Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to caramelize onions so decadent and tender every time. This sweet and savory condiment will enhance pasta, burgers, and more!
Onions are the start of many savory recipes. With a bit of heat, the taste goes from intense to mellow. I love onions raw and cooked, but it’s something about slow cooking them in their own juices that makes a unique and beautiful flavor. This easy and decadent caramelized onions recipe will provide you with an ingredient that you will want to have readily available for your next dinner dish.
Some of my favorite recipes to include caramelized onions in are:
Caramelized Onion Burger
French Onion Soup
Cheesy Pizza
Caramelized Onion Butter
Best Onions to Use
You can use any onion that you have on hand, but yellow onions will yield the best results. I always use Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweets. They offer the most sweetness and balanced flavor. White onions are great too. They give a subtly sweet flavor once caramelized. Red onions are better for raw and quick applications, but they can also be used. They will just get much darker than yellow or white would.
How To Make Caramelized Onions?
With this recipe, you will need to use patience to go through the caramelization process to reach a deep rich brown.
Peel and halve the onions. Slice them into ¼-inch half-moons.
Sauté the onions and a bit of kosher salt for about 8-10 minutes in melted butter on medium-high heat, until the onions softened.
Reduce the heat and cook the onions for about 45-65 on medium-low heat, stir occasionally.
Storing
Because you took the time to make caramelized onions, it would be a good idea to make a big batch. Double or triple the recipe, and refrigerator and freeze in an airtight container.
Refrigerator: up to 4 days
Freezer: up to 3 months (separate into ½ cup portion, wrap in plastic wrap, form into a disk, and place into a freezer Ziplock bag).
Tips and Tricks
Use a cast iron pan. While the onions cook it will create caramelized bits, also known as fond, at the bottom of the pan. This helps give the onions their deep brown color.
Stir Occasionally. Be sure to stir it every now and then. You will want to allow the onions to get coated by their own juices and help them cook evenly.
Low and Slow. This recipe will illustrate cooking the onions at a low temperature. I would not recommend trying to cook the onions on high in a cast iron will cause them to cook/burn too fast, not allowing them to sweeten and brown.
Deglaze with Water. If your onions start to stick or burn, stir in a little water to loosen them up and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom.
Easy and Decadent Caramelized Onions
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 medium onions
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Peel and halve the onions. Slice them into 1/8-inch half-moons.
- Drizzle the olive oil in a cast iron pan or heavy bottom pan over medium-heat.
- Add onions, separating them out into individual moons.
- Add a pinch of kosher salt and sauté the onions for about 8-10, until the onions have softened.
- Reduce the heat and cook the onions for about 45-65 on medium-low heat, stir occasionally.
Notes
- Use a cast iron pan. While the onions cook it will create caramelized bits, also known as fond, at the bottom of the pan. This helps give the onions their deep brown color.
- Stir Occasionally. Be sure to stir it every now and then. You will want to allow the onions to get coated by their own juices and help them cook evenly.
- Low and Slow. This recipe will illustrate cooking the onions at a low temperature. I would not recommend trying to cook the onions on high in a cast iron will cause them to cook/burn too fast, not allowing them to sweeten and brown.
- Deglaze with Water. If your onions start to stick or burn, stir in a bit of water to loosen them up and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom.