How To Make Caramelised Onions
A super simple recipe for making your own caramelised onions at home, plus loads of delicious ways to use them in your meals!
There's something really lovely and delicious about sweet, slowly cooked caramelised onions. They're super tasty, sticky, rich and go oh so well in loads of different meals.
Not only are caramelised red onions super easy to make, but they're really versatile too, that's if you don't just eat them straight from the pan, they're so moorish!
10 Ways To Use Caramelised Onions
Use up these delicious sticky onions in any of the following, or anything else you fancy adding them too!
- Toasted sandwiches and grilled cheese - stuff those melty, cheesy sandwiches with a few spoonfuls of delicious sticky onions.
- Pizzas - caramelised onions are great on a pizza, and hold up really well with mushrooms, goats cheese or saucisson.
- Top focaccia's - making a homemade focaccia, throw some of these delicious onions on top, along with strong Cheddar and maybe a sprinkling of thyme.
- Soup base - use as a base for soup, or as a topping for soup along with some crunchy, crispy garlicky croutons.
- Burger topping - add a spoonful of caramelised onions onto burgers, these work well with beef or veggie burgers, especially with sweet potato burgers, totally delicious!
- Turn into a pasta sauce - add some ricotta, some chopped spinach and some chopped walnuts, maybe a splash of marsala and stir through freshly cooked spaghetti or rigatoni.
- Finish off a steak - slide that steak onto the plate and top with a little mound of these sweet sticky onions. Perfect!
- Onion gravy - make a quick cheat version of onion gravy, and stir through some Bisto. Perfect with sausage and mash pie.
- Pep up a casserole - stir these onions through meaty casseroles for a little added sweetness and flavour.
- Make mashed potatoes - super tasty when stirred through buttery mashed potatoes

Equipment Needed To Make Caramelised Onions
- Chopping board
- Vegetable knife
- Frying pan or saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Tablespoon
Ingredients For Caramelised Onions
You'll only need five ingredients to make these delicious, sticky, sweet onions

- 2 tablespoon olive oil (you can swap this for butter if you prefer)
- 3 large red onions - peeled and sliced into half moons
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Pinch of salt
How To Caramelise Onions
It's super easy to make caramelised onions
Step One - fry the onions
- Add the olive oil to the frying pan over a low heat. Tip in the sliced onions, add a pinch of salt, and fry gently for around 30-40 minutes, you'll just need to give them a stir every 10 minutes or so. And keep cooking until they're super soft and cooked through.


Step Two - add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar
- Add the brown sugar to the cooked onions and pour in the Balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the onions turn sticky and the Balsamic vinegar has reduced down.


- When they're cooked to your liking and sticky and delicious, that's it, they're ready! Just use in your chosen recipe or meal.

How To Store Caramelised Onions
In the fridge
These sticky, delicious onions can be kept in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
In the freezer
Put the cooled caramelised onions into freezer safe bags, tie and label. Then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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How To Make Caramelised Onions
An easy recipe for delicious, sweet, sticky caramelised onions
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large red onions - sliced into half moons
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to the frying pan over a low heat. Tip in the sliced onions, add a pinch of salt, and fry gently for around 30-40 minutes, you’ll just need to give them a stir every 10 minutes or so. And keep cooking until they’re super soft and cooked through.
- Add the brown sugar to the cooked onions and pour in the Balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the onions turn sticky and the Balsamic vinegar has reduced down.
- When they’re cooked to your liking and sticky and delicious, that’s it, they’re ready! Just use in your chosen recipe or meal.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 87Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 26mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g
Nutritional content will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use and how careful you are with measuring - this nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate - you should always calculate your own nutritional information especially if you have specific dietary requirements.
Get more delicious meal ideas and easy recipes here
Wendy is the creator of Daisies & Pie, a UK food blog sharing easy meals and home lifestyle tips since 2012



