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Home » How-Tos » How to Caramelize Onions

How to Caramelize Onions

Oct 2, 2019 · by Valentina · 23 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

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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.

Small cream-colored dish filled with soft, deep golden caramelized onons.

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!

Ingredients

pile of white onion slices and half onion.
  • onion - I typically use brown onions. Any variety of onion can be caramelized.
  • unsalted butter - It's important to use unsalted butter so you can control how much salt goes in a recipe.

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.

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.

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

Foamy melted butter in saute pan.
Big spoon removing milk solids from butter in small saute pan.

-  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.

Melted butter with spoon holding up milk solids above it.
Saute pan of clarified butter.

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

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!

Dutch oven full with onion slices.
Dutch oven full with golden caramelized onions.
Bottom of a Dutch oven coated with deep brown caramelized onion.

(More detailed instructions are below.)

Uses for Caramelized Onions

  • in all kinds of appetizers
  • mixed into soups
  • in sandwiches (they're especially delicious in grilled cheese)
  • in wraps
  • in a stir-fry
  • on pizza
  • in tarts
  • in quiche, frittatas, scrambled eggs
Small cream-colored dish filled with soft, deep golden caramelized onions.

Recipes with Caramelized Onions

  • Red Potato Appetizer
  • Smashed Potato Casserole
  • Stuffed Honeynut Squash
  • Onion Mushroom Casserole
  • Grilled Sausage Portobello Mushroom Pizza
  • Grilled Avocado with Bacon Compote

Enjoy!

Small cream-colored dish filled with soft, deep golden 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
Print
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Course Condiments, Ingredient
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 49 kcal

Equipment

  • large, heavy-bottomed pot
  • wooden deglazing spatula
  • kitchen tongs
  • large metal spoon

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).
Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

NUTRITION

Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Keywords great for pizza toppings, great for sauces
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shef from Shef's Kitchen

    July 10, 2011 at 4:02 am

    I love your description of eating it with a spoon! I also haven't tried caramelizing onions yet with ghee (you doing it with clarified butter reminded me of that). I use caramelized onions in a perhaps unusual way: garnishing chicken biriyani! Great post and great step by step directions!

    Reply
  2. averagebetty

    July 12, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    Great photos and step-by-step! I like the clarified butter tip, too! I've always used olive oil...

    Reply
    • valentina

      July 13, 2011 at 6:51 am

      thanks ladies! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Diane {Created by Diane}

    August 21, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    YUMMY! I love caramelized onions, great post!

    Reply
    • valentina

      August 24, 2011 at 4:29 am

      Thanks, Diane! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Lia

    November 18, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    Trying it tonight. Going to make some savory Bacon, onion, Ranch dip... these caramelized Onions are KEY. thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • valentina

      November 18, 2017 at 9:57 pm

      Thank you, Lia. Oh my goodness, your dip sounds absolutely FABULOUS! Enjoy. 🙂

      Reply
  5. angiesrecipes

    October 02, 2019 at 9:23 pm

    My favourite! I love those back to basics posts. I am going to make some with bacon fat today too. Thanks, Valentina.

    Reply
    • valentina

      October 03, 2019 at 9:53 pm

      Oooooh yummy! Thanks, Angie. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  6. David Scott Allen

    October 03, 2019 at 6:12 am

    Lovely tutorial! I appreciate that you give lots of options for both method and fat!

    Reply
    • valentina

      October 03, 2019 at 9:53 pm

      Thanks, David. I must say, they sure are tasty in bacon fat. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  7. sippitysup

    October 03, 2019 at 8:37 am

    Just like jelly. Sweet and savory onion jelly! GREG

    Reply
    • valentina

      October 03, 2019 at 9:52 pm

      Yep! Thanks for visiting, Greg! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  8. 2pots2cook

    October 04, 2019 at 3:29 am

    So grateful to see how easily this delicacy can be done from scratch ... special thanks for step by step photos. Enjoy your weekend dear ! 🙂

    Reply
    • valentina

      October 04, 2019 at 8:38 am

      Thanks! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  9. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop

    October 05, 2019 at 6:31 am

    Your step by step directions are great! Making caramelized onions is such a great idea and I love that these can be done fairly quickly!

    Reply
    • valentina

      October 05, 2019 at 1:19 pm

      Thanks, Kathy. Hope you have a great weekend. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  10. Eha

    October 06, 2019 at 4:25 pm

    Huge smile - If one is born in Scandinavia or the Baltics learning to caramelize onions is probably the first thing a little 4-5 year old would be cook is taught to do ! With the abysmal lack of spices and only a few herbs in use, what else would bring on the flavour ?! Admittedly, as a nutritionist, one uses the methodology less often in this day and age but for me it usually is a matter of half butter and half oil . . . . smiling memory that for many years as a child I thought that 'sibulaklops', ie beef escalope topped with caramelized inions, was the only decent way to cook beef outside the meatball or -loaf route 🙂 !

    Reply
    • valentina

      October 07, 2019 at 7:33 pm

      Eha, I love that little kids were learning how to caramelize onions, and as a way to flavor. I often use have butter and half oil, too -- or sometimes just the olive oil. All depends on my mood. ;-)Thank you for this fun comment. ~Valentina

      Reply
  11. David @ Spiced

    October 07, 2019 at 4:59 am

    Caramelized onions are an amazing thing! They're such a great ingredient for soups, burgers and other comfort foods. Have you ever tried adding a tiny bit of sugar? I learned that trick from a chef friend years ago. The sugar helps kickstart the caramelization process so that it doesn't take as long. Great post, Valentina! I hope you had a great weekend, my friend!

    Reply
    • valentina

      October 07, 2019 at 7:09 pm

      Hi David. I have tried with a pinch of sugar, but I love the long, slow process and find them so sweet without it. Excellent tip for when you need to save time. I agree, so delicious in soups and burgers! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  12. Pat

    November 27, 2023 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    This is a great explanation – very helpful. I followed your instructions – and had success! ⭐️

    Reply
    • Valentina

      November 27, 2023 at 4:57 pm

      Hi Pat. This makes me very happy. Thanks and I'm so glad it was helpful. Warmly, Valentina

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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