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GET IT NOWMy Caramelized Onion Recipe Is the Secret to Next-Level Flavor
I first got obsessed with learning how to caramelize onions when I realized how much better they tasted at restaurants—soft, sweet, and packed with flavor. Turns out, carmelized onions just takes a little patience and the right method to make them taste like that at home too. I’ve tested a lot of ways, and this one gives me perfect results every time. Here’s why I love it (and you will too):
- Sweet and savory flavor – Cooking the onions low and slow brings out all their natural sweetness while still keeping that savory depth. It’s like a flavor bomb for anything you add them to.
- Surprisingly easy – You only need 3 ingredients and some patience. I usually let them do their thing while I prep the rest of dinner.
- So versatile – This caramelized onion recipe takes just about any dish up a notch. I love adding them to burgers, steak, soups, eggs, or even low carb pizza. Check out my serving ideas below for more fun ways to use them.
Make them with me and see how they can totally transform your meals.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my caramelized onion recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Onions – I usually go with white or yellow onions for classic caramelized onions, but red or Vidalia work too if that’s what you have. They’ll just be a little sweeter.
- Salted Butter – Adds the best flavor and won’t burn since we’re keeping the heat low. If you’d rather use olive oil, that works too
- Chicken Bone Broth – I like using bone broth for the extra richness, but regular chicken broth is totally fine. A splash here and there keeps the onions moist and helps scrape up all those browned bits from the pan. You can even swap in a little balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze if you want that tangy-sweet flavor.
How To Cut Onions For Caramelizing
You can cut onions in two ways – slicing or dicing. I personally prefer my caramelized onions sliced, so that they make luxurious ribbons when complete, but diced onions will caramelize, too.
- To slice the onion: Start by peeling it and cutting off both ends. Slice it in half, then place each half flat side down. Make even slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, going from one end to the other. Repeat with the other half.
- To dice the onion: Peel off the skin and cut off both ends. Slice it in half, then lay each half flat-side down. Make even slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick from one end to the other. Then turn the onion 90 degrees and slice again to create a dice. Repeat with the other half.
TIP: For both of these methods, if you want even more uniform pieces, slice radially.
To do this, after cutting the onion in half, cut from the outside in toward the center. You can watch me do it in this video.
How To Caramelize Onions
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Melt butter. Heat unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat, until melted.
- Add the onions and broth. Add the sliced onions and some bone broth (or regular chicken broth) to the pan. This will help keep them moist. Saute, stirring occasionally with a spatula, but not constantly.
- Hydrate and deglaze. I add a bit more broth, scrape any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Caramelize. Continue to cook the caramelized onions recipe, until golden brown.
My Recipe Tips
- If the onions are too thin, they can burn fast. Too thick, and they take forever to cook. I aim for slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, but somewhere in the middle works best.
- Use a big skillet with high sides. I like using this pan, but cast iron or stainless steel work great too. You want plenty of surface area so the onions can spread out and cook evenly.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Trust me, I’ve tried squeezing in too many onions before, and all that does is make them steam. Two large onions in a large skillet is the sweet spot.
- High heat will burn them, and low heat will leave you waiting all day. I usually start at medium and drop it to medium-low if things start browning too fast.
- I check and stir about every 5 minutes or so. Constant stirring just slows things down and makes it harder to get that golden color.
- Caramelized onions are totally worth the wait, but they do take time. Usually at least 20 minutes, sometimes up to an hour if I’m making a big batch. It all depends on the size of the onions and the pan.
- If I’m in a hurry, I’ll add a tiny pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) of baking soda per pound of onions. Or I just make a smaller batch. It cooks a lot faster that way.
Caramelized Onions (Best Easy Method)
Learn how to caramelize onions the easy way with my tips & tricks! This caramelized onions recipe gives you sweet, golden results every time!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat, until melted.
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Add the onions and 2 tablespoons (29.57 milliliters) of broth. Saute for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally but not constantly.
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Add 2 more tablespoons of broth to keep the onions hydrated, and scrape the bottom to deglaze. Continue to saute for 10-20 more minutes, until browned and caramelized. (Time will vary depending on your stove, pan size and material, and size and shape of the onions. Reduce heat if they start to brown too much.)
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get perfectly sliced onions, that deep golden brown color, and sweet caramelized flavor every time.
- Serving ideas: See my serving ideas below easy, delicious ways to use up your caramelized onions in everything from breakfast to dinner.
- Store: Keep the onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Reheat: Warm them in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat, until they sizzle.
- Freeze: Pop them in a zip lock bag or freeze in ice cube trays for smaller portions. They’ll keep for up to 6 months. Just thaw in the fridge or a bowl of water.
