Low and Slow: A Step-by-Step Guide to Caramelizing Onions (2024)

01 of 07

Gather the Ingredients

You'll need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or clarified butter)
• 3 onions (sliced thinly)

02 of 07

Heat Oil in a Nonstick Pan

Let the oil get hot for a moment. A general rule of thumb is to use 2 tablespoons of oil for every three onions. If you like, you can use a mixture of oil and butter. Clarified butter is best, since it won't burn as easily as ordinary butter. As long as you don't let things get too hot, your butter won't burn.

As long as we keep things at 310 to 320 F, you can use practically any oil, even olive oil, which has a very low smoke point. But since it's hard to know the exact temperature, stick with butter or a combination of butter and vegetable oil. Coconut oil will work, too.

03 of 07

Add the Sliced Onions

Keep the onions moving around the pan so they don't burn. They'll cook down quite a bit in volume, so it's normalif the pan seems too full at the beginning.

04 of 07

Let the Onions Turn Translucent

As you cook them, the onions will start to soften and turn translucent. The reason sweet onions are used is that they have a higher sugar content and it's the sugar that's actually turning brown. Ordinary yellow onions have some–but not as much–sugarin them and you can certainly caramelize them as well.

05 of 07

Allow the Onions to Soften

By this time the onions will have softened and cooked down to a fraction of their previous size, as the water in them has slowly cooked away. They'll also have a slightly sticky consistency. That's because of the sugars being released in the onions.

06 of 07

Develop the Golden-Brown Color

See the golden brown color beginning to develop? You're well on your way to caramelized onion.

07 of 07

The Caramelized Onions

Here they are—a rich, golden brown hue and bursting with smoky, sweet onion flavor.Need an excuse tothrow a few burgers on the grill? Delicious caramelized onions like this are all the reason you need. Also, trythisclassic French onion soup.

Here's an appetizer idea as well:get some puff pastryand spread a sheet of it on a baking pan. Brush it with butter, then top it with caramelized onions and chunks of Brie and bake until the cheese is melted and the pastryis puffy and golden brown.