We know, we know. You’re busy. You’re impatient. You’re rushing cuz you’ve got places to go, people to see, babies to kiss. And you’re thinking you can’t possibly afford to spend an hour of your life waiting for onions to caramelize. We think you can. Taste a spoonful of this and then tell us it ain’t worth it.Renee Schettler Rossi

A skillet with caramelized onions and a spatula moving the onions.

How To Caramelize Onions

4.34 / 3 votes
How to caramelize onions the proper way takes longer than just 20 minutes. It’s not a quick thing. But it is an easy thing. All it takes to truly coax onions to a complex sweetness is a little more time that’s largely hands-off and offers the taste and texture that only properly caramelized alliums offers. Here’s how to do it right.
David Leite
CourseCondiments
CuisineAmerican
Servings16 servings | 2 cups total
Calories27 kcal
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
  • 4 medium or 3 large onions, halved and sliced as thinly as possible
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, (optional)

Instructions 

  • In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until softened. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 50 to 60 minutes, or until the onions are completely soft and caramelized. They will look dark brown and mushy.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and add the salt, pepper, and thyme, if using, and stir well. Go ahead and use your caramelized onions immediately or stash them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

How To Make Caramelized Onions In Advance

Why not caramelize a BIG batch of onions when you’re in the kitchen when it’s no big whoop to stay close to the stovetop and show the wilting alliums some love by stirring them on occasion. Maybe a random Tuesday night while you’re making dinner. Or a Sunday morning while you’re flipping flapjacks. Then cram the caramelized onions in a jar or other resealable container, stash them in the fridge for up to a few days, and you’ve got magic waiting to happen. Slather them on a sandwich. Strew them on savory tarts. Toss them with pasta and blue cheese. Or sneak them onto breakfast pizzas. You won’t be sorry.
Flour, Too

Adapted From

Flour, Too

Buy On Amazon

Nutrition

Serving: 2 tablespoonsCalories: 27 kcalCarbohydrates: 3 gProtein: 0.3 gFat: 2 gSaturated Fat: 0.3 gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4 gTrans Fat: 0.01 gSodium: 219 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2013 Joanne Chang. Photo © 2011 Barbro Bergfeldt. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

Here’s a great use of +/- 60 minutes. Even if the end result wasn’t magnificent, there is the aroma of 60 minutes of deliciously fragrant onions all through the house. But the end result is magnificent.

Because I was making these for a dish I felt would be plenty salty, I did not salt at the end, though I did pepper generously. If I’d have been smarter, I would have made a double batch, one for the recipe I was working on and one to stash in the fridge for later.

As for timing, my onions were well softened after the full 20 minutes, and took 45 more minutes to become dark brown and mushy. I probably futzed with the onions more than necessary during the hour, but there is still plenty of time to keep these going while attending to something else, or to relax for an hour while allowing the onions to take their time browning and softening.

They never even had a moment to cool before I used them in another recipe. If I didn’t have a plan for them, I would salt and also use the optional fresh thyme.

Select a Tester

Low and slow. That’s the sorta flame you need when coaxing out the complex sweetness of caramelized onions. Not this 20 minutes business. (I once got into a heated argument with a colleague at a newspaper about what exactly constituted properly caramelized onions. Unsatisfied with our stalemate, I ran to my rolodex of chefs and he ran to his, and the duel was on. Needless to say, no chef in his or her right mind would agree that 20 minutes was sufficient.) This technique and timing does it right.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


Hungry For More?

5 Exceptional Lemon Curd Desserts

Whether you’re craving a rich and creamy citrus dessert, or simply need to use up a bottle of lemon curd, there’s a recipe for you.

Apple and Celery Salad

A simple and elegant salad that brightens up whatever you serve it alongside. Crisp, tangy, and refreshing, it’s a perfect accompaniment.

15 mins

Rosemary Chicken

This one-pot meal of roasted chicken thighs with leeks, rosemary, and cannellini beans in a creamy sauce just snatched a permanent spot in my weeknight rotation. Try it and find out why.

1 hr 30 mins


Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. I’m wondering what is the best type of pan for this job? Cast iron might cause burning if you’re not careful? Stainless steel? I’ve seen recipes call for non-stick but I tend to avoid those pans.

    1. Good question, Monica. Cast-iron or stainless would work, though if you’re using cast-iron, I’d stick with a medium-low heat to start so that you don’t end up browning them too early.

    1. Happily, Linda. Here’s our fave onion tart recipe. Our recipe testers and our readers rave about it as their go-to appetizer tart. Love to hear what you think.