Caramelized onions can add such a rich, sweet flavor to a dish. But I’m not going to lie…caramelizing onions takes time. Despite what some recipes try to claim, it’s just not possible to caramelize onions in 10 minutes. If you want really beautifully caramelized onions, plan on at least 45 minutes. However, the process is mostly hands-off. You’ll occasionally need to add water and stir, but you can definitely get other things done at the same time. Because the process is time-intensive, I like to make a large batch of onions to use in different recipes. Also keep in mind that the onions will cook down a lot, so even if it seems like you’re starting with a ton of onions, you’ll likely wonder where they went by the end.
What You’ll Need
- 12-inch heavy-bottomed pan (I love my All-Clad stainless steel skillet)
- 1 Tbs neutral-flavored oil
- 3-4 large onions, thickly sliced lengthwise
Steps
Start by heating the oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onions to the pan and stir to coat with the oil. The onions will slowly start to brown. When they are just slightly golden and soft, add a sprinkle of salt.
Continue to cook the onions. If you notice the onions starting to stick or dry out, add one tablespoon of water and stir the onions. It’s important to add water a little at a time during the cooking process for several reasons. First, it keeps the onions moist without boiling them. Also, it won’t drop the temperature in the pan too much, so the onions will continue cooking. Finally, adding a small amount of liquid deglazes the pan, which allows you to reincorporate the fond. The fond is the brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. The fond is where the flavor is, and deglazing with a liquid releases these bits from the pan.
You will notice the onions slowly developing a beautiful brown color. I generally recommend leaving the onions alone during the cooking process and only stirring occasionally. The onions need to be in contact with the pan in order to caramelize. They are also fairly delicate, and you don’t want the onion to completely disintegrate. Continue adding about a tablespoon of water at a time and gently stirring as needed.
Keep going until the onions are as brown as you want them. At the the very end, you can add a pinch of salt and a pinch of brown sugar if you want the onions slightly sweeter. Adding sugar isn’t necessary, however. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add an additional tablespoon of water. Stir the onions one final time to bring all the flavor together. Add your caramelized onions to a dish immediately or place in a container to store in the fridge for later. The onions will keep for several days.
