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This easy recipe for Caramelized Onions takes a raw onion’s sharp taste and transforms it into a deeply sweet, rich flavor that elevates burgers, soups, and more. Serve them as the star of French onion soup or piled high on an ooey-gooey bacon cheeseburger!
Meggan’s notes
Caramelized onions claimed their fame a long time ago as the key ingredient to a Parisian-style French onion soup and as a delicious topping for burgers. But they’re also a fantastic addition to roasted Brussel sprouts, a delightful surprise on a scaled-up charcuterie board, and the basis for the best homemade French Onion Dip you’ll ever make.
Any classically-trained chef can tell you caramelized onions are the ultimate kitchen secret for elevating any dish. The key to their beautiful caramelization lies in the combination of olive oil and butter. The butter rounds out the flavor, while the olive oil helps prevent burning and gives the onions a smooth texture.
A teaspoon of sugar helps accelerate the caramelizing process, but don’t rush it! It takes 45 to 60 minutes of slow cooking for 6 pounds of yellow onions to yield about 3 cups of perfectly caramelized onions.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Onions: You can caramelize any kind of onion, but I prefer to use yellow onions because they have the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavor. Speed up prep time by running the onions through a food processor rather than cutting onions by hand.
- Olive oil: With a higher smoke point that butter, olive oil keeps the delicately-thin onion slices from scorching.
- Butter: Adds a richness to the flavor of the finished onions.
- Sugar: A touch of sugar coaxes along the caramelization process. 1 teaspoon of sugar for 6 pounds of onions isn’t much, but feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and butter and stir until melted. Add onions, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until the onions are deep golden brown and richly colored, about 45 to 60 minutes. Reduce heat if they begin to darken quickly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: 6 pounds of yellow onions will yield about 3 cups caramelized onions. It’s enough for 12 servings, ¼ cup each.
- Storage: Once they’ve cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: To freeze, spread them out on a baking sheet, freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Versatile ingredient: Use caramelized onions to enhance the flavor of countless dishes—whether it’s in savory French onion soup, atop burgers, mixed into roasted vegetables, or even on a charcuterie board.
- Knife skills: Onions are a crucial building block of flavor in many recipes, but also a dreaded task for some. Learn how to cut an onion so you can slice, dice, and julienne like a master.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use both! The butter offers the richest flavor and the olive oil helps prevent burning and gives the onions a smooth texture.
If you aren’t seeing any caramelization in the pan, you might not be cooking them enough. Resist the temptation to pull them off the stove once they start to brown—perfectly caramelized onions are supposed to have a dark color. Adding sugar will speed up the process.
You don’t have to stir them constantly, but scrape down the sides and bottom of the pan often to get an even cook.
Put your caramelized onions to work
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Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 large yellow onions thinly sliced (about 6 pounds, see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and butter and stir until melted. Add onions, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until the onions are deep golden brown and richly colored, about 45 to 60 minutes. Reduce heat if they begin to darken quickly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Onions: You can caramelize any kind of onion, but I prefer to use yellow onions because they have the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavor. Speed up prep time by running the onions through a food processor rather than cutting onions by hand.
- Yield: 6 pounds of yellow onions will yield about 3 cups caramelized onions. It’s enough for 12 servings, ¼ cup each.
- Storage: Once they’ve cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.