How to Make Caramelized Onions

Caramelized onions are made by very slowly cooking onions until they’re meltingly soft, deeply browned, and wonderfully sweet. Preparing caramelized onions is a technique you’ll learn once and master forever; it’s that easy. What follows is a basic caramelized onion recipe, plus the five tips you need to make a perfect batch of this sweet and savory treat.  

Instructions

Step 1
Peel, trim, halve the onions lengthwise, and cut into ¼-inch thick slices.  

Step 2
Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until just warmed through, about 45 seconds. Add the onions and 1 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the onions begin to wilt, brown in places, and stick to the pan, 15 to 20 minutes.  

Step 3
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, stirring and scraping the pan occasionally. If the onions begin to look or smell like they're burning, add 1 or 2 Tbsp of water, lower the heat, and continue to cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits in the pan.  Continue stirring and scraping the pan, adding water, and adjusting the heat as needed until the onions are a rich dark brown, caramelized, significantly reduced, and silky another 35 to 45 minutes. 

Step 4
Enjoy the onions immediately, or cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week. 

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