This process, caramelization, occurs as the onions' sugars release and cook. Here's how. Slicing lengthwise, and not too thinly, maintains the onions' cell structure and keeps them from becoming mushy.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Cook 8 minutes, stirring. A nonstick pan enables long, slow cooking using just a little oil. Beginning over medium-high heat jump-starts caramelization; the salt helps to quickly extract the onions' sugary juices.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 35 minutes or until deep amber, stirring. Use for pizzas, panini, or pasta tosses. Caramelized onions are more than just a delicious allium preparation. They're a message to our get-rich-quick, dinner-in, six-pack-while-you-sleep society. We need to listen. Recipes that promise caramelized onions in 10, 15, or 25 minutes should be approached with extreme caution. Caramelized onions take time—at least half an hour, often closer to an hour, sometimes longer.
There's no good way to avoid that. Here's what you need to know to make them right, and what not to do. Caramelized onions are made by very slowly cooking onions so that they become meltingly soft, deeply browned throughout, and wonderfully sweet.
The onions are usually sliced, but can also be diced or minced. Two different browning reactions are at play in the process: caramelization, in which sugars break down into hundreds of new molecules read Stella's great piece on the science of caramel for more on that , and the Maillard reaction , in which proteins and sugars transform into an insane number of new flavor and aroma molecules.
Together, caramelization and the Maillard reaction turn pungent raw onions into something so mild and sweet, it might well be dessert. Caramelized onions need time to gradually and evenly deepen in color, flavor, and sweetness, so that the finished result is consistent throughout, without any bitter notes from burned bits. And even if you do cook them slowly and evenly, caramelized onions shouldn't be cooked until they're so dark that an acrid flavor hangs over them.
Those are caramelized onions you've accidentally burned. The pictures in this article show caramelized onions at a variety of stages, and I took one batch in the images pretty far for illustrative purposes.
But you don't always have to cook your caramelized onions so dark. There's often a good argument for stopping at a lighter shade of brown, depending on the dish. My recipe for French onion soup , for example, encourages a lighter degree of caramelization—an approach that's backed up by the recipes of many famous French chefs.
Short answer, yes. Long answer, yes, but it's disgusting. 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 flavor is off, too, with a chemical bitterness that's just plain wrong. In my testing, I found no amount of baking soda that was acceptable, no matter how little I added.
Even the most minimal quantities ruined the batch. If caramelization is what you want, it stands to reason that adding sugar might be a good idea. More sugar, more caramel! This is another one of those misguided tricks, though—the onions already have more than enough sugar to get them to the super-sweet phase.
When onions caramelize, one of the main things that happens is the sucrose, or natural sugar hidden within their cells, is transformed into other, simpler forms of sugar, including glucose and fructose. Those sugars taste sweeter than sucrose, which accounts for the increase in sweetness as the onions caramelize. Adding sugar to the pot merely adds more sucrose to the formula, and will yield more simple sugars as a result.
It's a lot like tossing more logs on a fire; what you'll end up with is not necessarily a better fire, just a bigger one. Try to enhance the process with extra sugar, and all you'll end up with are extra-sweet caramelized onions—I think way too sweet. You don't need more sugar, you just need enough heat and time to let the sugar that's already there do its thing. Indeed you can! The oven can produce delicious caramelized onions, and it can do so without requiring quite as much attention from the cook.
This can take a very long time, possibly several hours. The advantage of using the oven is that the onions brown more slowly, freeing you from the more constant stirring of the stovetop method and allowing you more time to take selfies for that perfect "Look at me, caramelized onions are HOT" Instagram post. The disadvantages are the overall longer time even if you're a little less tied to the stove during it , and potentially less even results; I've found that onion residue is more likely to scorch on the sides of the pot or pan, for instance, risking slightly burnt flavors.
I prefer to use the stovetop method, but if the oven appeals more, go for it. Luke was recently gifted this carbon steel pan that claimed to be a lighter, better cast iron. Carbon steel browns exceptionally well, heats evenly, and seasons with use like a cast iron. Historically, we have used cast iron to caramelize onions but wanted to put this carbon steel pan to test and see how it stands up to the ultimate test.
Begin by slicing the onions thinly and as uniformly as possible. Similarly sized onions will cook more evenly and be less of a hassle for you to deal with later one. A large pan should hold about onions.
It will require just a little bit more cooking time to caramelizing all of the onions, but they will shrink down immensely. Maintain the medium-low heat and occasionally stir the onions. If your pan is very full like ours, do your best to stir thoroughly. The first noticeable change is the onions turning a slight golden color and begin sweating. Onions are filled with water and release that as part of the cooking process.
If the water starts to pool and does not steam out, feel free to drain some of it out. The onions continue to shrink as time progresses and deepen in color. Near the end of the process, if the onions begin to stick to the pan, deglaze with a splash of water or beef broth. Once the onions are mostly brown, taste one and see what you think! You can stop cooking once they reach a taste you like or continue cooking for deeper caramelized flavor. A variety of onions could be used and introduce their own unique flavors, such as red onions or shallots.
I personally have never tried caramelizing red onions or shallots but am curious! Overall, the cast iron pan and the carbon steel pan caramelized the onions very similarly.
To be really, really, nit-picky, the cast iron pan produced more authentic texture of the onions. Some of the edges were a little more crispy and there was more fond in the pan, whereas the carbon steel would be more forgiving if you left the onions unattended longer and did not stir as frequently.
They both produced great results. What are you favorite ways to use caramelized onions in meals? I love caramelized onions on a juicy burger or steak. Share your ideas in the comments! This was so informative.
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