rings with horseradish dipping sauce (photo © QVC).
[2] You can buy spicy ketchup or you can make your own by mixing hot sauce or curry powder into regular ketchup (photo © pMaya Kaimal).
[3] Baconnaise, bacon-flavored mayo, is good stuff—but stick to the regular, not the Lite (photo © LiteBox.com).
[4] Ponzu sauce, the conventional dipping sauce for tempura. Here’s a recipe (photo © Fotoos Van Robin | Flickriver.
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Updated June 2026
When Chef David Venable of QVC wrote us to suggest Beer-Battered Onion Rings with Horseradish Dill Dipping Sauce—the recipes are below—we thought: What else works as a condiment with French fries and onion rings instead of ketchup (at least, plain ketchup)?
June 22 is National Onion Ring Day.
Below:
> Beyond ketchup: 14 dipping sauces for onion rings.
> Recipe: fried onion rings.
> Recipe: ginger sesame sauce.
> Recipe: horseradish dipping sauce.
Elsewhere on THE NIBBLE:
> Recipe: Beer Batter Onion Rings.
> The different types of onions: a photo glossary.
> The history of onions.
> The history of onion rings.
> The year’s 6 onion holidays.
> The year’s 24 fried food holidays.
> The history of ketchup.
> The year’s 18 sauce, dips, and dressings holidays.
BEYOND KETCHUP: DIPPING SAUCES FOR ONION RINGS
For a change of pace or a special occasion, try these condiments, dips, and sauces. You can certainly have more than one sauce with each plate of onion rings.
Aïoli (garlic mayonnaise), the classic for Belgian frites (recipe)
Bacon mayonnaise, like Baconnaise
Blue cheese dip (here’s our favorite)
Chipotle ketchup, curry ketchup or sriracha ketchup (recipe—[photo below])
Creamy dressings: Ranch, Russian, Thousand Island
Ginger-sesame sauce (recipe below)
Homemade lemon or lime mayonnaise (recipe—grate zest into the mayo to taste)
Korean dipping sauce, based on tofu, red pepper paste, and soybean paste (recipe)
Ponzu sauce (photo at left)
Saffron mayonnaise (recipe)
Salsa, red or green
Spicy mayonnaise (like chipotle or wasabi mayo)
Vietnamese dipping sauce, sweet and tangy, with lime juice and Thai chiles (recipe)
Yogurt dip—tzatziki or raita
RECIPE #2: FRIED ONION RINGS
Ingredients
Canola oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
3 large onions, preferably Vidalia, sliced into 1/4-inch rings and separated
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Preparation
1. CLIP a deep-frying thermometer to the side of a deep, heavy pot. Add 2 inches of canola oil to the pot and slowly heat the oil to 350°F. While the oil is heating…
2. WHISK together the flour, egg, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the beer, stirring until a thick batter forms.
3. DREDGE the onion slices in the batter. Using tongs, add four or five onion rings to the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Turn them halfway through cooking. (Cook the onion rings in batches or the oil won’t stay hot and the onion rings will be soggy rather than crisp.)
4. USING tongs, remove the fried onions to a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Cook the remaining batter-dipped onion rings. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.
RECIPE #3: GINGER-SESAME SAUCE
Ingredients
2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 large garlic clove, very finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Preparation
1. WHISK together the ingredients in a small bowl. That’s it!
RECIPE: HORSERADISH DIPPING SAUCE
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
Preparation
1. WHISK together the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish paprika and dill in a small bowl. Set aside and cook the onion rings.
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