7 Fast Food Onion Rings, Ranked Worst To Best

No shade on fries or anything (I would never besmirch the undisputed ruler of all the side dishes' names), but when you need to switch things up, onion rings are the obvious choice. Thanks to their composition — breading-encased crispy onions — they have the perfect blend of textures, and when done right, the flavors are drool-worthy, to say the least. Fortunately, plenty of fast food chains (but not McDonald's) feature onion rings on their menu as well, so snagging some whenever the craving hits couldn't be easier. However, they don't all hit the mark when it comes to the classic onion rings we all know and love.

In an effort to find out which fast food joints' onion rings are worth seeking out and which ones fall flat (both literally and figuratively), I purchased and tasted seven different brands' offerings. I also ranked them based on flavor, the texture and ratio of both the breading and the onion, and overall quality. A closer look at my methodology can be found at the end. Before we get to that, let's see how the seven fast food onion rings I sampled measured up so you can hone in on the good stuff. Whether or not you choose to turn them into a burger topping (if you know, you know) or eat them as-is is up to you.

By far the biggest letdown of my onion ring taste test came from Carl's Jr., and honestly, saying they were a letdown is generous. They were truly dreadful — so much so that I can confidently say they would be better thrown in the trash. Sorry, not sorry, Carl's Jr., your onion rings are the pits.

A small side of Carl's Jr. onion rings costs $3.69 plus tax, firmly placing them in the least expensive half of the options. That's the nicest thing I will say about them, though. What really stood out to me was the abysmal breading. For starters, it was crumbly beyond belief. Seriously, when I opened my bag, it was all smushed and falling apart. As someone who's failed at keeping homemade onion rings together in the past, I get it, but c'mon! They were a mess, and that's before I even gave them a try. Unfortunately, once I did, things only got worse.

The breading on Carl's Jr.'s Onion Rings had a bland, somewhat artificial flavor that actually left a bad taste in my mouth. It was also dry, and the onion inside was overly thick. I don't care what kind of sauce you like for onion rings, either — nothing could save Carl's Jr. Onion Rings. Everything from the ratio of ingredients to the flavor to the texture was all wrong.

Coming in second to last place is Good Times Onion Rings. As someone who swoons for the company's Wild Fries, I had high hopes for them. They were also the second most expensive product — $5.29 plus tax — so a quality product was anticipated. Sadly, though, they didn't live up to my expectations in the flavor and texture department. I will say that I got a large portion. Still, ordering them was a mistake.

My main complaint about Good Times Onion Rings is that my order was seriously undercooked. Not only was the color of the breading way too light, a clear indication that they were undercooked, but the onions inside were barely fried at all. In fact, when I bit into one, they were juicy and crunchy was the furthest thing from my mind. To top it off, the breading itself was pretty sweet. Could a savory onion ring dipping sauce help? Sure, but we are looking for the best fast food onion rings, and these are not it. The texture was okay, but no thanks! Good Times didn't put enough focus on the breeding, and it showed. Plus, the onions were way too thick, so the balance was all off. At least they were better than Carl's Jr., but that's not saying much.

Next up is Sonic's Onion Rings, and you know what? I really disliked them, too. Don't worry, though. I promise it will get better after this. Until then, Sonic's Onion Rings cost $3.39 plus tax, so they are on the cheaper end of the spectrum. The ratio of onion to breading wasn't bad, and the texture was decent as well. However, their major downfall came in the form of flavor.

Sonic's Onion Rings had an overwhelmingly sweet flavor profile, like outrageously so. It was almost as if there was milkshake batter in the bread. Um, why?! Sonic has some tasty milkshakes, but the flavor shouldn't be pervasive on the rest of the menu. I could chalk this up to a blunder in the kitchen, but something tells me the recipe is what it is. Some varieties of onions are extra sweet as well, but this was different. I could tell it was embedded in the breading. It had a super light color as well, so maybe the saccharine flavor would have been dialed down a touch if they stayed in the deep fryer for another minute — but honestly, why bother? Stick to the shakes at Sonic and you'll be glad you did.

The only reason Sonic's rings scored higher than Good Times is that they were cooked properly. There wasn't anything raw about them. Still, we can do way better. Moving on...

Burger King's Onion Rings may have only earned a spot firmly in the middle of my ranking, but they put everything that came before them to shame. Not only are they the cheapest option I sampled ($2.99 plus tax), but they really showed up in the texture and flavor departments. Finally — am I right?

