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Caramelized Onions

Caramelized onion recipe
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5 from 3 reviews

Here’s how to caramelize onions so they’re deep brown and tender! This caramelized onion recipe is an essential technique for all home cooks. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 3 pounds yellow onions (5 medium onions)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1.  Thinly slice the onions about 1/8-inch thick (we used a French cut by slicing stem to root; go to minute 1:40 of the linked video for a tutorial).
  2. In a soup pot, heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and just starting to become light brown on the bottom layer.
  3. Reduce to medium-low heat and stir in the kosher salt. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes and adjusting the heat so they continue to cook slowly without burning. The onions will change from raw to golden to light brown to very dark brown and reduce in volume by about 1/4 (see the graphic above). Make ahead tip: Make the caramelized onions in advance and refrigerate for up to 4 days before serving, or freeze them for up to 3 months (see above for more).