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Can you caramelize red onions? Yes! I have the secret to perfect Caramelized Red Onions right here! You might think making caramelized onions is time-consuming and difficult to get right, but trust me: once you learn how to caramelize onions this way, you'll find every excuse to make them. Ready in 20 minutes!
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Caramelize Red Onions
One of my favorite toppings for any meal is caramelized onions. I love how sweet they are, and they always add so much flavor to a dish!
Some of my favorite recipes to use them for are steaks or a Hot Roast Beef Sandwich. Not to mention, caramelized onions on mushroom Swiss burgers... yum!
Can you Caramelize Red Onions?
Yes, you can! It's said you have to slowly cook your onions for an hour to get them to caramelize properly, but I am here to tell you that isn't true. You can have perfectly caramelized onions in less than 20 minutes by following my guide on how to caramelize onions!
It's honestly so easy, but there's a trick to getting them just right. You want perfectly browned, sweet, flavorful onions, and I have the secret. It takes just a small handful of ingredients and a few simple steps!
Caramelized Onions Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: Butter has a low smoke point, and burns easily in higher-heat recipes. But, because caramelizing onions takes time, you won't have to worry about the butter burning in this recipe.
- Onions: I'm caramelizing red onions, but you can use white or yellow onions if you prefer. This recipe will work for them all.
- Brown Sugar: A little bit of brown sugar adds additional sweetness to the onions and helps them caramelize. It's not necessary, so you can leave it out if you don't want any added sugar. You can also use white sugar instead.
- Soy Sauce: Feel free to use coconut aminos or tamari, too. Worcestershire sauce would also work.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adds sweetness to the onions and balances out the other flavors!
- Salt & Pepper: Kosher salt or sea salt flakes, and freshly cracked black pepper, work best.
How to Caramelize Red Onions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced red onions to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Stir and continue cooking until the onions are golden-brown and soft, around 15-17 minutes.
How Long to Caramelize Red Onions
You may have read it takes at least an hour to caramelize onions, but you don't need that much time. You can caramelize onions in as little as 20 minutes with the help of brown sugar. Balsamic vinegar helps balance out the flavor so the onions don't become overly sweet!
Red Caramelized Onions Tips
- Red wine vinegar, vermouth, or whiskey can be used in place of balsamic vinegar if you wish.
- I love the flavor of red onions for caramelized onions, but you can also use sweet yellow or white onions if you prefer.
- Remember, onions shrink when caramelized. You may need more than you think if you're cooking for a large group. It's best to make extra and freeze any leftovers you don't need right away.
How to Freeze Caramelized Onions
- After cooking, allow your onions to cool.
- Portion cooled onions into a container of your choice. I like using ice cube trays for small portions! Freezer bags work well if you want to freeze it all at once. Flatten them out in the bag so they freeze evenly and don't take up much space.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to label with the freezing date.
- Use straight out of the freezer. You don't need to thaw them before using them. Simply add them to whatever you're cooking and allow them to cook down with the rest of the meal.
Note: Since caramelizing onions shrinks them, you may want to increase the amount you're using if you're freezing a batch. An easy way to do this is to simply double the ingredients in the recipe and cook double the amount.
I love to make a big batch of caramelized onions and freeze some to use on short notice!
How to Use Caramelized Onions
There are so many ways to use these perfect caramelized onions in all your favorite recipes. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them - let me know yours in the comments!
- Saute them with mushrooms, like my Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions
- Or, saute them with peppers - just add the peppers later in the cooking time: Sauteed Peppers and Onions
- Top a burger with them, as in my Fried Egg Burger. Caramelized onions for burgers are amazing!
- Add them to steak, like my Perfect Reverse Sear Ribeye
- or, add them to a Philly Pork Sandwich!
Also, try my Pickled Onions! If you love caramelized onions, you'll go wild for my pickled onions recipe - trust me!
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below to let us know what you think! We love to hear from you!
Caramelizing Red Onions
Caramelizing onions doesn't have to be tedious! Personally, I love caramelizing red onions for burgers, steaks, chicken dishes, and more. Anything I can think to serve with caramelized red onions, I do! I know you'll love this caramelized red onion recipe - it's easy, not time consuming, and straightforward. Enjoy!
Caramelized Red Onions
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 red onion - cut into thin slices
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced red onions to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes.2 Tablespoons unsalted butter,1 red onion
- Mix in brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.2 Tablespoons brown sugar,3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar,1 teaspoon soy sauce,salt,pepper
- Stir and continue cooking until the onions are golden-brown and soft, around 15-17 minutes.
- Enjoy with burgers, steaks, and more!
Notes
- Red wine vinegar, vermouth, or whiskey can be used in place of balsamic vinegar, if you wish.
- I love the flavor of red onions for caramelized onions, but you can also use sweet yellow or white onions if you prefer.
- Remember, onions shrink when caramelized. You may need more than you think if you're cooking for a large group. It's best to make extra and freeze any leftovers you don't need right away.
Casey Johnson says
Hi. I need help! I tried this recipe and I got blackened, burned onions and a completely black pan and I didn’t even cook the onions for longer than 10-12 min. Was the pan too hot?
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Casey! I think that's possible. I would try turning down the heat next time or even using a different pan. I'm sorry to hear they burned!
Lindsey says
I love the fact that you list the ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions in addition to the main ingredients list. Having the amounts within the instructions makes it a lot easier when cooking from a phone. Thank you!
Isabel Laessig says
Lindsey, thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear they're helpful! We'll keep doing that. Enjoy!
Rosemarie says
They came out great but once left alone they hardened into one big blob. Is this what happens if you don’t use right away.
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Rosemarie! Did you add any additional sugar? Caramelized sugar tends to do this when it cools. Either way, I would say you could reconstitute them by adding a little bit of liquid (such as water or broth) and reheating on the stove. Only a little bit.