↑

Will Cook For Smiles

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
Home » Side Dishes » How to Make Caramelized Onions

How to Make Caramelized Onions

Created: June 6, 2022 Updated: June 13, 2022 by lyuba 2 Comments

182 shares
Jump to Recipe

Caramelized Onions are one of the most delicious toppings for sandwiches, burgers, and so many various appetizers. While there are plenty of ways to over or under cook them, true Caramelized Onions are slowly and carefully cooked. That way, the natural sweetness of the onions and that signature caramel color develop the best flavor possible.

scooping out some caramelized onion out of the bowl

How to Make Caramelized Onions

Let’s start right at the top with the most important piece of information you can know about making caramelized onions – it will take time! The key to making the best, sweet and slightly nutty Caramelized Onions is cooking them SLOWLY! While I typically like a good shortcut, there’s no way to cut down on time here.

If you try to raise the heat while cooking your onions, you’ll just end up searing them instead of caramelizing them!

With all of that being said, taking your time and making real Caramelized Onions is so very worth your patience. There is an endless list of appetizers, sides, and entrees that all greatly benefit from the addition of perfectly soft, sweet, and caramel colored onions! This is one of those baseline recipes that every restaurant and home chef should master and always be ready to whip up. It’s one of those basics that just makes everything better when you can make it just right.

Similarly to roasted garlic, Caramelized Onions add something special to everything they’re served with! They add a rich flavor that’s both savory and sweet, and the consistency is soft and smooth, which is usually a nice contrast to whatever they’re paired with. The main reason you want to really take your time when making Caramelized Onions is because if you try to rush the process and sear the onions, you take away from all that’s delicious about them.

How to Make Caramelized Onions

ingredients for caramelized onion in the cutting board

Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Yellow Onion – stick to yellow onion or Vidalia onion.
  • Olive Oil – Use a good quality olive oil.
  • Salt
  • Sugar – A light sprinkle of white granulated sugar helps the process of caramelization by brining out more natural juices and sweetness of the onions.
  • Butter – Butter is an optional ingredient, but I find that it helps to keep the onions from drying out.
  • Deglazing Liquid – You can use water, broth, or white wine to deglaze your pan. It all depends on what flavor you’d like to be lent to your onions.
uncooked onions in a pan with salt and pepper
onions starting to cook in the large pan
stirring onions in the pan as they start to cook
onions starting to cook in a large pan
adding butter to onions as they cook
caramelized onions in a cooking pan with spatula

Cooking Directions

Prepare the onions.

Cut the onions in half first, then cut off the tip, peel the outer skin off, and slice the onion in thin strips to the root.

Cook the onions.

Add oil to a pan preheated at medium heat. To the pan, add your onions, salt, and sugar. Mix everything together so that the onions are coated with both the salt and sugar as well as the oil.

Lower the heat to medium low. Stir the onions every 5-10 minutes as they cook. They’re going to look white for a while – this is to be expected, so don’t worry! As they slowly cook, they’ll release liquids and turn golden brown after that.

Deglaze the pan.

The sugary liquids from the onions will likely settle on the pan, but this also depends on what kind of pan you’re using. To deglaze, simply scrape the pan as you deglaze it with a splash of liquid of your choice. (Water, broth, and white wine all work well.)

Be patient!

The total cook time for your Caramelized Onions will be around 45 minutes to an hour. Stir the onions from time to time, deglaze and add butter as needed, and don’t increase the temperature. Then, once they’re soft, golden brown, and fully caramelized… Enjoy!

caramelized onion in a white bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Serve Caramelized Onions

The possibilities here are truly limitless. Just to name a few serving suggestions:

Sandwiches, hot dogs, sliders, and grilled cheese.

Burgers and chicken burgers,

Pizza toppings,

Cheese board,

In dips (think French Onion Dip and more)

Mixed with pasta and casseroles,

On top of nachos, tacos, and crostini

How much Caramelized Onions will I get?

Onions, much like many other vegetables that are mostly composed of liquid, shrink down significantly after cooking. So the 1 pound (or 2 large onions) you cook will only give you approximately 1/2 cup of caramelized onions.

