Skillet Caramelized Onions
Skillet caramelized onions turn sweet and silky as they cook down with balsamic vinegar, black pepper and thyme. They take 10 minutes to prep and are just as good piled onto a burger as they are folded into a grilled cheese.
For a more hands-off, low-fat version, try my Air Fryer crispy shallots which have the same golden-brown caramelization with a bit of crunch.
Cooking down onions until they get caramelized lends them a beautiful sweet-savory note that can transform pretty much any simple dish and take it to the next level.
If you love those flavors, try my French onion soup chicken for a quick dinner or upside down caramelized onion tarts for a nice party snack.
Quick Look: Skillet Caramelized Onions
- 🔪 Prep time: 10 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook time: 20 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 4
- 📋 Main ingredients: White onions, butter, balsamic vinegar and thyme
- ♨️ Cooking method: Slice → Sauté → Caramelize
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🥣 Serving ideas: In French fries waffle burgers, grilled cheese, pizza or flatbreads.
Summarize & Save This Content With AI
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Skillet Caramelized Onions
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Skillet Caramelized Onions
- 💭 Top Tip
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve Skillet Caramelized Onions
- Troubleshooting and FAQs
- More Easy Condiments
- Skillet Caramelized Onions
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Sweet and tangy. Balsamic vinegar balances the sweetness of the cooked onions, and thyme adds a savory finish. I captured these flavors in my balsamic pickled onions too.
- One skillet. The onions soften and caramelize in the same pan, so there’s little to clean up.
Recipe Ingredients
White onions: these soften into tender strands when sliced thinly.
Butter + oil: To cook down the onions.
Balsamic vinegar: For that tanginess and depth
Black pepper + thyme: To deepen the flavors. I like to use dried thyme from my stash.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Keep the sugar optional. If you prefer a more sweeter taste (like I did when I make hot dog onion sauce), add a couple of pinches of brown sugar.
- Adjust the finish. Use a lighter hand with the balsamic for a milder tang or with the thyme for a more onion-forward topping.
How to Make Skillet Caramelized Onions
Step 1: Peel the white onions and slice them thinly and evenly.
Step 2: Add the onions to a skillet with the butter and oil. Season with ground black pepper and stir over medium heat as the onions soften.
Step 3: Stir in the balsamic vinegar and reduce the heat. Continue cooking, stirring often so the onions brown evenly.
Step 4: Once the onions are soft and deep golden brown, stir in the thyme and take the skillet off the heat.
💭 Top Tip
If the edges start darkening while the slices are still firm, turn the heat down. Give the onions time to soften all the way through.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use a wide skillet. The onions will shrink, but room to spread out helps them cook evenly from the start.
- Stir more often near the end. Once the moisture has cooked off, the onions can catch quickly.
- Look for deep gold. If the onions are still pale or firm after the listed cook time, keep going over low heat. You can also add a spoon of homemade browning sauce to get some deep, complex flavors to the caramelized onions.
- Use leftovers. Use leftover sliced onions to make tobacco onions- a savory, crunchy snack that doubles up as a nice topping.
How to Serve Skillet Caramelized Onions
Spoon the onions over burgers or steak, tuck them into a grilled cheese or breakfast sandwiches made using sheet pan eggs, or simply scatter them over pizza and flatbreads. They’re also good stirred into mashed potatoes or potato Aligot or served on toast with a soft cheese.
I love spooning some of these onions over my s or adding them to my savory breakfast bowl.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
They may still be giving off moisture, especially in a crowded skillet. Keep cooking and stirring until the moisture evaporates and the slices turn deep golden.
The onions sweeten as they cook. Brown sugar is optional in this recipe.
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container. For longer storage, freeze them in small portions so you can thaw just what you need.
More Easy Condiments
Try these other homemade condiments and toppings.
If you tried these skillet caramelized onions or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Skillet Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 5 white onions
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice the white onions.
- Transfer to a skillet along with butter and oil. Add the black pepper powder.
- Cook on medium heat and continue stirring. Add balsamic vinegar and a little bit of brown sugar (optional, to speed up caramelization) and turn down the heat.
- Cook until the onions have developed a deep golden brown color, then add the thyme and take off heat.
Notes
- Slice the onions thinly and evenly so they soften and cook at the same rate.
- Use a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet to allow the onions to cook evenly without overcrowding.
- Cook over medium heat initially, then reduce the heat once the onions begin to soften and brown.
- Stir frequently, especially toward the end of cooking, to prevent the onions from sticking or burning.
- Add a splash of water if the skillet becomes too dry before the onions are fully caramelized.
- Adjust the balsamic vinegar to taste, or add a pinch of brown sugar for a slightly sweeter finish.
- Swap white onions for yellow or sweet onions, or replace thyme with rosemary for a different flavor.
- Serve over burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, steak, pizza, or mashed potatoes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze in small portions for longer storage.
