The taste and aroma of caramelized onions are similar to sauteed garlic. The smell just fills the air and people wander over to see what you are making or they make the comment “smells good in here!”. Caramelized onions are one of my favorite ways to elevate a dish from good to great. There is just something about them that makes the dish that much better. Try this quick caramelized onion recipe today!
You often find recipes online for caramelized onions that take 45-60 minutes. Yes the time may bring out the flavor of natural sugars more, but I found that my quick and easy recipe gets the job done in less than 20 minutes AND you still have the burst of flavor from the caramelized onions! Give one of my favorite toppings a try!
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- How to Make Quick Caramelized Onion Recipe
- Quick Caramelized Onions Versus Traditional Caramelized Onions
- Traditional Caramelized Onions
- Variations
- Nutrition
- Storage
- Top tip: Don’t skip the salt! The salt helps bring out the sweetness of the onion and draws out moisture so they can be nice and crispy!
- Quick Caramelized Onions
- Recipes to Add Caramelized Onions To:
Ingredients
- Butter - Adds a lot of richness to the flavor and is essential for getting the caramelized onion you are going for!
- White onions - I prefer white onions due to the flavor, but you can also use: red onions, yellow onions, sweet onions (Vidalia onion)
- Red wine vinegar - It adds more flavor to the onions and helps deglaze the bottom of the pan and get the lovely browned bits into the onions. This is my secret ingredient!
- Granulated sugar - Not essential for caramelized onions but when doing quick caramelized onions, I like to add it as we are not cooking the onions for 45 minutes to bring out the sweet flavor of the onions as much.Salt - The salt helps bring out the sweetness of the onions.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Quick Caramelized Onion Recipe
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Melt butter and cook onions: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the raw onions. Cook onions for 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
Add the other ingredients: After 10 minutes stir in the red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, and salt and cook for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
Add to dish: Remove the sauteed onions from the heat and transfer the dish you are adding the onions to.
Hint: My secret ingredient is red wine vinegar, which helps deglaze the pan during the cooking process!
Quick Caramelized Onions Versus Traditional Caramelized Onions
Quick Caramelized Onions
My preference is the quick caramelized onion way, as I do not have a lot of time on my hands being a mom of young kiddos. This method takes less than 20 minutes and the onions will hold a better shape and be more crunchy in texture. You still get the natural sweetness of the onions in this method as well.
Traditional Caramelized Onions
The traditional way takes about an hour or more to achieve a caramelized onion. The onions tend to be softer and have more of a “jammy” texture.
Variations
Replace the red wine vinegar - You can replace the red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar and even a few tablespoons of water to prevent the onions from sticking to the pan.
Want less sugar? Drop the granulated sugar! It is not necessary.
Nutrition
As a Dietitian, I am always looking for the health benefits of the ingredients I use in my recipes! Onions are very underrated and are very beneficial for our health.
Flavonoids - a natural plant substance that has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help decrease inflammation and protect against chronic diseases. A specific flavonoid found in onions is quercetin, that offers many heart health benefits.
Prebiotics and fiber - Onions are a prebiotic (food for probiotics) that helps with digestion. This can lead to gas or bloating, but the good news is that cooked onions are easier to digest which can lessen the chance of gas or bloat.
Storage
Once cooled completely, you can store caramelized onions in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze the caramelized onions for up to 6 months. Place them in an airtight and freezer-safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheat the onions in the microwave. Microwave in 30-second increments and stir in between each increment.
Top tip: Don’t skip the salt! The salt helps bring out the sweetness of the onion and draws out moisture so they can be nice and crispy!
Looking for other recipes? Try these:
Quick Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large white onion thinly sliced
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook onions for 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
- After 10 minutes stir in the red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, and salt and cook for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove the onions from the heat and transfer the dish you are adding the onions to.
Nutrition
Recipes to Add Caramelized Onions To:
Brie Cheese Pizza with Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam
Havarti Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Jalapeno Jelly
bww sauce flavors
Only 20 minutes for that deep caramelized flavor? The red wine vinegar trick sounds genius. https://buffalowildswingsmenu.us/