15-Minute Caramelized Onions

Caramelizing onions the traditional way can take over an hour. Here's a rapid-fire way to get soft, sweet onions in only 15 minutes.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated February 11, 2025
A bowl of dark brown caramelized onions next to a timer set to 15 minutes.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

  • A heavy-bottomed pot or pan helps evenly distribute heat.
  • Regularly deglazing with water prevents the burning that higher heat caramelization would typically cause.

There's really no substitute for traditional caramelized onions cooked slowly over a low flame. But in a pinch, the process can be rushed along with higher heat and a bit of water to prevent burning.

The trick is to use a heavier pot or pan—a tri-ply stainless steel saucepan or enameled cast iron Dutch oven is ideal—that can transfer heat slowly and evenly, preventing the hot and cool spots that are the bane of good caramelization.

Every time the fond (that's the browned bits of sugars and proteins that stick to the bottom of the pot) threatens to burn, just add a few tablespoons of water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits up. The browned sugars and proteins end up dissolving in the water then spread themselves evenly around the onions. In no time at all, you have deep, dark, sweet onions.

Will they ever truly rival real-deal caramelized onions? Nope. But will they make a welcome addition to your next burger, sandwich, pizza, or roast? Absolutely.

An earlier version of this recipe suggested using sugar and baking soda for even faster results. Due to reader complaints and further testing, we no longer recommend this adjustment.

August 2012

Recipe Details

15-Minute Caramelized Onions Recipe

Cook 15 mins
Active 15 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 4
Makes 1 cup caramelized onions
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 2 to 3 large onions, finely sliced (about 5 cups)

  • Water

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed stainless steel or enameled cast iron saucepan over high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until bottom of saucepan is glazed in a pale brown fond, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and scrape up fond with wooden spoon.

  2. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until fond has built up again, about 2 minutes longer. Add 2 more tablespoons water and scrape up browned bits. Repeat cooking, adding water, and scraping until onions are completely softened and a deep, dark brown, about 15 minutes total. Season to taste with salt. Remove from saucepan rapidly to prevent burning.

Special Equipment

Stainless steel saucepan or enamel cast iron Dutch oven

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
149 Calories
3g Fat
29g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 149
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 189mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 15mg 73%
Calcium 63mg 5%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 468mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes