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Here are all the best onion recipes to make starring this tasty root vegetable! It adds irresistible savory flavor to any dish.

Sauteed onions
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Got a few onions on hand? Onions are key in a multitude of recipes to bring savory flavor to a dish. More than almost any other vegetable, onions are used widely across cuisines of the world. Here at A Couple Cooks, we have so many recipes with onions it’s hard to count! (Probably hundreds.) But we’ve got a good handful that feature onions as the star.

Here are all our best onion recipes! We’ve got quick pickled onions that add a bright zing to your tacos and pizza, or caramelized onions that add sweet savory flavor to dips and pizzas. Or try our three onion fried rice, a bowl of warm, egg-y, crispy rice with sriracha and silky mayo that’s some of the best comfort food around.  

And now…the best onion recipes to try!

How to cut an onion

The most important skill to know when cooking with onions is how to cut them! If you haven’t mastered this skill yet, it’s our #1 building block for becoming a master home cook. Alex and I have a great method that’s easier than the standard way. Here’s our secret for how to cut an onion (see the video below!):

  1. With a large chef’s knife, cut off the top and root end of the onion. Stand the onion on the flat cut side, and cut it down the center.
  2. With your fingers, remove the paper and outer layer of the onion.
  3. Place the onion half on its flat side, then cut slices parallel to the root end, leaving room at the end so that the slices stay attached.
  4. Cut slices in the other direction, following the curve of the onion. When you’ve cut halfway through, flip the onion down onto the flat cut side and continue slicing. See the video for this part!
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Sauteed Onions (& More Onion Recipes!)

Sauteed onions
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This sauteed onions recipe comes out golden brown and tender every time! Here’s how to saute onions for a side dish, sandwich topping, and more.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings as a side 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Sauteed
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 medium yellow onions (or sweet onions)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter (or 1 tablespoon of each)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Optional adder: Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar with the kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Slice the onions
  2. In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the olive oil or butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste to assess doneness and add a few pinches or salt until the flavor pops. 

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A few more onion recipes

Here are a few more recipes where onions play an important supporting role:

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Love this sit.. love onions..