Using Caramelized Onions in Your Recipes - Recipes Just 4 U (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with caramelized onions? ›

We love caramelized onions for their deep, savory-sweet flavor. Try them atop sandwiches, tossed into salads, baked in tarts, and more in these recipes.

How to Use Caramelized Onions. You can use onions prepared this way on top of steak, or for onion soup, tarts, pizza, or onion dip. Or you can do what I did with this batch, eat it straight up.

Caramelized onions add a subtle sweetness that pairs well with ingredients like beef and pasta. Whether you use them in a soup or a side dish, the onions create a depth of flavor.

Our Test Kitchen likes to use butter when caramelizing onions, as it offers the richest flavor. If you avoid dairy or don't have butter, you can caramelize onions in other fat such as margarine or olive oil. Add the onion slices. It's okay if they overlap a bit here because they'll shrink as they cook down.

You can use either oil or butter to caramelize onions — but ideally, you use a combination of both! I like to use olive oil, and this cooking fat tolerates heat particularly well. Meanwhile, butter adds a distinctly rich flavor to the caramelized onions.

Sautéing vs caramelizing

Sautéing is about softening and lightly flavoring the onions, while caramelizing is about developing a rich, sweet complexity. Unfortunately, you can't swap one out for the other without changing the flavor profile of your dish.

Onions are hard to digest largely because they contain fructans, which are not absorbed well in the small intestine. In fact, as fructans ferment, they can cause a great deal of digestive distress in the form of bloating, gas and diarrhea. I recommend avoiding raw onions if your digestive system is sensitive.

Nutritional benefits

Onions contain antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation, decrease triglycerides, and reduce cholesterol levels — all of which may lower heart disease risk.

The good news is that you can make a big batch of caramelized onions and keep them in the fridge to use throughout the week. You can also freeze caramelized onions and they're just as delicious when thawed and reheated.

I've gone for a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzarella but you could definitely use a mix of gouda, gruyere or goat's cheese. Just choose a cheese you like to eat! Caramelised onions are typically made on a cast iron skillet, but I wanted to put my Wonderchef Non-Stick Granite Fry Pan to the test.

What cheese pairs well with onions? ›

As mentioned, the go-to for most recipes is Swiss Le Gruyère AOP which adds that nutty counterpoint to the onions and a rounded earthy note, but there are other choices out there.

For even cooking, and to prevent burning, it's essential to check and stir the onions every five to 10 minutes. And if you don't feel like you're quite up to the task, you can also try making caramelized onions in the slow cooker.

Once the water is boiling or close to it, put a lid on the pan so the onions can steam. This essentially massively speeds up the process of wilting the onions, which can be the first 15-20 minutes of the sautéing process.

Tip: the vinegar serves to deglaze the pan, adds acidity, and brings this recipe together by boosting the tangy and savory flavors of the caramelized onions. If the onions stick to the pan, that's fine.

You definitely want the flavor of butter in your onions—but butter has the tendency to burn. For insurance, use a combination of butter and oil, which has a higher smoking point. But how much do you use? Depending on the consistency you want your onions, you can use more or less fat.

Top them on soups, stews, lentils or beans and rice, burgers, anything that could use some savory charred onion flavor. What do burnt onions taste like? Burnt onions have a sweet taste along with a pleasant bitter char flavor around the edges. The combination is wonderful atop rich, hearty dishes.

Nutritional benefits

Onions contain antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation, decrease triglycerides, and reduce cholesterol levels — all of which may lower heart disease risk.

But compared to most vegetables, onions are naturally sweet. The caramelization process takes advantage of those natural sugars to create intense and unforgettable flavors. These onions can then be used in a recipe in a variety of ways – always providing a complex sweet, savory, rich base for your dish.