You'll love to know how to caramelize onions. Not only is it super easy, but they are incredibly delicious and can be used to greatly enhance hundreds of recipes. There are many ways to make them and my favorite is to use clarified butter.

Caramelized onions in a small white bowl with some hanging over the side

We're creating an unbelievable, intensely rich, sweet flavored, caramel-colored, spreadable delicacy.

Some might say it's like gold. And others might say it's like candy. Either way, what everybody is trying to say is that they're super, super special!

We're going to learn how to caramelize onions.

There are Many Different Ways to Caramelize

You can caramelize onions in 15 minutes, by browning their surface quickly.
You can also use methods where you caramelize them in thirty minutes.
It can be done in the oven, on a grill or on the stove.
You can caramelize onions in olive oil, butter, clarified butter, bacon fat -- really most fats.
You get my point -- there are many ways to do it, and different results can be reached with each one.

I'm going to share a method in which we'll learn how to caramelize onions very slowly on the stove. . . drawing all of their natural sugars to their surface.

I love watching a pot full of bright white onions slowly transform to contain only a thin layer of deep caramel, cooked onions. It's a little like magic!

four images of different stages of caramelizeing onions

What makes these caramelized onions special?

Although you can use olive oil, I love using clarified, unsalted butter to caramelize my onions. It adds flavor and the final result is almost spreadable.

Why clarified, unsalted butter for caramelized onions?

Butter has essentially three parts: butterfat, water, and milk solids. Milk solids can burn easily -- even at a low temperature. When butter is clarified, the milk solids (and water) are removed and all that remains is the butterfat. This creates a higher smoke point, which makes clarified butter ideal for cooking and sautéing.

For cooking, I always prefer to use unsalted butter. You have more control over the final seasoning and flavor this way.

How to Clarify Butter (Quick Method)

- Add butter to a heavy-bottomed pot and turn the heat to low to melt the butter.

Melted butter in a red-handled pot with a metal spoon

- Use a metal spoon to remove the milk solids from the surface.

Melted butter in a pot with a spoon above it holding the milk solids

- They will appear as a creamy colored foam. This is essentially a quick way to clarify the butter.

The butter should appear clear once the milk solids are removed. It's okay if a few spots remain.

Thinly sliced onions in a large red-handled pot

For this method of making caramelized onions, the raw onion slices are added at this point.

(More detailed instructions are below.)

Uses for Caramelized Onions

Using this method, the onions become spreadable, making them perfect to add to a sandwich or a pizza.
The onions are perfect to add to bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, soups, stews, and sauces, and perhaps -- on occasion -- to a spoon!

Top view of caramelized onions in a small white bowl with some hanging over the side

Recipes with caramelized onions:

Caramelized Onions

Valentina K. Wein

You'll love knowing how to caramelize onions. Not only is it super easy, but they are incredibly delicious and can be used to greatly enhance hundreds of recipes.

Makes about ¾ cup / serving size: about 2 tablespoons

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 25

Course Condiments, Ingredient

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 49 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup unsalted butter
salt and pepper

Instructions

Clarify the butter. Add the butter to a large heavy-bottomed pot and turn the heat to low. Melt the butter.
Use a metal spoon to remove the milk solids from the surface, which will appear as a creamy colored foam. This is essentially a quick way to clarify the butter. (The butter should appear clear once the milk solids are removed. It's okay if a few spots remain.)
*Please note that the times listed could vary slightly, depending on the thickness of your pan and how high or low the heat is.
Caramelize the onions. Turn the heat to medium-high and add all of the onions.
The entire caramelization process will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes.
During the first 15 minutes, stir the onions every couple of minutes (I like to use metal tongs at this early point).
For the second 15 minutes, turn the heat to medium and continuing stirring, but not as often -- maybe every 4 minutes or so. After about 30 minutes, they should be very soft and the bottom of the pan and some of the onions should be browning a bit.
Now lower the heat to low. At this point, the onions should be periodically stirred with a wooden deglazing spatula. Every so often the bottom and sides of the pan will begin to brown. This is what you want! Use the deglazing spatula to work that back into the onions. After about 1 hour and 15 minutes, the onions will have reduced in size a lot and be very brown.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's how to season to taste.)

NOTES

*Try your best to use a pot with a very heavy/thick bottom. And be sure it's a pot (deep!) and not a skillet (shallow).

Calorie count is only an estimate.

NUTRITION

Calories: 49kcal

Keywords great for pizza toppings, great for sauces

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