Not Culver's: The Best Fast Food Onion Rings, According To Customers

In addition to fries, fast food sides come in many forms, including tater tots, cheese curds, and biscuits. Yet there's a special textural appeal to a freshly fried batch of onion rings, with their contrast of crispy batter encasing a soft and sweet allium. Chain options for the food run varied; Culver's battered onion rings are an especially famous rendition, although the likes of Sonic and A&W Restaurants make the dish, too. Still, according to customer reviews compiled in a Food Republic ranking, the best fast food onion rings come from Burger King.

"This is a beloved snack of mine," noted one Reddit poster. "That's a good onion ring. All day long," added a Facebook reviewer. Burger King makes its onion rings differently than other restaurants. Rather than containing intact slices of onions inside the batter, the chain instead crafts a paste inside a factory, which is flavored with onion powder and dehydrated onions. Covered in a thick batter, this lends a different eating experience. 

One Reddit user noted that they didn't mind that BK's offering was essentially an "extruded onion mash" because "they taste great and they're easy to eat," adding that they like that the onion bites don't slide out of the batter. It's a unique production step that makes this chain's fried side stand apart.

Much like how Burger King's Whopper has changed over the years, the chain has started tinkering with its onion ring recipe, too. In early 2026, a new composition appeared at Canadian locations, featuring an entire intact onion slice, as opposed to the previous puree build. The batter was also modified, with the extra bready composition of times past traded for something a touch more airy.

As of September 2026, the revamp is still limited primarily to Canada, although customers suspect it might come to the U.S., too. Those who have sampled the update report positive reviews. "It's almost like a tempura batter. It's good," stated one Instagram user. "Can confirm the new onion rings in Canada are a huge improvement. I guess some people liked the old version, but these are an actual proper onion ring," wrote a Reddit user. So if you're not a fan of the paste-like composition of the original, look out for this reworked Burger King version.