How to Caramelize Onions

4.69 from 70 votes

Learn how to caramelize onions perfectly every time. This basic cooking skill is easy, and caramelized onions add so much flavor to recipes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter (¼ stick)
1 lb. yellow onions* peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
¼ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Add the oil and butter to a medium-large skillet set over medium-high heat.
1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Once the butter is melted, add the onion, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
1 lb. yellow onions*, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cook until the onions start to turn brown in spots, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Turn the heat down to low, cover the skillet, and cook 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water as necessary if the onions start to stick to the pan or if the pan starts to get too dark.

Video

Notes

*You can use any onion, but I prefer yellow onions because they have the best flavor balance. Sweeter onion varieties generally caramelize best because they have a higher sugar content, but again, any onion will work (including red onions).

Nutrition