fried onion rings
Also known as: French's Fried Onion Rings
Thin-sliced onions coated in flour or batter and fried until crisp, sold canned or jarred as a shelf-stable topping -- distinct from thick, fresh-battered onion rings served as a side dish. Best known as the crunchy topping baked onto green bean casserole.
Buying guidance
Check that the can or jar isn't dented, bulging, or rusted at the seams, which signals a failed seal. Because these are already fried and shelf-stable, add them only in the last few minutes of baking or right before serving -- extended baking time turns their crunch soggy and can scorch them, since they're already fully cooked.
Substitutions
- Crispy fried shallots -- similar crunch, a sweeter and more delicate onion flavor.
- French-fried onions from a different brand -- essentially interchangeable.
- Panko browned in butter -- different flavor but a comparable crunchy, golden topping.
- Crushed potato chips or butter crackers -- less oniony, but a reasonable crunchy topping in a pinch.
Tips & common mistakes
Mixing them into a dish instead of scattering them on top traps steam underneath and turns their crunch soft before they ever reach the table -- add them as a finishing layer, not an ingredient stirred through.
Storage
Unopened, they keep well in the pantry for a long time, but once opened they lose their crunch fast even resealed tightly -- treat an open container as a use-within-a-few-days item, since they turn soft and stale like day-old chips left out.