Tips for the Best Caramelized Onions

  • Use a large pan because you will need a good amount of space until the onions shrink down.
  • Do not raise the heat! Cook the onions over medium low heat for the duration of the cook time.
  • Stir often, every 5-10 minutes, to make sure all of the onions cook evenly.
  • Keep cooking until the onions turn a deep caramel color. Don’t quit until you’re all the way done!
  • If the onions and the pan look a little dry while cooking, add some butter.
  • Depending on the pan you’re using, the sugary liquids that cook out of the onions can settle on the pan. Simply scrape the pan as you deglaze it with a little liquid.

Storing

Store Caramelized Onions in the refrigerator, in an airtight food storage container. Properly stored, they should stay good for up to a week.

You can always make a bigger batch and freeze them! Make sure to cool the onions completely before freezing them, then portion them into ice cube trays or a muffin pan (try using silicone muffin pan or line it with parchment paper). Set a timer and freeze them for 2-3 hours, then pop the frozen onion “cubes” into a freezer zip-top bag. Freeze it for up to 3 months.

top view of getting caramelized onions out of a bowl

Caramelized Onions

Pin For Later
scooping out some caramelized onion out of the bowl

Caramelized Onions

Caramelized Onions are one of the most delicious toppings for sandwiches, burgers, and so many various appetizers. They are slowly and carefully cooked to bring out the natural sweetness of the onions and that signature caramel color develop the best flavor possible.
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Onion, topping
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 105kcal
Author: lyuba

Ingredients

  • 1 lb yellow onion
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1/2 tsp white granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp butter optional
  • 2-4 tbsp deglazing liquid such as water, broth, or white wine if needed
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Cut the onions in half, through the root end to the top. Cut off the tip, peel the outer skin, and slice onion thinly to the root. Discard the tip and the root.
  • Heat up a cooking pan over medium heat and add oil. Add sliced onions and season with salt and a little sugar. Mix onions to evenly coat them with oil and seasoning. Lower the heat a little and cook onions over medium-low heat.
  • Stir onions every 5-10 minutes as they cook. The onions will look white for a while, they will release liquid and cook down slowly and will start to get golden and brown after that.
  • Depending on the pan you're using, the sugary liquids that cook out of the onions can settle on the pan. Simply scrape the pan as you deglaze it with a little liquid. (Choice for liquid can be water, broth, or wine.)
  • The total time will take 45-60 minutes. Make sure to stir from time to time as onions are cooking and caramelizing. Don't try to rush it or raise the heat because the onions will sear instead of caramelizing. Wait for them to naturally caramelize and brown.
    When onions are almost done, add a little butter and stir it in.

Nutrition

Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 611mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
two closeup image collage of caramelized onions on fork

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

182 shares

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Side Dishes, Toppings and Spreads

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Regina says

    June 8, 2022 at 6:58 pm

    Have you tried them in bagels? I recently attended a class that showed how to make bagels and they added caramelized onions into bagels. Everyone loved them.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      June 9, 2022 at 10:08 am

      No, I haven’t but that is a great idea! I will be giving that a try! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Soup Recipes

spooning some beef soup from a bowl

Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

closeup of Italian wedding soup topped with shaved Parmesan

Italian Wedding Soup

closeup image of crab soup in a bowl centered in a photo

She Crab Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Chicken Meatball Soup

closeup of top view of Cioppino in a bowl

Cioppino – Seafood Stew

A bowl of white bean soup is presented with a spoon on a countertop.

White Bean Soup

vegetable broth in two canning jars next to fresh carrots, garlic, and celery

Vegetable Stock

Our Popular Recipes

Salmon Florentine

pasta sauce in a glass jar next to Instant Pot

Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce

Classic Buttermilk Waffles Recipe

top view of blue hawaii cocktail in the glass with pineapple

Blue Hawaii

creamy soup topped with bacon, shredded cheese and chives in a white and orange bowl with a spoon

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

closeup of banana pancakes on a plate with nuts and syrup

Single Serving Banana Pancakes

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Strawberry Daiquiri

Strawberry Daiquiri

June 16, 2022
The...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs