It takes 40 to 1 hour to caramelize onions. I made caramelized onions in both ways, using medium temperature and low temperature.
Using medium temperature, the onions brown quickly but it still took me 40 minutes to get them caramelized. I obviously added water so that they won’t burn.
I prefer to caramelize my onions mostly on low temperature and cook them covered with a lid. In the last 15 minutes of cooking I play between medium and low temperature to get that beautiful golden brown color caramelized onions. It took me 1 hour total to get that beautiful color and flavorful caramelized onions, it’s worth it!
Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 3 medium to large onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Water as needed
Instructions
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Slice the onions thinly.
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Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
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Add the sliced onions.
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Spread them evenly in the pan.
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Season with salt ( put about 1 tsp initially then adjust the seasoning later).
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Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
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Reduce the heat to low.
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Cover the onions with a lid to keep them moist.
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Cook on low for about 30 to 40 minutes or until they start to caramelize(start to brown). Make sure to check on them every 5 minutes and stir them.
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Check the seasoning and add salt as needed.
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The last 15 minutes of cooking the onions, uncover them and increase the heat to medium ( decrease the temperature if needed later).
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Stir constantly and scrape the bottom of the pan and that will add the flavor.
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If the onions are browning quickly, reduce the heat to low again and don’t hesitate to add water (about 1/4 cup) so that you will get an evenly caramelized onions.
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Increase again the temperature to medium to speed the caramelization process and decrease the temperature if needed.
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As I mentioned don’t hesitate to add water( I added water 2 times in the last 15 minutes).
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Once you obtain a nice golden brown caramelized onions, remove from heat.
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Place in a glass container. Let cool at room temperature for few minutes.
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Cover with a lid and refregirate for futur use in your recipes.