How to Caramelize Onions
The steps to perfectly browned and caramelized onions. Easy and consistently caramelized onions every time. Perfect for burgers, pizza, and more.
Servings: 2 onions
Cost: $1.50
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet Stainless steel pans also work. At least 8 inches, best to use 10 inches.
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, halved, skins removed, and sliced thinly from root to stem (we prefer red or sweet onions, but you can use any onion for this recipe)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat Up Fat: In a large cast iron skillet (or stainless steel pan) over medium heat add butter and olive oil. Once melted drop in your onion slices.2 large onions, halved, skins removed, and sliced thinly from root to stem, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Cook Onions: Stir up the onions to allow the fats to coat them, then allow the onions to sauté for 10 minutes. They should be steaming by this point. Stir, then adjust the heat down if you see any browning happening in the first 10 minutes.
- Stir Over Low Heat: Continue to stir every 10 minutes, breaking up any brown bits that may start to develop on the pan. Adjust and fine-tune the heat as needed (I tend to lower the heat as they start to cook). As the onions continue to cook, you will see less steam as the water evaporates.
- Finish: In the final 10 minutes, you may see some of your onions finish early, especially the smaller pieces. You can remove them and set them aside in a small bowl as you stir the remaining onions. Add salt and toss together for the remaining time. After about 40-45 minutes total the onions should be fully browned and reduced by almost 2/3rds. Remove from heat and let cool.
Video
Notes
Prep Notes: Grab a good sauté pan that is at least 8 inches for one entire onion. Ideally cast iron or stainless steel skillet work best. The more onions you cook, the bigger the pan you will need.
Cut the onion in half. Remove the outer skin and lay on its side. Cut even slices. Now you are ready to caramelize the onions.
Cooking Notes and Troubleshooting: If you see too much browning or liquid evaporation, you can add some water (about 1 tablespoon at a time), and then deglaze the pan breaking up some of those brown bits. But I find if you start with enough fat, and cook at a low enough heat, you usually won’t have to do this. Warning, adding too much water will result in soggy onions. We don’t want that.
Store in an airtight container up to 3 days if making ahead.
Nutrition
Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 1175mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 704IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg
