How to Caramelize Onions
Making caramelized onions doesn’t have to take hours. Bring out the naturally sweet, rich flavors of onions by caramelizing them in just a few quick steps.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 4 pounds yellow onions about 7-8 medium onions
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Slice onions into roughly ¼ inch thick slices.
- Add the butter and olive oil to a large pot. Turn heat to medium-high and let the butter melt. Add onions.
- Cook the onions over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 20-35 minutes. Toss onions every 3-5 minutes, scraping down brown bits that form on the bottom of the pan as they cook. Watch onions carefully to make sure they don’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Cook time (20-35 minutes) depends on how golden you like your onions!
- Once onions reach desired caramelization, remove from heat, add salt to taste, toss and serve.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to not remove too much of the outsides of the onions to keep the original 4 pounds intact!
- Watch onions carefully to make sure they don’t burn once they start caramelizing. The key is to not toss them too frequently so they brown, but to not let them go too long without a toss, to prevent burning!
- Different types of onions (sweet, red, etc.) will caramelize, but they require different cooking times.
- Caramelization times is based on a number of factors, including the size of the pan and heat source. Choose a large pot and medium-high heat for this recipe to work for you!
- Halving the recipe will require less cooking time!
- Raw onions will shrink to about half their size when caramelized.
- Want to deglaze your pan to make more of a sauce? Toward the end, add ¼ cup of cognac, wine, beer, or broth of choice. Season with herbs and black pepper if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 444mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg