Big Batch Caramelized Onions
If you love caramelized onions like I do, this tip will save you tons of time and allow you to have these delicious morsels on-hand and ready to use whenever you need them. This is the perfect way to spend a morning or afternoon at home while still being able to get other things done. You don’t have to stay glued to the stove the whole time.
Typically, to get dark, caramelized onions, you have to spend a good chunk of time during your meal prep letting them slowly sautée. Doing one big batch, portioning them out out and freezing them allows you to have them pre-cooked and ready to add to any recipe. I started doing this a couple years ago and haven’t gone back.
1 bag yellow onions (or whatever type onion you prefer)
Cooking oil (avocado, canola or olive)
Salt & Pepper
Snack or sandwich size Ziploc bags
The first step is to peel and cut your onions. I’ve tried both dicing and slicing the onions and have found that I prefer a small dice. Thin, long slices of onion is delicious but it doesn’t always work in every recipe. I’ve found the small dice to be more versatile and easier to incorporate. When you’re almost done prepping the onions, start heating your biggest sautée pan or pot to low-medium heat. Before adding the onions, add a small amount of cooking oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add all the onions, three big pinches of salt & pepper and stir to evenly coat them with oil. Now, just occasionally give them a stir and let them soften and caramelize. This process can take a couple hours if you’re cooking a giant batch. If you find that onions are cooking quickly or burning, turn the heat down slightly. Brace yourself for the disappointment when you see how much the onions shrink down as they cook. You start our with a full pan and end up with a quarter of the amount. It sucks, but it’s the price you pay to get the final result.
The idea is to slowly caramelize the onions so they will stay sweet and retain their juice. If you cook them too fast, they’ll burn and taste bitter. Gradually, they will go from white, to light brown and finally to a deep caramel brown. Once completely caramelized, give them a taste to see if you need to add more salt & pepper. Season as needed then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, portion out into Ziploc bags. I like to squeeze all the air out of the bag before sealing it and press the contents flat. This helps take up less space in the freezer. Place the bags on a small baking tray or plate and pop them into the freezer. Once they’ve frozen in this flat position, you can remove the tray/plate and store them easily on a shelf in the door. When needing to use the onions, they will thaw within minutes out on the counter or you can just toss them in frozen. Enjoy!
