Caramelized Onions

By Ali Slagle

Updated June 24, 2024

Caramelized Onions
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(249)
Comments
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Soft, caramelized onions can add sweetness and richness to any dish that calls for sautéed onions, but they are especially good in soups, curries, sandwiches, pastas and dips — which is to say, everywhere. (Keep a container on hand, refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for a couple months.) Typically a time-intensive process, this recipe speeds things up by starting the onions covered to help release their liquid and repeatedly pouring in water and scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the delicious browned bits. Be sure to stand by and stir the onions often to prevent burning, although you’ll want to anyway to soak up their smell.

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Ingredients

Yield:1 packed cup
  • 2pounds yellow or red onions
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Salt
  • Water or chicken stock, as needed
  • 1tablespoon white wine or vinegar (optional, for tangy flavor)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Trim the tips of the onions, then halve them through the root and peel them. Thinly slice the halved onions from tip to tip.

  2. Step 2

    Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Once foaming, add the onions, season with salt and stir to combine. Cover and let steam, stirring once or twice, until softened and just beginning to brown, 3 to 6 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Reduce heat to medium and remove the cover. Stir frequently until the onions are deep brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Every time you see browned bits on the skillet, add a couple tablespoons of water and scrape up the bits. Add the wine, if using, and stir until evaporated, then season to taste with salt.

Ratings

4 out of 5
249 user ratings
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Comments

Dan

For caramelized onions that don't need to watched over, use a slow cooker. Takes longer, but you are free to wander away.

nub

15 to 20 minutes is much quicker than I have ever achieved. More like 30 to 40 minutes at very low heat.

Harry Zerler

Slicing the onion "through the root" Would that be pole-to-pole, or across the equator??? both go "through the root" if root means the smallest segment at the center of the onion.

karen b

Definitely needs LOTS more time, but worth the wait.

BJ

I love the idea of freezing these to have on hand. They are great in a grilled cheese sandwich. It's a pain to cook a few every time. I will freeze them in small mounds and then bag them in serving portions.

Christa

I stashed these away in the freezer and used them to make Vallery Lomas' French Onion Sliders, and they defrosted beautifully. I used to be distrustful of freezing items, but I have since joined Yotam O in saying, "The freezer is your friend," as the chapter of one of his books is memorably titled.

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