How To Make Caramelized Onions
Caramelized onions are a sweet and savory condiment must-have for burgers and meatloaf, not to mention Pizza toppings.
Slow-cooking sliced onions in butter renders the natural sugars in the onions. The sugar brown produces a flavor-packed
Learn how easy it is to caramelize onions, and now you have the best burger topping and the perfect start to making Onion Jam or my French Onion Dip.
What You’ll Need
- A large skillet so that you have enough surface area.
- Onions, peeled and sliced. 2 large onions. I like to use yellow onions or sweet onions, caramelized red onions are fantastic on burgers.
- Butter helps to brown the sugars from the onions.
- Salt adds flavor and helps break the onions down and release their sugars.
How to Caramelize Onions
Making the best caramelized onions takes patience. You will need a minimum of 40 to 45 minutes, and you’ll want to watch them closely and stir almost continuously to ensure they brown evenly.
Step 1 – Peel and slice the onions.
Cut off each end, slice the onions in half and remove the skin. Then thinly slice the onions.
Melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and the salt to the melted butter and cook slowly over medium heat until the onions are translucent and tender.
Cook the onions while stirring frequently.
Once the onions are translucent and soft, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the onions turn a golden brown. Add one tablespoon of water or vinegar to deglaze the pan if needed.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Sauteed onions are cooked until they are soft and translucent. Caramelized onions are cooked longer, rendering out more of the sugars in the onions. The rendered sugars turn a golden brown and produce an intense savory-sweet flavor.
You will need about 40 to 45 minutes to caramelize onions. You don’t want to rush this process.
If your onions aren’t caramelizing, you may have the temperature too low or you just haven’t given them enough time.
Only the natural sugars from the onions are present in caramelized onions.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
How to Use Caramelized Onions
Caramelized onions are most notably used to make French Onion Soup. Don’t stop there! Use them to make a savory onion jam, top your favorite sandwich or pizza.
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How to Make Caramelized Onions
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Onions
- 1 tablespoons Butter
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (affiliate link)
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, or water to deglaze the pan
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onions. Cut off each end, slice the onions in half and remove the skin. Then thinly slice the onions.
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the salt.
- Cook the onions while stirring frequently. Once the onions are translucent and soft reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the onions start to turn a golden brown.
- Deglaze the pan. If needed, add vinegar or water to deglaze the pan.
Video
Laura’s Tips + Notes
- Onions, peeled and sliced. 2 large onions. I like to use yellow onions or sweet onions, caramelized red onions are fantastic on burgers.
- Butter helps to brown the sugars from the onions.
- Salt adds flavor and helps break the onions down and release their sugars.
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