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    Home » All Recipes

    Author: Donna | Published: Jul 26, 2019 | Modified: Feb 9, 2021

    Balsamic Caramelized Onions Plus Tips, Tricks and Uses

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    If you have ever wondered what the best way to caramelize onions is then you have come to the right place. Take your time, be patient and with just a handful of ingredients, you are going to have the best balsamic caramelized onions that can bring a dish from average to all kinds of amazing.

    white bowl heaped high with Balsamic Caramelized Onion

    Balsamic Caramelized Onions

    Balsamic caramelized onions can really take a dish from ok to OMG amazing. It is definitely worth the time it takes to babysit them on the stove to get it just right.

    And it's not that hard. All you will need is a heavy-based saucepan and:

    • thinly sliced onions
    • olive oil
    • salt
    • balsamic vinegar glaze

    That's it.

    You heat the oil, add the onions and a dash of salt. Stir to combine and spread the onions out over the base of the saucepan. Let them cook and cook and cook while you occasionally stir and scrape up any stuck bits.

    After around 20 minutes add the balsamic glaze. Stir. Cook cook cook again and you are good to go.

    wooden chopping board with lots of thinly sliced onions and a sharp knife
    Thinly slice the onions (you might want to put some sunglasses on for this bit)

    Trouble Shooting

    A lot of little things can happen depending on how thinly you have cut the onions, how hot your stovetop gets and how good your saucepan is.

    My onions are sticking: try adding a little bit of water or a little more oil and giving everything a good scrape to make sure nothing gets too burnt sticking to the pan. You may also want to reduce the heat, all stovetops are different so yours may run a little hotter than others.

    It's been 40 minutes and my onions aren't brown enough yet: just keep cooking. Maybe try turning the temperature up a little.

    My mum/grandma/great-aunt adds sugar: I know traditionally a lot of people do add sugar to their caramelized onions but I have never felt the need to. The natural sugars from the onions do the job just fine and the balsamic glaze adds a nice little boost of flavor whilst deglazing the pan.

    thinly sliced onions cooking in a saucepan with a wooden spoon stirring them
    Stir the onions in the salt and olive oil. They will start to get soft after cooking for 15 minutes. make sure you occasionally stir and scrape up any bits from the bottom.

    Can I Make Caramelized Onions On The Grill/BBQ

    Yes, you can.

    The consistency isn't as good as those made on the stove-top and they can sometimes tend to get a wee bit mushy, but if you keep your eye on them they can make camping food taste so much better.

    Simply add the onions, salt, and oil to a foil packet made with heavy-duty aluminum foil (I really don't like cooking with aluminum foil, but seeing as I don't do this very often I make the exception occasionally). Leave a little hole at the top for steam to escape.

    They take close to an hour on the grill/BBQ, and you are going to want to stir them after about the first half-hour.

    caramelized onions getting darker in a saucepan
    The onions will continue getting softer and darker.

    How To Store Caramelized Onions

    Easy.

    Just pop into a glass jar or container with a lid and store in the fridge for a couple of days.

    You can also freeze them in individual portions in ice cube trays, muffin tins or freezer bags to have on hand for a weeknight meal when you don't have the time to make a whole batch.

    I usually pop mine into an ice cube tray, freeze and then remove from the tray and keep stored in a freezer bag. This prevents big clumps sticking together.

    saucepan with Balsamic Caramelized Onions inside being stirred by a wooden spoon
    Once they start to darken like this and get all jammy then you know you are doing the right thing and your onions are ready to have the balsamic vinegar added.

    Now You Have These Delicious Onions What Are You Going To Do With Them?

    Don't worry, we have LOTS of recipes for you to use up these little morsels of deliciousness and make sure none go to waste:

    • Mini Brie Bites With Onion Jam
    • Add a nice dollop to the top of this Cauliflower Mash
    • Caramelized Onion, Cheddar and Potato Pierogies from Or Whatever You Do
    • Caramelized Onion Dip from The Love Nerds
    • Throw it on a pizza (make your own bread machine pizza dough)
    • Add it to the top of a steak
    • Stir through some mashed potatoes
    • Add it to your next batch of homemade bread
    • Delicious on top of your morning eggs
    Mini Brie Bites with Onion Jam
    Caramelized onions make the perfect flavor partner to brie in these mini bites.

    Happy Eating.

    xx

    white bowl heaped high with Balsamic Caramelized Onion

    Balsamic Caramelized Onions

    If you have ever wondered what the best way to caramelize onions is then you have come to the right place. Take your time and be patient and within 15 minutes you are going to have the best balsamic caramelized onions that can bring a dish from average to all kinds of amazing.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Course Basic
    Cuisine Anytime
    Servings 6 serves
    Calories 131 kcal

    Equipment

    • Heavy based saucepan

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 large brown onions
    • 4 tablespoon olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan)
    • 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze
    • pinch of salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Remove the skin from the onions, cut in half and place the onions cut side down on a chopping board. Slice each onion as thinly as you can.
    • Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a heavy-based saucepan (how much oil is needed is going to depend on the size of your pan). Heat over med-low heat until shimmering.
    • Once shimmering add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt to the saucepan and mix to ensure they are covered with the oil. Spread the onions over the base of the pan.
    • Leave the onions to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure to scrape up any bits sticking to the pan and incorporate them back into the mixture.
    • At this point, you want to add in the balsamic glaze. Drizzle it over the onions and then stir to incorporate, making sure to scrape up any bits again. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Once the onions have become soft and a deep golden brown in color then they are ready. Remove from the heat and store in a glass jar with a lid in the fridge until ready to use.

    Notes

    Troubleshooting:
    My onions are sticking: try adding a little bit of water or a little more oil and giving everything a good scrape no make sure nothing gets too burnt sticking to the pan. You may also want to reduce the heat, all stovetops are different so yours may run a little hotter than others.
    It's been 40 minutes and my onions aren't brown enough yet: just keep cooking. Maybe try turning the temperature up a little
    My mum adds sugar: I know traditionally a lot of people do add sugar to their caramelized onions but I have never felt the need to. The natural sugars from the onions do the job just fine and the balsamic glaze adds a nice little boost of flavor whilst deglazing the pan.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 131kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 146mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword balsamic caramelized onions
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment HERE and let us know how it was!

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Don’t forget to follow Whole Food Bellies on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration! Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post! Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group! 

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Flo whitehead says

      December 14, 2022 at 9:49 pm

      on cooking these up to add to the cheeses &onion whirl recipe, colouring up beautifully!!!

      Reply
    2. Tushar says

      July 20, 2021 at 1:26 am

      I am glad to read this article. Balsamic caramelized Onions are very tasty to eat. Thankyou

      Reply
    3. Toni says

      August 09, 2019 at 5:01 am

      This is really awesome! Thank you so much for the tips!

      Reply
    4. Dorothy Reinhold says

      August 08, 2019 at 9:52 am

      I wish I had some of these waiting in the fridge at all times! So many amazing uses.

      Reply
    5. Liren Baker says

      August 08, 2019 at 8:31 am

      So many great ideas for using caramelized onions!

      Reply
    6. Nellie Tracy says

      July 30, 2019 at 10:13 am

      Seriously love these! They're so versatile. Such a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Donna says

        July 30, 2019 at 12:37 pm

        Glad you enjoy them as much as we do 🙂

        Reply
    7. Robin says

      July 30, 2019 at 9:26 am

      These were just what I needed. The onions were perfect on steak.

      Reply
      • Donna says

        July 30, 2019 at 10:05 am

        Oh yay I am so glad you liked them, my hubby LOVES them on his steak as well!

        Reply

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