Caramelized Onions

Caramelized onions add the perfect bit of savory sweetness to so many of our favorite dishes. French onion soup would be nothing without a good base of these soft, sweet onions. They also add a ton of flavor to sandwiches, steaks, burgers and pizzas. While caramelizing onions can take a bit of time, it’s an easy technique that you can master at home. All you need is a good pan and a little patience.

How to Make Caramelized Onions

Learning how to caramelize onions is very simple. You need a heavy pan (a cast-iron skillet works especially well here) and two ingredients: onions and butter—or the oil of your choice. Start by heating your butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add all your onions and cook them for four to five minutes to give them a head start.

Then, turn your heat down and cook these onions slowly over low heat until they’re deeply golden brown and very soft. This should take about 45 to 60 minutes. Stir every five minutes to ensure the caramelized onions don’t stick to the pan.

Ingredients for Caramelized Onions

• Butter: While you can use butter or oil to caramelize onions, we prefer butter to give our onions the richest flavor possible.
• Onions: You can use any type of onion here, but yellow onions tend to caramelize easily and are the most versatile. Onions are mostly made up of water and lose about two-thirds of their mass during the caramelization process. If what you slice looks like a lot, don’t fret since they’ll reduce significantly.
• Salt: A big pinch of salt doesn’t make the caramelized onions salty. Rather, it makes the caramelized onion’s new flavor pop.

Directions

Step 1: Saute the onions

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Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, and cook them for five to six minutes or until they’re starting to lightly brown.

Step 2: Continue cooking them, low and slow

TASTE OF HOME

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook the onions for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent the onions from sticking to the pan and burning, until the onions are a deep brown color and very soft.

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Season the caramelized onions with salt.

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Caramelized Onions Variations

• Deglaze the pan: You can loosen any stuck-on onions easily from the pan (and add more flavor) by deglazing with the liquid of your choosing. You can deglaze the pan with broth, stock, wine, beer, cider, bourbon, apple juice or even just a bit of water.
• Add a splash of vinegar: Adding a touch of balsamic vinegar to caramelized onions can add a great depth of flavor. A little goes a long way, so just add a touch at a time until you reach your desired flavor.
• Season with herbs: You can spice up your onions, too. Salt, pepper, fresh herbs—it’s all up to you. If you need help deciding, just add a sprinkling of the same seasonings you’re using in your meal. Add herbs once the onions are done cooking.

How to Store Caramelized Onions

If you don’t manage to eat all your caramelized onions, you can store them easily. Let them cool to room temperature, then pop them in an airtight container so your fridge doesn’t fill up with the smell of caramelized onions. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you freeze caramelized onions?

Yes, you can freeze caramelized onions. Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, stash them in an airtight container or resealable storage bag. They can be kept frozen for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before using them.

Caramelized Onions Tips

TASTE OF HOME

How should you use caramelized onions?

There are so many ways to use caramelized onions. Aside from French onion soup, you can try them in this super creamy French onion dip. We love to add caramelized onions to toasties, paninis and burgers, as well as veggie sides like green beans or roasted potatoes.

Caramelized onions are a knockout in pasta, too, like our caramelized onion pasta which has plenty of five-star reviews. Add them to baked mac and cheese to dress up the dish even further. This deeply savory ingredient is a smash on pizzas and flatbreads, and we can’t get enough of this brie and caramelized onion flatbread or this gruyere and caramelized onion tart recipe.

Do you use butter or oil to caramelize onions?

You can use butter, oil or a mixture of both in any caramelized onions recipe. Butter adds flavor and richness, and oil can withstand high heat and caramelize the onions to an extremely deep brown. The choice is yours. We prefer butter!

How long does it actually take to caramelize onions?

It can take up to one hour to properly caramelize onions. When you first start with our caramelized onion recipe, you’ll be cooking the onions over medium heat for a few minutes. After that, you’ll turn down the heat to low. From here on out, low and slow is the motto. This extended cooking time allows the sugars in the onions to brown and caramelize, giving the onions a sweeter taste and a depth of flavor—since as we all know color means flavor.