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this Caramelized Onions Recipe Transform ordinary onions into irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth goodness—an essential skill in your cooking toolkit.Although it seems simple, my favorite method How to Make Caramelized Onions Make them sweet, plump, and full of flavor, like Sautéed Mushrooms. I’ll reveal all my secrets to make them perfect!
Unlike sautéed onions, caramelized onions require slow and long cooking to caramelize the natural sugars in the onions. The result is sweeter and richer.like balsamic glazethey infuse instant flavor into almost any dinner recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Caramelized Onions Recipe
- sweet and salty
- Perfect caramelization
- Plump and juicy, never dry
- easy to make
- Versatile and suitable for many different dishes

How to Cut Onions for Caramelization
You can cut onions two ways – sliced or diced. I personally prefer thinly sliced caramelized onions so they form luxurious ribbons when done, but diced onions will also caramelize.
Onion slices:
- Peel onions.
- Cut off both ends (root end and other end).
- Cut onions in half.
- Cut the onions, flat side down, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, parallel to the cut ends.
- Repeat with your other half.
Dice the onion:
- Start by following the same steps above, keeping the slices together as you slice.
- Rotate the sliced onions 90 degrees and cut in the opposite direction.

Tip: For both methods, slice radially if you want more even slices.
To do this, after cutting the onion in half, cut from the outside towards the center.you can watch me do this this video.

How to Caramelize Onions
This section shows how to make caramelized onions, with step-by-step photos and detailed information about the technique to help you visualize it.For full instructions, including quantities and temperatures, see Recipe card below.
- Melt butter. Heat unsalted butter in a large pot Wok Heat over medium-high heat until melted.
- Add onions and broth. Add the sliced onions and some bone broth (or regular chicken stock) into the pot. This will help keep them moist. Sauté, stirring occasionally with a spatula, but not all the time.
- Hydrate and deglaze. Add a little more broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Caramelize. Continue to cook the caramelized onions until golden brown.


Tips for the Best Caramelized Onions
There are a variety of reasons why onions may not caramelize, usually due to burning too quickly. So, how do you caramelize onions without burning them? Here are some tips and mistakes to avoid:
- Use butter if you can. This will give your caramelized onions the most flavor, and the butter won’t burn since we’re not using high heat. However, you can use olive oil instead.
- Use the correct pan. Choose a large skillet with high sides for optimal onion-to-pan contact.The ideal pan includes Hard anodized (like the one I used in the picture), cast ironor Stainless steel.
- The length of time it takes for onions to caramelize depends on your stove, the size and material of the pot, and the size and shape of the onions. If they start to brown too much before they caramelize, reduce the heat.
- Do not cut the onions too thinly or too thickly. If your onions are too thin (or too small), they risk burning easily. If it’s too thick, it will take longer to caramelize. Aim for slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot. Crowding in the pan creates steam, which lowers the temperature and delays caramelization. Stick to 2 large onions in a large pan for best results.
- Cook at the right temperature. High heat will scorch the onions, while low heat will take a long time. Maintain medium heat, reduce to medium-low if necessary. Take your time to get the best caramelized onions.
- Stir occasionally, but not too often. Stirring too frequently will prevent the onions from caramelizing, or at least delay the process. You just need to check and stir every 5 minutes or so.
- Hydrate and deglaze. Adding some broth keeps the onions moist and releases those delicious brown bits (called fondant) without overcooking them to prevent them from cooking. You can also substitute balsamic vinegar for some of the broth if you like the flavor.
- be patient. This is the most important part! Caramelizing onions takes time, at least 20 minutes, usually longer. This depends on the thickness of the onions and the size and material of the pan. If you make a lot, it may take up to an hour.
Storage instructions
Store onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat them in the microwave or frying pan over low heat until sizzling.
common problem
Do you have any other questions? These answers can help:
- How long does it take to caramelize onions? Caramelize the onions over medium-low to medium heat for about 20-35 minutes, or until they turn a rich dark brown.
- How to caramelize onions quickly? Caramelized onions require patience to get the most intense flavor. However, if you want to speed up the process, you can add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per pound of raw onions (this will raise the pH and help the Maillard reaction occur faster), or simply make smaller batches (this will raise the pH , helps the Maillard reaction occur faster) caramelizes faster).
- What are the best caramelized onions? Classic caramelized onions are usually made with yellow or white onions. However, you can of course use red onions or Vidalia onions.
- Can you freeze caramelized onions? Of course, you can freeze caramelized onions! Place them in a ziplock bag (or individual ice cube trays) and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in a bowl of water on the counter before using in a recipe.

How to use caramelized onions
Now that you know how to perfectly caramelize onions, there are so many ways to use them! Here are some of my favorite methods:
- beef – bring your hamburger Take it to the next level, or top your juicy onions with these sweet and savory onions Grilled Tenderloin Slices For a good meal (or any Steak About this question).
- pork – I use them to make gravy for my onions soft pork cubesand they’re delicious too Pork tenderloin.
- chicken – These are the stars of my show French Onion Chickenbut you can transcend any chicken recipes Served with caramelized onions.
- breakfast – Stuff these sweet onions into a fluffy Omeletor stuff them into Breakfast Casserole or spinach soup Flavor explodes.
- Soup – I always have my Low Carb French Onion Soupbut throw them to other soup recipes It just amplifies the end result.
- salad – Add caramelized onions salmon salador sprinkle them on Grilled Chicken Salad even Big Mac Salad to add sweetness.
- sandwich – You can’t go wrong decorating any sandwich with these caramel beauties.For a healthier sandwich alternative, I use White keto bread or almond flour bread.
- appetizer – Made from only 6 ingredients, French onion jam are a party favorite but I like to add them to spinach dip Every now and then a burst of flavor comes out.
- pizza – I love using them as my toppings Keto Pizza Crustbut you can even use them Cauliflower Pizza or Zucchini Pizza Crust.
- Noodle – Stir them into a bowl filled with your favorite pasta, Zucchini Noodlesor spaghetti squash and italian tomato sauce.
Caramelized Onions (Easiest Way!)
Learn how to caramelize onions with this foolproof method! This is the best caramelized onion recipe that delivers sweet and delicious results every time.
Prepare: 5 minute
chef: 20 minute
All: 25 minute
Serving size: 6 (Adjust according to recipe proportion)
Recipe Video
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raw material
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instruct
Click on the time in the instructions below to start the kitchen timer while cooking.
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Heat the butter in a large pot Wok Heat over medium heat until melted.
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Add onion and 2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) broth.Fry it 10-15 minutesstirring occasionally but not constantly.
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Add another 2 tablespoons broth to keep onions moist, and scrape bottoms to remove glaze.Continue to fry until 10-20 more minutes, until browned and caramelized. (Time will vary based on your stove, pot size and materials, and the size and shape of the onions. If the onions start to brown too much, reduce the heat.)
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
This entire caramelized onion recipe makes 1 1/2 cups.
nutrient content
Amount per serving. Serving sizes in recipe instructions above.
Calories 96
fat 4 grams
protein 2.1 grams
total carbohydrates 14.1 grams
net carbs 11.5 grams
fiber 2.6 grams
sugar 6.4 grams
Nutritional facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you’re getting different results?Please check out our nutrition policy.
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