Caramelized Onions – Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

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This Caramelized Onions are an easy and decadent side dish or condiment. They are golden brown, perfectly soft and have a sweet, deep and rich flavor. Only 3 ingredients are needed!

over a bowl filled with cooked onions.

Easy caramelized onion recipe

If you’ve never tried real caramelized onions, you’re in for a treat. These are the best caramelized onions always!

Now let’s get one thing straight. Caramelizing onions is not the same as sautéing them. Sautéed onions cook much faster with higher heat. Caramelized onions cook longer at lower heats.

With the longer cooking time, the natural sugars in the onions caramelize and turn golden brown with a rich, deep, sweet flavor and a deliciously smooth texture.

Side view of a bowl of caramelized onions with a yellow onion in the background.

Ingredients needed for caramelized onions

For the best caramelized onions, you need a few basic ingredients!

  • onions: I like to use yellow onions for this recipe. If necessary, you can also use other types of onions. Make sure they are thinly sliced.
  • Ghee or Butter: For a paleo-friendly alternative, you can use ghee or stick with regular unsalted butter.
  • Salt: Just a little salt brings out the delicious flavor of the onions as they cook.
Yellow onions lie overhead on a counter.
In a separate bowl, add sliced ​​onions, butter and salt.

How to caramelize onions

This easy caramelized onion recipe takes a little time, but it really is that simple! And it’s so worth the time. Here’s a breakdown of the recipe:

  1. Boil and stir: In a skillet or skillet, heat ghee until shimmering. Add the sliced ​​onions and cook, stirring every 5 minutes, for 20-25 minutes or until browned.
  2. extinguish: While the onions are cooking, deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water as needed until soft and browned. Once fully caramelized, remove from heat and serve or reserve.
Place sliced ​​onions in a large skillet.
Onions are caramelized in a pan.
a pan with caramelized onions.
Overhead image of a pan filled with caramelized onions.
Ready caramelized onions are stirred in a pan with a spoon.

Do you use butter or oil for caramelized onions?

While you can use either, I recommend using unsalted butter or ghee to caramelize your onions. Both provide a depth of flavor not quite matched with oil.

Pro tip!

Keep the heat lower when using butter or ghee. These ingredients have a lower smoke point than oil and therefore burn faster.

Does adding sugar make onions caramelize faster?

Theoretically yes, but I don’t recommend it. Truly caramelizing onions means you cook them for longer periods of time at a lower heat, which brings out the natural sugars in the onion, creating a soft texture and rich, deep flavor.

Adding sugar to the onions will make them caramelize faster, but the taste won’t be the same.

What’s the trick to caramelizing onions quickly?

Here are a few things you can do to keep your cooking time to a minimum!

  • Thinly slice the onions. The thinner onion slices will soften faster.
  • Cook on medium to high heat. Medium-high heat is usually ideal for faster cooking without burning the onions.
  • Deglaze with water. If you deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water as needed, the stock is better distributed in the onions and allows them to caramelize faster.
A shot from above shows a hand touching a bowl of cooked onions.

Tips and hints for this recipe with caramelized onions

  • Cut the onions evenly and thin. Thick slices will not caramelize properly. Also, if the slices aren’t even, they won’t cook at the same speed.
  • Use a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan. A heavy-bottomed pan will help distribute the heat, allowing for more even cooking.
  • Don’t overfill the pan. Use a large skillet or skillet to allow adequate room for proper cooking.

serving suggestions

There are metric tons There are several ways to enjoy caramelized onions. They’re a delicious accompaniment to air fryer steak, grilled pork chops, or your favorite dish, but feel free to add them to other recipes too! Here are some of my favorite ways to use these caramelized onions:

A fork is dipped in a bowl of caramelized onions.

How to store it

Leftover caramelized onions can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To enjoy it again, heat it in a pan on low.

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over a bowl filled with cooked onions.
  • 3 tablespoon Ghee or unsalted butter
  • 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced, about 5 cups
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • Heat the ghee or butter in a medium skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When the ghee is hot, add the onions. (The ghee is hot enough when it shimmers and bubbles after adding a drop of water to the pan.) Cook, unstirred, until a stock forms (see note) or the onions start to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onions.

  • Continue stirring every 5 minutes for 20-25 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon of water to deglaze the pan if necessary (adding water to the pan will help caramelize the onions faster and will help redistribute the stock in the onions) until the onions begin to turn a deep brown color. If they start to burn, reduce the heat to medium-low.

  • Once the onions are browned and caramelized, remove from the heat and use as you like. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Fond refers to the aromatic brown bits that begin to accumulate at the bottom of the pan.

Portion: 1CupCalories: 514kcalCarbohydrates: 28GProtein: 3GFat: 45GSaturated Fatty Acids: 28GPolyunsaturated fat: 2GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 13GCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 1176mgPotassium: 438mgFiber: 5GSugar: 13GVitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1mg



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