- Note on servings: This entire caramelized onions recipe makes 1 1/2 cups.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Serving Ideas
Wondering what to do with a big batch of caramelized onions? Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:
- Proteins – I love piling these caramelized onions on burgers or steak (filet mignon if I’m feeling fancy, flank steak if I’m keeping it budget-friendly). They’re also amazing on air fried brats, in the gravy for my smothered pork chops, or as the star in French onion chicken.
- Breakfast – I love stuffing these sweet onions into a fluffy omelette, or tossing them into a bbreakfast casserole or spinach quiche for a little flavor boost.
- Soups & Salads – I always use them in my low carb French onion soup, but they add a big flavor boost to all kinds of soups. I also love tossing them into salads like salmon, grilled chicken, or even cheeseburger salad for a touch of sweetness.
- Appetizers – French onion dip is always a hit and only takes 6 ingredients, but sometimes I mix caramelized onions into spinach dip too for extra flavor.
- Noodles – I like stirring them into a big bowl of pasta, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash with marinara. So simple, but so good.
Caramelized Onions
21 Comments
Cory Kent
0I just wanted to add that if you’re vegan or like me, just like to avoid extra animal products when easy enough, I use a vegan broth. I don’t know if I should post the brand here, but it’s not vegetable broth from a container or a cube. And it comes with all the flavor you could ask for, except obviously for the animal flavors if you like that.
The recipe is perfect, amazing, and wonderful. That’s just the twist I make, and still only adds 1g of carbs.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked these caramelized onions, Cory! Yes, as you’ve found, it works great with vegetable broth, too.
Raina Gallt
0I took advantage of the time while caramelizing the onions to do other meal prep. It was a win-win!
Wendy
0These are delicious! We put them on burgers with a chaffle bun. The next day we used the leftovers on a grilled roast beef. So many options!
Ericka
0This was easily done and my caramelized onions really were “prettier” and tastier than what I was doing before. Thank you so much for sharing what you do with us, it is really appreciated by me, anyway!
Lorna
0This method for caramelizing onions is absolutely outstanding! I was blown away by the consistently amazing results it delivered every time I tried it. The onions turned out irresistibly sweet, bursting with flavor, and the instructions were a breeze to follow. I would definitely be making this again!
Helana
0I use this recipe to make caramelized onions for burger night! They’re so easy and fool-proof to make. TASTY!
Taylor
0I thought I knew how to caramelize onions, but the addition of broth is such a game changer! I put these things on everything now. SO good.
Michelle
0I’ve always been intimidated by caramelized onions, but your recipe made it so easy to follow along! The step-by-step instructions were a game-changer for me. The onions turned out perfectly sweet and golden brown, and they added an incredible depth of flavor to my dishes. I’m now caramelizing onions for everything! Thanks for demystifying this culinary skill ^ ^
Jane
0Topped my salad with these and I don’t think I’ll ever have another salad with making these. They’re so good!!
Kenneth Mcintosh
0The onion and pork chop recipe is a hit. Also your mashed cauliflower. Will be making these again.
Heather G.
0This is the fastest way to make caramelized onions! I was skeptical about adding broth but it worked perfectly.
Definitely saving this recipe, making again, and passing it along. Thank you!
Michele
0Hi. No criticism, just a question. I didn’t realize the bone broth I have (Pacific organic chicken broth) has cane sugar in it. It’s 4th on the inbred list and there is 1 carb in an 8 oz container. I was going to ask if it would be ok to use, it o figured asking if you would use it would be a better question .
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Michele, Ideally, you should try to find a bone broth that is sugar-free, but that isn’t always possible. Feel free to use what you have, and keep an eye out for a possible better alternative.
Meagen
0Such a great recipe and easy to follow. We will definitely be making them again, came out so well! Yum!
Tim
0The best way to dice onions (used by all the professional chefs I know) is:
1) remove the top of the onion;
2) rest the onion on its top end (now flat, after step 1) with the root uppermost – then slice it in two from the root down (it helps to avoid mess if you twist off any remaining roots before doing this);
3) lay each half onion on its side and make a series of slices at roughly 1/8″ intervals from the outside inwards – making sure not to cut as far as the root so that it remains intact and holds everything together; and
4) turn the onion through 90 degrees and slice at right angles to the many ‘segments’ that step 3 created so that you end up with a fine-to-medium dice (roughly 1/8″ pieces)
The method you recommend will work, but it is MUCH more time-consuming and also results in a less consistent result. Hence why professional chefs use the method described above.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tim, Thanks so much for the tip!
Lisa Sparger
0I love the way you give a recipe with several options for people that eat differently. Like keto, low carb…
Beth
0This post is wonderful! So many great tips that I’m sure to get perfect caramel onions for dinner tonight!
Nellie Tracy
0I LOVE caramelized onions on so many things. Love that this recipe provides a simple way of explaining how to best make them! Thank you!
Gina
0Loved your tips! They were spot on!