Description
Discover the best Caramelized Onions Recipe for a flavorful addition to any dish. Try it now!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds (900g) yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.5g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) balsamic vinegar or dry sherry
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- ¼ cup (60ml) water or broth
Instructions
- Step 1: Prep Your Onions Start by peeling your onions and removing both the stem and root ends. Slice them pole-to-pole (from top to bottom) into uniform ⅛-inch thick half-moons. Don’t worry about the volume—they’ll cook down dramatically to about 20% of their original size. Having all your onions ready before starting ensures you won’t disrupt the careful temperature management needed for perfect caramelization.
- Step 2: Begin the Cooking Process Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil and wait until the butter is completely melted and stops foaming. Add your sliced onions all at once, sprinkling with the salt (which helps draw out moisture). Stir to coat all the onions evenly with the fat. They’ll seem overcrowded at first, but will quickly begin to shrink.
- Step 3: The Initial Softening Phase Cook the onions for about 10 minutes at medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. During this phase, you’re just softening the onions and beginning to coax out their moisture. If you’ve opted to use the pinch of sugar, add it now—it helps kickstart caramelization without making the onions overly sweet.
- Step 4: The Low and Slow Phase Once the onions have softened and reduced in volume by about half, reduce your heat to low. This begins the true caramelization process. For the next 30-45 minutes, stir the onions every 5-10 minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. You’ll notice them gradually taking on a golden color as their natural sugars begin to caramelize.
- Step 5: Deglazing for Flavor As a brown fond develops on the bottom of your pan, deglaze by adding 1-2 tablespoons of water, broth, or your chosen deglazing liquid. Scrape vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate these flavor-packed bits back into your onions. Repeat this process several times throughout cooking whenever the pan bottom starts to develop too much fond.
- Step 6: The Final Stage Your caramelized onions are done when they’ve reached a deep golden-brown color and have a jam-like consistency—this typically takes 45-60 minutes total. In the last 5 minutes, add the optional balsamic vinegar or sherry to deglaze one final time, providing a subtle depth that enhances the natural sweetness. If using thyme, stir it in now. The finished onions should be dramatically reduced, intensely flavorful, and meltingly tender.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 50mg