Learn how to caramelize onions on the stove – the easy way. You’ll use ‘em on everything once you learn my super simple method for cooking onions. Let’s start caramelizing!!
Why this is the best way to caramelize onions
- Few ingredients.
- Simple steps with photos to help you through the recipe.
- Timeless recipe. Enjoy these delicious onions as an easy toppingfor steaks, burgers, pizzas, pastas and more.
- Great for entertaining. It’s a simple side dish with onions for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Plus, see my tips for cooking at different temperatures in a cast iron skillet over medium, low, and medium-low.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this caramelized onion recipe.
- Yellow onions (Walla Walla preferred because they are sweet and tasty)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Brown sugar (optional)
- Butter (optional)
How to slice onions for caramelizing
First, let me just walk you through my super simple steps for cutting thinly sliced onions.
- Peel fresh onions and chop off the pointy ends.
- Slice onions on a cutting board in half horizontally across the onion. Don’t cut it in half through the round center, but instead from end to end (where the points were).
- Slice each half to ½″ wide, to make half moon shapes.
How to caramelize onions on the stove
I swear these are the best caramelized onions! Let’s make ‘em…
- Heat a large cast iron skillet on the stove to medium high and add olive oil. Once the olive oil has a slight smoke, add in the sliced onions and salt. Stir constantly (about every 30 seconds) for 5-8 minutes, or until onions are translucent and begin to brown.
- Turn down the temperature of the burner to low or medium-low (depending how fast you’re trying to cook them – the lower the better).
- Cook the onions for about 45-60 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, or as frequently as needed to prevent onions from burning. Be sure to scrape the fond (aka the “brown bits” that stick to the pan) that appears on the bottom of the pan as you stir. Onions will drastically reduce in size as they continue softening and caramelizing. You can actually cook them on low like this for hours, so it’s up to you to decide when they’re caramelized to your liking, and when you’re ready for the next step.
- Finally, add in the brown sugar and butter if desired for a bit of extra flavor. Cook for an additional 10 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. The onions should be a deep beautiful color.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipes with caramelized onions
Wondering what to do with caramelized onions? I can definitely help with that! Once you start making caramelized onions in batches, you’ll find a ton of opportunities to enjoy them…
- Serve a juicy medium rare steak with caramelized onions on top (see my skirt steak, flank steak, coulotte steak, air fryer filet mignon).
- Burgers (see how to make hamburger patties).
- Homemade pizza.
- Pasta dishes.
- Add onions to risotto.
- Gourmet grilled cheese recipes.
- Egg dishes like quiche and sous vide egg bites.
- Mashed potatoes or your favorite potato side dishes.
- Spoon 2 tbsps of onions on ¼ cup hummus and serve in cups for a tasty party appetizer (see this basil hummus).
- Serve with goat cheese or burrata cheese on bread like grilled toast or focaccia.
- On a summer salad with grilled chicken seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Use it as a base for caramelized onion soup.
- Freezing caramelized onions is an option if you want to meal prep them for later.
Other side dishes to check out include crock pot sweet potatoes, these simple roasted beets, easy sauteed carrots and onions, and caramelized shallots.
FAQs
The best answer ever is: it varies. Once the onions begin to soften and turn brown, you can eat them then (about 20 minutes into cooking them). Or you can wait until they are all a dark, rich golden brown color like in the photos here on Sip Bite Go. That level of caramelization on onions will take about an hour on low.
If you’re in a rush, you can shave off some minutes for medium heat cooking, but you’ll need to check the onions more often and they won’t get as rich of a flavor. Aim to cook them for about 30 minutes on medium.
Either way works. When my husband used to work in a professional kitchen he would leave the lid on for the first few minutes—to allow the onions to soften and release their liquid in a moist, pressurized environment (he was cooking like 20 onions at a time!). But for cooking at home, we leave the pan “topless”.
When your caramelized onions are finished they’ll be a rich, dark brown color and taste noticeably sweet. That’s when you want to take them off the burner– if you keep going, you’ll end up with black onions where the sweetness is replaced by a burned sooty flavor!
Since you’re cooking these onions for an extended time and you don’t want to burn them, think heavy: a pan with a heavy bottom will be ideal for caramelizing onions. My ideal pan is a wide, thick-bottomed cast iron skillet, but a stainless-steel pan will also work.
New recipes and foodie guides….
- Tri tip (it’s so good!)
- Homemade pizza
- Smoked wings
- Traeger pizza
- Pan grilled chicken
- Bacon wrapped hot dogs
- Potato side dishes
- Pasta side dishes
- Baked brisket
- Sous vide frozen steak
- Cooked chicken temp guide
- Jalapeno ranch sauce
- Sous vide pork chops
- Coulotte steak
- GUIDE: How to make hamburger patties
- GUIDE: Aerogarden
- Best restaurants in Portland
Grill and smoker recipes…
- Grilled chicken wings
- Smoked pizza
- Smoked chicken
- Smoked tri tip
- Traeger pulled pork
- Smoked turkey breast
- Smoked chicken wings
- Smoked ham
- Flank steak marinade
- Skirt steak marinade
- Smoked mac and cheese
- Smoked chicken breast
- Grilled broccoli
Meat thermometer recommendations
Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly.
On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:
- Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
- ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill.
It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature.
How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.
While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!
Are you a foodie, too?
Hey home chefs, did you know I also have a sous vide onions recipe that’s cooked in beer? It’s SO GOOD. You can also learn how to make sautéed onions and peppers here on Sip Bite Go. And air fryer onions, too.
Almost as strong as my caramelized onion obsession is my chicken wings obsession. You have to check out my new recipes for baked wings, smoked wings, air fryer wings (which only take about 15 minutes per side), and these super flavorful garlic parmesan chicken wings. They’re perfect for a happy hour vibe at home, or for entertaining.
To get my latest and greatest creative recipes before they’re shared on the site, connect with me on Instagram @sipbitego. And for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel.
To find more delicious recipes to try on your culinary journey, scroll through the Sip Bite Go recipe collection.
Caramelized Onions Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Ingredients
- 3 large yellow onions Walla Walla preferred
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tbsp brown sugar optional
- 1 tbsp butter optional
Instructions
How to slice onions for caramelizing
- Peel fresh onions and chop off the pointy ends.
- Slice onions on a cutting board in half horizontally across the onion. Don’t cut it in half through the round center, but instead from end to end (where the points were).
- Slice each half to ½" wide, to make half moon shapes.
How to caramelize onions on the stove
- Heat a large cast iron skillet on the stove to medium high and add olive oil. Once the olive oil has a slight smoke, add in the sliced onions and salt. Stir constantly (about every 30 seconds) for 5-8 minutes, or until onions are translucent and begin to brown.
- Turn down the temperature of the burner to low or medium-low (depending how fast you’re trying to cook them – the lower the better).
- Cook the onions for about 45-60 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, or as frequently as needed to prevent onions from burning. Be sure to scrape the fond (aka the “brown bits” that stick to the pan) that appears on the bottom of the pan as you stir. Onions will drastically reduce in size as they continue softening and caramelizing. You can actually cook them on low like this for hours, so it’s up to you to decide when they’re caramelized to your liking, and when you’re ready for the next step.
- Finally, add in the brown sugar and butter if desired for a bit of extra flavor. Cook for an additional 10 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. The onions should be a deep beautiful color.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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