How To Caramelize Onions
Serves 1
5 mins prep
50 mins cook
55 mins total
Learning how to caramelize onions is an essential skill for any cook. Follow our foolproof method for perfectly caramelized onions to add to soups, stews, dips, sauces, salads, and more!
0 servings
Trim off the ends of the onion, then peel off the outer layer. Cut the onion in half through the root and top ends. Place the flat side of the onion on a cutting board and thinly slice all halves.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet (a large cast iron skillet or stainless steel pan would both work) over medium heat.
Once the olive oil is hot, add all the onion slices and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Lower the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour. The important thing here is to leave them alone to brown (especially in the first 25 minutes), but keep a close eye on them and stir as needed. If you stir them too often, they won’t brown. Alas, if you don’t stir them, they will burn.
After the first 25 minutes, as the onion slices start to brown, you can stir more frequently and even use a wooden spatula to scrape the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.
Optionally, if needed, you can deglaze using a few tablespoons of water.
Once caramelized and soft, add the salt and stir to thoroughly distribute.
Remove the now-caramelized onions from the heat. Serve as an accompaniment to your favorite dish!
