How To Make Caramelized Onions: Recipe & Tips

Onions Cooked To This Stage Are Delicious--But Keep On Cooking Them Until They're Golden Brown And Caramelize For A Tasty Treat

Caramelized onions are a delicious way to add flavor to meats, breads, omelets, pastas, potatoes, rice–whatever you like–and they’re so easy to make too!

How To Make Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
6 large onions
2 tsp brown or white sugar (optional)
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

Directions:

• Peel and slice onions into rings about 1/4″ thick.
• Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium to high heat.
• Once the butter has melted, toss onions into the hot pan and stir to coat them with butter. Cook for 5 minutes at this temperature, stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently so the onions don’t burn.
• After 15 minutes, sprinkle sugar over top and stir to coat the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Season with salt and pepper near the end of cooking time.

Tips:

• You can cook big batches of caramelized onions and refrigerate to use during the week, they keep well in an airtight container. You can freeze them for future use too!
• You don’t need a strict recipe to make carmelized onions, start with 1 tablespoon of butter (or olive oil) per 2 medium size onions and then add whatever seasonings you wish.
• Trying adding herbs such as dried thyme for a tasty twist.
• After the onions have finished cooking, you can turn them into a tasty spread by pureeing them in a food processor, yum!
• Adding sugar isn’t absolutely necessary since the onions will produce their own sugar as they cook and caramelize.
• For best results use a sweet onion like Vadalia but you can also try red onions or cooking onions.
• You can slice the onions as thick or thin as you like, but the cooking time will need to be adjusted.
• To cut down on fat, replace butter with canola or olive oil–or use a butter/olive oil mix (about 2 parts butter to 1 part oil). I prefer cooking the onions in butter .

Don't Miss These Tips:

• How To Make French Toast: Recipe & Tips
• How to Make Vinaigrette: Recipe & Tips
• Kettle Corn: Recipe & How-To Tips