Basic Caramelized Onions Recipe
Caramelized onions add a sweet and savory note to anything they top. Try them over grilled chicken, with cheese on your next pizza, or in our Black Forest Ham and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, halved and sliced paper thin (about 4 cups)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat until foaming.
- Add the onions, and let them cook, stirring rarely, until they are deep golden brown and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, remove from the pan, and let cool.
Not necessary, slow cooking the onions brings out the
natural sugars. You can add a pinch of sugar, but try it first to decide.
I also add a few tbs of water and cover the pan to get things started, it helps soften the onions and speed things up. Also "medium heat" means about 1.5 to 2 on my electric stove!
Adding sugar is cheating! Cooking the onions lower and slower will coax their natural sugars out. That being said, adding sugar will certainly make them sweeter.
Does anyone add a pinch of sugar to the cooking onions? Ive heard that before.