Melted Onions Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do you melt onions? ›

Melt the butter in the stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions. Keep your eye on the onions and stir often at the beginning to allow all the slices to have contact with the bottom of the pot so they start to release their liquid. In about 45 minutes they should have released a good amount of liquid.

Onions lose their bite and melt in your mouth when they're sliced and roasted with butter and fresh herbs and then tenderized further by braising in broth. Serve alongside roasted chicken or cook them in vegetable broth for an easy, elegant vegetarian side dish.

You can use either oil or butter to caramelize onions — but ideally, you use a combination of both! I like to use olive oil, and this cooking fat tolerates heat particularly well. Meanwhile, butter adds a distinctly rich flavor to the caramelized onions.

As soon as the onions start sticking to the pan, let them stick a little and brown, but then stir them before they burn. The trick is to leave them alone enough to brown (if you stir them too often, they won't brown), but not so long so that they burn.

Browning is a quicker method and is best for dishes that need a rich, umami quality without much sweetness. On the other hand, caramelizing onions is a slow process where, though the onions brown, the natural sugars break down over low heat, resulting in a sweet, rich flavor profile.

While onions offer many health benefits, consuming an excess amount can lead to gastrointestinal distress, such as irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux. Although onions are quite safe to consume, rarely they may harm your health if you have any underlying health conditions or when you consume them in excess.

Some people refer to too much onion being oniony, which is not true. Instead, too much onion is said to be sulfury.

Eating onions, especially raw onions, can have a few side effects, including: Gas and bloating. The same substances in onions that feed the healthy bacteria in your gut can be hard for some people to tolerate. Onions are among foods that sometimes cause trouble for people with irritable bowel syndrome.

What makes onions taste better? ›

Soaking raw onions in acid rinses away the harsh flavors and adds pleasant tartness. Soak in Water: Even water washes away those pesky sulfuric flavors.

Another flavorful option is to make a quick pickle of sliced onions in vinegar, fresh lime, or lemon juice with salt. Even just a few minutes in an acidic brine will tone down its intensity considerably while boosting flavor and transforming into a delicious topping for sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more.

To soften the taste of raw onions, slice them thinly or cut them into larger chunks and soak them in very cold water for about 15 minutes. This will soften the taste, making them ideally suited for a salad.

Instead of spending 15 minutes trying to soften onions in a pan (only to scorch them!), try this microwave method. Pop chopped or sliced onions in a bowl, add a spoonful of water, cover with a plate and microwave on high for 3-4min. Carefully remove (the bowl will be very hot) and uncover.

Yes, you can cook onions in the microwave without any oil or butter. Onions naturally contain a high water content, so they will steam and cook in their own moisture. This method is a healthier option and can still yield deliciously cooked onions.

Slice the onions to about ½ inch thick, try to make them the same size so they cook evenly. Melt 4 TBS butter in a pot over medium heat and add the sliced onions. Cover partially and let them simmer, soften, and reduce for about 25 minutes. Stir every few minutes and reduce heat if they start cooking too quickly.