To make caramelized onions, you really only need one thing, and that’s patience. Well, technically, you also need some onions, oil, and stock/water, but those ingredients are ineffective without patience. There isn’t a secret trick or formula other than you want the onions to brown but not burn. Personally, any recipe that calls for adding sugar or baking soda to speed up the process won’t produce that silky, sweet flavor. These onions are perfect for our bistro French onion soup, caramelized onion and goat cheese bites, or piled onto our turkey burger with mushrooms. Some things are just worth the wait, and good caramelized onions are definitely one. This recipe is not quick, but it is easy if you set aside about an hour of your time and bring a cup of patience.
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5 Tips For Making Caramelized Onions
What kind of saucepan should you use
You want the onions to cook, not steam. If they are in a narrow saucepan, they will steam like other vegetables. You want the onions to have plenty of room to cook and for the moisture released to evaporate. A wide saucepan with higher sides will give the onions plenty of room, and the higher sides will keep the onions from spilling out onto your stove.
Can You Use Any Onion
Any onion can make caramelized onions, but some produce a sweeter flavor.
- White onions have a bite to them as well as the desired sweetness;
- Sweet (Vidalia) onions: are the mildest of onions, having less sulfur so the natural sweetness comes through, but have the highest water content, so will require a longer time commitment;
- Red onions: in raw form, are spic,y but when cooked,d they will lose some of the spice and become sweeter;
- Yellow onions, with a flavor and sweetness between white and red, are the most common and preferred for cooking.
What’s the Best Fat for Caramelizing Onions
You can use any fat to caramelize onions – butter, vegetable oils, nut oils, lard, or other animal fat – but each can add flavor (or not) to your caramelized onions. My preferred fat is a combination of butter and olive oil. The butter helps start the browning process and will add another layer of richness. The olive oil, with its higher smoke point, will help keep the onions from burning, and I like the slight peppery bitterness that the olive oil brings to the onions. However, avoid extra virgin olive oil since its smoke point is lower.
Can I Use Baking Soda to Speed Up the Process
Using baking soda will speed up the “caramelization” process since it increases the pH, but with any action, there are always consequences. While baking soda will speed up the process by about 75%, it changes the texture of the onions. The onions will dissolve a bit more, and you will get onions that are more like onion jam than caramelized onions.
How Long Should I Caramelize the Onions
The longer you caramelize the onion, the browner and sweeter it will become. The level of caramelization will change the texture and flavor as the onions break down. The length of caramelization depends on how you plan to use the final product.
Here are a few of our favorite uses and optimal cooking times:
- French Onion Soup – you will want to caramelize the onions until they are a blond color, which takes about 30 minutes
- French Onion Dip – use golden-brown or caramel-colored caramelized onion,s which takes an additional 15-20 minutes
- Burger toppings – caramelize the onions until a deep golden brown and the edges are nearly crisp, which takes an additional 10-15 minutes
The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your pan and the size and quantity of the onions.
How to Caramelize Onions
Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.
Pro-tip: Make a bigger batch than you need. Caramelized onions will last approximately 5 days in the refrigerator but can easily be frozen. Ice trays and muffin tins work great at creating smaller portions. They will last about 3 months in the freezer.
1. Prep and Soften the Onions: Roughly chop the onions so that slices are between ⅛ and ¼ inches thick. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add onions and sweat them until they become translucent.
2. Caramelize the Onions: Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the onions, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent them from sticking. Deglaze the pan with water or chicken stock when fond starts to form on the pan. As the onions continue to caramelize, continue stirring every 5-10 minutes and deglazing the saucepan as fond forms and the onions are no longer loose in the pan.
3. Onions are Done: When the onions are blonde, they are perfect for cooking bistro French onion soup. When they are golden brown or caramel, they are ideal for making classic onion dip. Deep golden-brown or dark-brown caramelized onions make the ultimate topping for our turkey burger with mushrooms or our caramelized onion and goat cheese bites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Caramelized onions have so many great uses, including, of course, the classic French onion soup. They are also great for making dips, topping burgers, sandwiches, pizza, or pasta.
Caramelized onions can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or you can freeze them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. For individual or smaller portions, freeze the caramelized onions in silicone ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop them out and seal them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Recipes Using Caramelized Onions
Looking for delicious recipes that use caramelized onions? Try these other favorites:
- Cheesy French Onion Soup – This soup recipe uses sweet caramelized onions in a flavorful beef broth, topped with toasted slices of French baguette and Gruyere and Emmentaler shredded cheese.
- Caramelized Onion Mushroom Swiss Turkey Burger – This burger is loaded with sweet caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms. It’s the perfect burger for any BBQ or gathering. Bonus: all the ingredients can be prepped ahead of time.
- Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tartlets – This appetizer combines sweet caramelized onions, tangy goat cheese, and buttery puff pastry for the perfect holiday appetizer.
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How to Make Caramelized Onions
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Equipment
- Large Saucepan (4 Quarts)
Ingredients
- 3 large peeled sweet or yellow onions, (about 1.5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups water or chicken stock
Instructions
- Rough chop onions so that slices are between ⅛ and ¼ inches thick.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add onions and sweat them until they become translucent.
- Reduce heat to low and continue to cook onions, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent them from sticking. Deglaze pan with a tablespoon or two of water or chicken stock when fond starts to form on the pan.
- As onions continue to caramelize, continue stirring every 5-10 minutes and deglazing the saucepan as fond forms and the onions are no longer loose in the pan.
- When the onions achieve a blonde color they are perfect for cooking French Onion Soup.
- When the onions achieve a golden-brown or caramel color they are perfect for making French Onion Dip.
- When the onions achieve a deep golden-brown (or dark brown) they are perfect as a pizza or burger topping.
