As simple and delicious as it sounds, mastering the art of caramelizing onions is about embracing patience, choosing the right ingredients, and paying attention to the details. With this guide, you’re well on your way to enjoying the sweet, savory goodness of perfectly caramelized onions in a myriad of your dishes. So, get those onions sliced and start transforming them into culinary magic!
- Patience is Key: Caramelizing onions is a slow and steady process. Avoid the temptation to rush it by cranking up the heat. Low and slow is the mantra here, allowing the onions to transform into a rich, caramelized goodness without the risk of burning.
- 2. Use More Onions Than You Think: To account for the significant shrinkage during cooking, use more onions than you initially estimate. A couple of pounds is recommended for a sizable batch, ensuring you have enough of these flavorful gems to last.
- 3. Cut into 1/4-Inch-Thick Strips: For the best results, cut the onions into long, 1/4-inch-thick strips. This size and shape contribute to achieving that tender, jammy, and evenly caramelized perfection.
- 4. Salt to Draw Out Moisture: Kickstart the caramelization process by salting the onions right before you begin cooking. This helps draw out moisture, a crucial step before the onions can truly caramelize.
- 5. Choose the Right Fat Source: Cook your onions in a fat source over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes to an hour. Butter, olive oil, or any neutral oil will work wonders. Keep a close eye, checking every 10 minutes, and sprinkle a little water if brown bits start forming and catching the pan.
- 6. Watch for the Perfect Color and Texture: Your cue that the onions are ready is when they turn a deep brown color, achieving a jammy texture. They should be translucent and sweet. If there’s still a raw onion bite or they’re a bit crunchy, give them a bit more time to cook.
- 7. Storage for Extended Enjoyment: Refrigerate your caramelized onions in a tightly sealed container, and they’ll stay delicious for about a week. Get creative – they’re versatile and enhance the flavor of various dishes, from curries, rice dishes(Mujadara, biryani), cheese toasts, pasta, salads, burgers, sandwiches, soups the list is endless only limited by your imagination.
How To Use Caramelized Onions
Caramelized onions is very versatile and used in so many classic and innovative recipes limited only by one’s imagination. Here are some of our and blog favorites.
- Lentil Pilaf with Caramelized Onions.
- Caramelized Onion Dip
- French Onion Toast
- French Onion Soup with Mushrooms
- Spinach Stuffed Salmon with Caramelized Onions
- Fig & Caramelized Balsamic Onion Pizza
- Vegetable Biryani (coming soon)
- Bhuna Masala(checkout many of my Indian curries that start with caramelizing onions to make flavorful Indian curries.)
Storage Tips
Your caramelized onions will stay fresh for up to a week. For later use I recommend portioning and freezing them in small containers or ice cube trays.
Caramelized Onions
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs white or any colored onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Warm oil in a large pan over high heat then drop the heat rot a medium. Add the sliced and sprinkle with salt. Sauté for a couple of minutes until everything is coated with the oil and salt.
- Reduce the heat to a medium and stir the onions every few minutes so they evenly caramelize. If the onions start to catch to the pan sprinkle a little water and saute. It's very important to saute every 1-2 minutes so they evenly brown.
- Patience is key, cranking the heat will not result in jammy onions. Adding more oil will crisp the onions.
- Once the desired color is achieved take it off the heat, and use in your recipe.
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Turned out perfectly. So many uses.