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    The Heirloom Pantry » Recipes » Sides

    How to Caramelize Onions for Burgers

    Published: Jun 22, 2022 · Modified: Jul 10, 2022 by Kathleen Higashiyama · The following content may contain paid links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.

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    Pinterest pin for caramelized onions for burgers.

    Caramelized Onions are a rich, flavor-packed addition to burgers, sliders, steaks, and more. It takes just 20 minutes to make, minimal effort, and can be made ahead of time for meal planning.

    Burger topped with caramelized onions on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Whenever we make burgers or Animal Style Fries (In-N-Out Copycat), we make a batch of our caramelized onions. It's the simplest way to prepare caramelized onions and adds so much flavor to a dish. Our method incorporates all of the delicious fond, or the flavorful browned bits in the pan, in the onions for even more flavor.

    Jump to:
    • About Caramelized Onions
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Instructions
    • What to Serve with Caramelized Onions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Top tips
    • Related Side Recipes
    • Did You Like This Recipe?
    • 📖 Recipe

    About Caramelized Onions

    • Taste - Caramelized onions add a unique sweetness to so many dishes.
    • Texture - These browned onions are tender with a light crunch.
    • Effort - You just need to keep your eye on the onions to ensure they don't get stuck to the pan or overcook.
    • Time - It takes a couple minutes to chop the onions then about 20 minutes to cook them.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to make caramelized onions for burgers, including salt, pepper, chopped onions, and butter.
    • Onion - Onion is a pungent and sweet aromatic. For caramelizing, we like to use yellow onions because they have a mild flavor and are delicious when browned. Learn more about all the types of onions.
    • Butter - Butter is a delicious fat to cook the onions in.
    • Water - Adding water while cooking rehydrates the onions to keep them from drying out.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Substitutions

    • White onion - Use white onion if you want to add a stronger and more vibrant onion flavor.
    • Red onion - Use red onion for a richer and slightly more bitter caramelized onion.
    • Shallot - Shallot is more mildly flavored than red onion, but still has a good bite.

    Variations

    • Spicy - Add red chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat to the onions.
    • Raw onions - If you are preparing onions for a burger, you can also just use sliced raw onion. When compared to caramelized onions, raw onions are crisper with a sharper onion flavor.

    Instructions

    Steps to make caramelized onions for burgers in a pan with butter, onion, salt, pepper, and water.
    • Melt butter - Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter. (Photo 1)
    • Caramelize onions - Add chopped raw onions and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the onions are caramelized and browned. (Photo 2 and 3)
    • Add water, stir, repeat - Add about a tablespoon of water every few minutes and give the onions a stir. This rehydrates the onions and deglazes the pan, incorporating all of the browned flavorful bits that get stuck on the pan. Repeat this until the onions are deep golden brown and caramelized. (Photo 4)

    Pro tip: Adding water is critical to both ensure that the onions stay moist and the onions don't stick to the pan.

    What to Serve with Caramelized Onions

    These caramelized onions are easy to make and taste delicious in French onion soup or with a burger and beer or wine. They are also great with Pesto Swiss And Turkey Skillet Sliders, Cheese Quesadilla with Pan Roasted Vegetables, and Bavette Steak (Broiled Garlic Flank Steak).

    Recipe FAQs

    What's the difference between caramelized onions and sauteed onions?

    Caramelized onions are cooked longer than sauteed onions and over lower heat. Caramelized onions will brown nicely and have a sweet flavor while sauteed onions will only brown slightly and maintain a sharper onion flavor.

    How do I know that my onions are done caramelizing?

    When the onions are caramelized, they will be deep brown. If the onions are only lightly browned, that means they are not finished cooking yet.

    Do you serve caramelized onions hot or cold?

    Both! We prefer caramelized onions hot with a burger or in a grilled cheese. However, they are also delicious cold with cold cuts or in certain salads.

    Do you add sugar to caramelize onions?

    No, generally you don't add sugar to caramelize onions. Onions have a naturally sweet flavor that comes out when caramelized. Specifically, the sucrose (natural sugar in the onion) breaks down into glucose and fructose, sweeter and simpler sugars.

    Top tips

    • Storage - Store these sweet onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. In order to reheat them, reheat in a pan over low heat until hot. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
    • Don't stir the onions too much - Be sure to let the onions cook in the pan on their own so they can caramelize and brown. If you keep stirring them, they won't brown. At the same time, don't let them sit too long or they will stick to the pan.
    • Cook the right size onions - Be sure that the onions are finely chopped, but not too small or they will burn. Likewise, don't cut them too thick or the outside of the onions will cook before the middle.
    • Don't overcrowd the pan - While onions shrink when caramelized, be careful to not overcrowd the pan or the onions won't cook evenly.
    Burger topped with caramelized onions on a baking sheet with parchment paper served with another burger.

    Related Side Recipes

    • Blistered Cherry Tomatoes with olive wood spoon and Le Creuset White Braiser.
      Blistered Cherry Tomatoes
    • In-n-Out animal-style fries copycat recipe in a bowl with forks and secret sauce.
      Animal Style Fries (In-N-Out Copycat)
    • Soft-scrambled eggs with cheese (burrata), blistered cherry tomatoes, arugula salad, baguette, balsamic glaze
      Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Tomatoes, and Arugula
    • In-N-Out copycat secret spread sauce in a ramekin with animal-style French fries.
      How to Make In-N-Out Spread (Copycat Sauce)

    Did You Like This Recipe?

    Love these caramelized brown onions? Please leave a 5-star ?????rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY liked it, consider leaving a comment below. Thanks in advance!

    📖 Recipe

    Burger topped with caramelized onions on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 11 votes

    How to Caramelize Onions

    Caramelized Onions are a rich, flavor-packed addition to burgers, sliders, steaks, and more. It takes just 20 minutes to make, minimal effort, and can be made ahead of time for meal planning.
    Prep Time2 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time22 minutes mins
    Course: Sides
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 27kcal
    Author: Kathleen Higashiyama

    Equipment

    • 1 knife
    • 1 cutting board
    • 1 non-stick pan
    • 1 wooden spoon

    Ingredients 

    • 1 medium onion finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • salt
    • black pepper
    • 4 tablespoon water
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Melt butter - Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter.
      1 tablespoon butter
    • Caramelize onions - Add chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the onions are caramelized and browned.
      1 medium onion, salt, black pepper
    • Add water, stir, repeat - Add about a tablespoon of water every few minutes and give the onions a stir. This rehydrates the onions and deglazes the pan, incorporating all of the browned flavorful bits that get stuck on the pan. Repeat this until the onions are deep brown and caramelized.
      4 tablespoon water

    Notes

     
    Cooking Tips
    • Storage - Store caramelized onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. In order to reheat them, reheat in a pan over low heat until hot or let them reach room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
    • Don't stir the onions too much - Let the onions cook in the pan on their own so they can caramelize and brown. If you keep stirring them, they won't brown. At the same time, don't let them sit too long or they will stick to the pan.
    • Cook the right size onions - Finely chop the onion, but not too finely or they will burn. Likewise, don't cut them too thick or the outside of the onions will cook before the middle.
    • Don't overcrowd the pan - Do not overcrowd the pan or the onions won't cook evenly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 27kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theheirloompantry or tag #theheirloompantry!

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    About the Author

    Kat Higashiyama and Alec Totto are recipe developers, food photographers, and the authors behind The Heirloom Pantry. Since 2017, they have shared recipes inspired by their Japanese and Italian heritage and California and Hawaii roots. They reside in San Jose with their two dogs, Peeps and Paisley. Read More…

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