Crunch on these Low Sodium Onion Fritters when you’re craving some crispy savory onion rings. These onion ring “fakes” are so much easier to make. and you don’t even need to use so much oil.
I have never had good luck making onion rings in the past, they were just never that satisfying. Probably because to do it right, you need a lot of oil or, use a deep fryer. So I had to make something that would satisfy my cravings, still be low sodium and easy to make.
Sodium amounts compared
| Typical sodium amount per serving | 300-700mg |
| Sodium per serving for this recipe | 10mg |
| Calories per serving | 205 |
| Servings = makes 13 | 1 |
Frozen onion rings in a bag are kind of hard to gauge how much sodium you would be consuming. Because the serving sizes are listed by weight, you would have to weigh them to accurately know how much you’re eating. But suffice it to say the sodium is just too high. Ranging from 300mg plus per serving from a few bags I checked on.
Some of the recipes I have seen at an astounding 750+ mg per serving! But this recipe rings in at just 10mg per onion fritter. How about that for a sodium savings you can enjoy!
Even though I never really used shaker salt on my food in the past, onion rings were my one weakness. It seemed it was just a perfect pairing. With this low-sodium onion fritter, I have included some spices that enhance the onion patty to satisfy my taste for a “salted” ring. You get that oniony burst in the first chew and then the savory spices start to kick in after.
So easy to make
Onion fritters are so much easier to make than a Bloomin onion or regular onion rings. It’s almost like cooking a pancake. And the batter seems to stick even better and is thicker with the onion chunks rather than a ring. I use an ice cream scoop to dole out the perfect size fritter and tap down to mostly a single layer of onions.
My low-sodium onion fritters are best enjoyed immediately after cooking. I also like to use sour cream mixed with a little chipotle spice as a dip for even more flavor.
If you have any left overs store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Then when reheating, I would use a skillet on no more than medium heat. Or heat in the stove or a toaster oven (best) at about 250° F until heated through. A microwave tends not to reproduce the essential crunch of the fritter and gets soggy.
My top 9 tips for frying onion fritters
- Cut onion into similar-size pieces so they fry at the same rate.
- Heat the frying oil as hot as possible without letting the oil smoke. This will dehydrate and crisp the onions and batter quickly with less time for oil to be absorbed, making it less greasy.
- I use a smaller 8” cast iron skillet. You don’t have to use as much oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Cast iron holds the heat very well so the oil temperature does not fluctuate as much.
- Fry in small batches (about 2) to prevent the oil temperature from dropping too low, which can lead to greasy food.
- Drain the fried fritter on a rack or absorbent paper.
- If adding additional seasoning, add it to the patty immediately after frying so the seasoning adheres to the hot food.
- If you’re not eating them right away, transfer each batch to a 200°F oven to keep them crisp.
- Let the oil come back up to frying temperature between batches.
- To avoid a fire risk, never leave oil unattended on the stove.
A few of my other great dishes to enjoy!
As always, please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! I get motivated when I hear from you and am interested to learn about how you liked and served your Low Sodium Onion Fritter. And please leave a comment or rating and share any tips you might have.
Low Sodium Onion Fritters
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornmeal
- 2 tsp Hain’s Featherweight baking powder sodium free
- 1 tsp garam masala spice
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp red chili pepper
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 2 1/2 cup chopped onions about 4 medium (fairly large chopped)
- oil for frying (I like peanut oil)
Preparation
- Mix together dry ingredients.
- Add milk and stir.
- Batter will be rather thick.
- Add onions and mix thoroughly.
- Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Drop batter by ice cream scoop size in hot oil and flatten slightly, brown on both sides until nice and crisp.
- Drain on paper towels.
Notes ______________________________________________
Utensils & special ingredients used
I use, own and recommend these products and ingredients used in this recipe and I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please understand that not everyone’s sodium and dietary requirements are the same, therefore some recipes may be higher than you’re allowed.
https://tastyhealthyheartrecipes.com/a-la-cart/appetizers-sides-snacks/easy-low-sodium-onion-fritters/© 2025 Tasty Healthy Heart Recipes
The fritters are delish! Is there a recipe for the sauce?
Thanks Joe! Here are two good sauces to try https://tastyhealthyheartrecipes.com/a-la-cart/sauces-dips-spices/low-sodium-thousand-island-salad-dressing/ or https://tastyhealthyheartrecipes.com/a-la-cart/sauces-dips-spices/low-sodium-mayonnaise-chipotle/
My husband is on a cardiac diet and I am on a pancreatic diet. Could this recipe be done in an Air Fryer?
Hi LouAnn, I have not tried it that way. My air fryer and I just don’t seem to get along. I do need to do more experimenting with this recipe. Even then, I only make it 2 maybe 3 times a year when I get a real hankering for them. It was an itch that needed scratching at the time. Bill
These were very good….I thought the fat content and calories were high for just one cake, so I used skim milk and cooked them outside on our flat top grill with olive oil spray…hopefully that cut the calories and fat somewhat…they were very good….probably a little better following your recipe to a tee and frying with a little oil but with my husband recently undergoing triple bypass surgery and finding out he has congestive heart failure and afib, we are really watching fat and especially sat. fat along with cholesterol and sodium…..another time when we know we can splurge, I’ll try the recipe as written, but this way did hit the spot! Thanks for sharing!
These came out sooooo good. Taste just like a blooming onion.
What is the serving size for your nutrition facts? One cake? I know it makes 13 cakes total.
Hi Nikki,
This is my favorite appetizer!
Serving size is one cake that is about 3 1/2″ round.
Thanks for your comment.
Bill