The first thing that stood out to me after taking a bite of Burger King Onion Rings was a bold, savory spice. I can't be sure, Burger King is somewhat elusive about the recipe, but I think it got help from onion powder. The flavor was definitely dialed up. The medium-coarse texture of the breading was also great, and the ratio of it to the onion within was pretty good as well. I would have enjoyed them more if the onion was a bit thinner, but they weren't bad by any means. Additionally, the onion rings Burger King serves are somewhat smaller than the ones other fast food joints sell. I kind of wish they were larger, but I guess the shape is appropriate for putting them on a burger (fans of the iconic discontinued Rodeo Burger rejoice!).

It's pretty clear that Burger King's Onion Rings far surpassed the three products that ranked lower, but why did they only score fourth place? Well, everything to come simply performed better regarding taste, texture, and ratio of onion to breading. Burger King's were not bad, but it only gets better from here on out. Yay!

The first fast food onion rings to breach the top three come from none other than A&W (often paired with KFC in the same building). An order costs $4.49 plus tax, so they are relatively pricey, but that's okay. They more than make up for it when it comes to breading, overall flavor, and texture.

One look at A&W Onion Rings and I just knew they were going to be a mouthful — in a good way. The breading was extra coarse, something I like, and it looked sturdy enough to hold up to some serious dipping sauce weight. My eyes did not deceive me, either. After taking a bite, I knew these onion rings would go far. The flavor was fantastic, and there was plenty of onion inside to back up the thick breading. If I were being picky, I'd say that the onion was a touch too thick for my preferences, but it was deliciously textured nonetheless.

If the ratio of onion to breading was more to my liking, there's a small chance A&W Onion Rings could have scored a place higher. However, as you'll see coming up, the batter on my top two picks is where it's at. Third place is not too shabby, though, and I definitely recommend giving A&W Onion Rings a try.

My order of Fat Shack Onion Rings was fried fresh before my eyes, and let me tell you: they did not disappoint. In fact, if they weren't the priciest fast food option I tried — $5.99 plus tax — they could have gone all the way. That's not how the bread crumbled this time, though. Still, second place is a coveted spot, and the lesser onion rings I tried should all be jealous.

So, what did Fat Shack do right? More like what didn't it? From the texture to the quality to the flavor, these little babies were on point. The onion and breading were proportioned so that you got a good amount of each in every bite. The texture of both was light, fluffy, and deliciously fried as well. As for flavor, watch out, because Fat Shack uses a beer batter packed with all the good stuff. It explains a lot about the near-perfect texture as well.

If beer-battered onion rings aren't your style, A&W should be your go-to pick. For me, however, it doesn't get better than a good old-fashioned beer batter done right (it has to be thick). That being said, everything that ranked lower than Fat Shack didn't really stand a chance. My number one, on the other hand, managed to outperform Fat Shack due to a more drool-worthy texture, just not by much. It's also much more affordable. Ready? Let's go!

For the best fast food onion rings around, look no further than Freddy's. They pack a ton of flavor, and the texture of both the onions and the batter is second-to-none. There's also something about them that makes them taste like a much higher quality product than everything that ranked third and below.

Oh, Freddy's Onion Rings, how I love thee. First off, they are made with a deliciously fluffy, crunchy beer batter. All it took was a single taste, and I exclaimed with joy. I didn't see how it could get any better. The flavor in the batter was delicious, and the beautifully fried onions within put it over the top. I detected a bit of sweetness, but savory was undoubtedly the star of the show. The ratio of batter to onion was just how I like it, too; perfectly balanced. All the other brands I sampled should take notes. Freddy's is a master class in fast food onion rings.

Freddy's Onion Rings cost just $3.79. They aren't the cheapest, but they are far from the most expensive (I'm looking at you, Fat Shack), so that's just one more bonus. Freddy's Onion rings are so darn good, though, I'd pay more if I had to. Regardless, if you're ready to try the absolute best fast food onion rings around, head over to Freddy's.

As a food and beverage writer for five years and someone who worked closely with chefs in the food service industry for 20 years, I've enjoyed more than my fair share of onion rings. While I didn't really expect fast food onion rings to live up to the stuff pro chefs make, I knew I was more than prepared to rank a collection of them. Plus, who wouldn't want to do that?

After purchasing all seven of the fast food onion rings you find above, I rushed home to give them all a thorough taste. Full disclosure: I had to pop the first couple I snagged in the air fryer for a minute to reheat them (I couldn't try them cold, obviously). Once the hard part was done, I ranked them based on flavor, texture, ratio of breading to onion, quality, and price. The onion rings with the most balance between ingredients, the crunchiest breading, and the best flavor and quality overall earned the most prominent spots on my list. In the end, I recommend sticking to the fast food onion rings that made it into the top four and steering clear of the bottom three.

Once you work your way through all of the yummy fast food onion rings, don't forget there are some tasty frozen onion rings as well.