Caramelized Onions

Caramelized onions are onions slowly cooked over low heat until their natural sugars break down and brown, turning rich, sweet, and deeply savory. True caramelization takes 30-45 minutes or more of slow cooking; onions merely softened or lightly browned in a few minutes are sautéed, not caramelized, even though recipes sometimes use the terms loosely.

Yellow, white, and red onions are the varieties most often caramelized, since they have relatively high sugar content. The technique is widely used across cuisines: it forms the base of French onion soup, tops pizza in Italian cooking, and underlies many curries and stews in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines.

Caramelized onions pair well with beef, pork, and chicken, and with rich or aged cheese.