Quick & Easy Garlic Caramelized Onions - Healthy Little Vittles (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to caramelizing onions quickly? ›

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.

If you have the time to properly caramelize onions, the silky, luscious strands will more than pay you back for your effort. Learning how to caramelize onions means you've always got a flavor-rich, healthy condiment at the ready.

A large cast iron or steel pan is essential for creating the best caramelized onions. A heavy pan is ideal because it evenly distributes heat and will cook the onions evenly. Even cooking = the best caramelized onions. Nonstick pans don't work quite as well and prolong the process.

Baking soda makes the onions more alkaline, which speeds up the browning reactions necessary for properly caramelized onions. But it also weakens the pectin that holds the onion's cells together, turning what should be soft but distinct pieces of browned onion into a nauseating stew of pea-green mush.

The winner was a technique heralded by America's Test Kitchen, which begins by steaming the onions, covered, over high heat. The onions are then cooked uncovered over medium-high heat until caramelized, at which point a baking soda solution is stirred in.

Tip: use apple cider vinegar for white and yellow onions and balsamic vinegar for red onions. 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.

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. Sautéing onions quickly brings out their natural flavors while maintaining some brightness.

Depending on the consistency you want your onions, you can use more or less fat. Just cover the bottom of your pan for jammy, soft caramelized onions, or add a little more for more structured, slightly charred caramelized onions. The more fat in the pan, the more the onions will fry rather than soften.

After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions, and if you want, you can add some sugar to help with the caramelization process. (I add only about a teaspoon of sugar for 5 onions, you can add more.) One trick to keeping the onions from drying out as they cook is to add a little water to the pan.

What can I use instead of sugar to caramelize onions? ›

Here's an easy recipe on how to caramelize onions without adding any sugar. You only need onions, olive oil, and salt to create one of the best condiments.

Nutritional benefits

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

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.

Third, help things along with a little bit of sugar. In science speak, caramelization is the oxidation of sugars. Here, those sugars are the natural sugars in the onions, but the addition of a small amount of white sugar adds an extra caramelization boost.

You can use butter, oil or a combination of both to caramelise your onions. Butter adds more flavour than oil, but it does have a tendency to burn.

Caramelize the onions: Heat about 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onions and stir to coat. Let cook, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until deeply caramelized, about 1 ½ - 2 hours.

After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions, and if you want, you can add some sugar to help with the caramelization process. (I add only about a teaspoon of sugar for 5 onions, you can add more.) One trick to keeping the onions from drying out as they cook is to add a little water to the pan.