Caramelizing onions the traditional way can take over an hour. Here's a rapid-fire way to get soft, sweet onions in only 15 minutes.
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Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated January 12, 2024
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Why It Works
- A heavy-bottomed pot or pan helps evenly distribute heat.
- Regularly deglazing with water prevents the burning that higher heat caramelization would typically cause.
There's really no substitute for traditional caramelized onions cooked slowly over a low flame. But in a pinch, the process can be rushed along with higher heat and a bit of water to prevent burning.
The trick is to use a heavier pot or pan—a tri-ply stainless steel saucepan or enameled cast iron Dutch oven is ideal—that can transfer heat slowly and evenly, preventing the hot and cool spots that are the bane of good caramelization.
Every time the fond (that's the browned bits of sugars and proteins that stick to the bottom of the pot) threatens to burn, just add a few tablespoons of water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits up. The browned sugars and proteins end up dissolving in the water then spread themselves evenly around the onions. In no time at all, you have deep, dark, sweet onions.
Will they ever truly rival real-deal caramelized onions? Nope. But will they make a welcome addition to your next burger, sandwich, pizza, or roast? Absolutely.
An earlier version of this recipe suggested using sugar and baking soda for even faster results. Due to reader complaints and further testing, we no longer recommend this adjustment.
August 2012
Recipe Details
15-Minute Caramelized Onions
Cook15 mins
Active15 mins
Total15 mins
Serves4
Makes1 cup caramelized onions
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
2 to 3 large onions, finely sliced (about 5 cups)
Water
Kosher salt
Directions
Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed stainless steel or enameled cast iron saucepan over high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until bottom of saucepan is glazed in a pale brown fond, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and scrape up fond with wooden spoon.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until fond has built up again, about 2 minutes longer. Add 2 more tablespoons water and scrape up browned bits. Repeat cooking, adding water, and scraping until onions are completely softened and a deep, dark brown, about 15 minutes total. Season to taste with salt. Remove from saucepan rapidly to prevent burning.
Special Equipment
Stainless steel saucepan or enamel cast iron Dutch oven
Read More
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 149 | Calories |
| 3g | Fat |
| 29g | Carbs |
| 4g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 149 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 3g | 4% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol 8mg | 3% |
| Sodium 189mg | 8% |
| Total Carbohydrate 29g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 14% |
| Total Sugars 13g | |
| Protein 4g | |
| Vitamin C 15mg | 73% |
| Calcium 63mg | 5% |
| Iron 1mg | 4% |
| Potassium 468mg | 10% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
