Learn how to caramelize onions in just a few minutes, with very little effort! They are the perfect addition to dips, burgers, tacos and more!
Caramelized onions are easy to make with just two ingredients, and these onions are a great addition to so many recipes!
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It seems like such a simple thing, right? Well, I’m often asked how to caramelize onions and it’s one of those things I just do, without thinking about.
Kind of like how my grandma baked – a little of this, a pinch of that. I realized when trying to explain to my sister that I should share how to caramelize onions in a little more detail.
I love how simple and easy it is to make these onions, the finished result are slightly sweet onions that have retained their juices. I find the best recipes that you use time and time again are often the simplest, and this makes an appearance on a weekly basis in our house!
You just need two basic ingredients to make these melt-in-your-mouth onions!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Onions
- So easy
- Pantry ingredients
- Perfect topping for so many recipes
- Keep well in fridge or freezer
Ingredients for Caramelized Onions
- Onions – White, yellow or red onions all caramelize beautifully. Shallots also caramelize well.
- Oil – Vegetable oil, olive oil or butter
Variations
- Brown Sugar – Add in a tablespoon of brown sugar.
- Balsamic Vinegar – Deglaze with balsamic for added color and flavor.
- Cayenne – Add a 1/2 teaspoon cayenne spice it up.
- Oil – Instead of butter, caramelize your onions in any type of oil.
How to Caramelize Onions
- Slice Onions – I generally use two onions because one is never enough. It may seem like a lot when they are raw, but once they caramelize, they reduce significantly in size.
- Sauté – Place them in your pan over medium heat. I frequently use my cast iron skillet, but any will do. Allow the butter to melt or the oil to heat, then toss using my secret weapon – tongs. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Caramelize – Toss the onions and caramelize for another 10 minutes, and up to half an hour longer. Depending on how caramelized you’d like them to be, you can cook them on low for up to one hour in total.
Serving Suggestions
There’s rarely a week when I don’t have onions cooking to make something fabulous! They add an amazing flavor to liven up any meal!
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Tips
- Oil – Use just one tablespoon of oil or butter per onion, or the sautéed onions can become too greasy. Be sure to put a lid on the sauté pan – this speeds up the cooking and helps the onions retain their moisture.
- Make them Vegan – To make the onions vegan, use a plant based oil or butter.
- Darker – to make your onions darker and more rich-looking (as in the photo in the glass container below) add a tablespoon of balsamic or brown sugar.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Caramelized onions can be kept at room temperature for up to two hours while serving.
- Refrigerate – Once the onions are cooked, let them cool to room temperature and place them in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep up to one week. You can then use them as is in recipes, or you can reheat them gently on the stovetop to serve.
- Freeze – Store in airtight container or freezer bag up to three months. Double wrap to avoid onion odor seeping into other frozen goods.
Onions are sweet by nature prior to cooking, and caramelizing is the process of drawing those sugars out slowly as they cook.
Browning is a much quicker process, and while it works to soften the onions, it doesn’t bring out the same sweet caramelized flavor. Caramelizing takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on how low and slow you cook your onions.
Don’t pack too many in the pan! This creates too much steam and won’t allow them to break down and brown, which brings the caramelized sugars to the surface.
Dietary Considerations
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free
- Nut Free
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More Easy Condiments
How to Caramelize Onions
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
- Slice onions and put them in a pan over medium heat.
- Drizzle with vegetable oil, then toss to coat. Cover the onions with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir the onions, replace the lid and let them continue to caramelize for another 10 minutes.
- Stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, when golden brown and soft.
Video
Notes
Tips
- Oil – Don’t use more than 2 tablespoons of oil or butter, or the sautéed onions can become too greasy. Be sure to put a lid on the sauté pan – this speeds up the cooking and helps the onions retain their moisture.
- Make them Vegan – To make the onions vegan, use a plant based oil or butter.
- Depending on how caramelized you’d like them to be, you can cook your onions on low heat for up to one hour in total.
To Store
- Refrigerate – Once the onions are cooked, let them cool to room temperature and place them in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep up to 7 days. You can then use them as is in recipes, or you can reheat them gently on the stovetop to serve.
- Freeze – Store in airtight container or freezer bag up to 3 months. Double wrap to avoid onion odor seeping into other frozen goods.
Simple yes, but only after watching how you did it first! I am enjoying cooking again now that I work from home and your recipes, which are cooking tutorials really, give me confidence to branch out from our normal fare, For the second time since super bowl I made your oven sliders and served them with blue cheese and the balsamic version of these onions. Ridiculously delicious!
Thank you SO much for sharing! You’re too kind. I truly appreciate when readers rate recipes to give others the confidence to try them, too. Thank you!
I am putting these on everything!
Seriously, the best enhancement created!
These look delicious! How long do they last in the refrigerator?
A few days in an air tight container. Enjoy!
My hubby love carmelize onions, he could eat them all the time 🙂
One of my favorite things to put caramelized onions on is grilled cheese… or pretty much any sandwich. 🙂
Yes! It makes them ridiculously good, doesn’t it!
Caramelized onions add so much flavor to so many things. LOVE!
I’m a huge fan of caramelized onions—and I’ve never thought of using the lid to reduce the need for more oil. Brilliant!!!
The lid works like a charm, I’ve been doing it for years. It also helps reduce cooking time and that helps keep the onions tender not dried out.
So true, Michele! Have a great weekend!