This sauteed onions recipe comes out golden brown and tender every time! Here’s how to saute onions for a side dish, sandwich topping, and more.
Here’s another in our kitchen basics: and this one is a skill every home cook should know. How to sauté onions! These easy Sauteed Onions are a building block of the kitchen: you can use them on sandwiches, in grilled cheese, in dips, or even as a side dish. They’re tender, golden brown, and make anything more rich and savory: yet they only take 10 minutes to whip up! Here’s all about how to saute onions.
Cooking onions longer at a lower heat results in soft and golden brown onions. This breaks down the natural sugars, so the onions taste extra sweet. We recommend using butter for the best flavor.
How to saute onions
Caramelized onions are great and all: but most of the time, we don’t have 40 to 50 minutes to spare! That’s where these sauteed onions come in. You can use them as a side dish or a sandwich component, and they only take 10 minutes to cook. Here’s what to know about sauteed onions:
- Use butter for best flavor, but olive oil works too. There’s something about the rich savory flavor of butter. But olive oil is nearly as good!
- Keep the heat on medium high. Don’t go higher or the onions will burn before they’re tender!
- Cook until browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it and taste test at the end. You may find you want to go a little longer: that’s ok too.
Optional adder: balsamic vinegar!
Want to jazz up your sauteed onions? Add a hint of balsamic vinegar! When you are about 5 minutes into the saute, add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. It will evaporate for the rest of the cooking, but leave behind a tangy, sweet essence to the sauteed onions. It’s one of our favorite treats!
Speaking of, you can also add a splash of red wine to onions while you’re cooking them! It infuses a bit of complexity into the flavor as well.
Cooking Tips : How to Saute Onions
FAQ
What is the best pan to sauté onions in?
Should you cover the pan when sauteing onions?
Can you add butter to sauteed onions?
Butter can also be added to give the sauteed onions more flavor. Since butter has a lower smoke point, be sure to use a mixture of butter and oil so it doesn’t brown too quickly. The butter also adds a nice flavor to the onions. There are so many ways to enjoy your perfect sauteed onions!
What are the substitutes for onions?
A small onion is a good replacement for a traditional onion. Other alternatives include pout onions, celery, grated chives, cilantro, garlic powder, garlic, garlic salt, and onion flakes, which is a dehydrated form of onion and has a mild flavor.
How do you saute onions?
Learn how to sauté onions to bring out their natural sweetness and you’ll start adding them to your cooking much more often. Sautéing onions simply means cooking them in a pan with butter, oil, or another fat until the onions are tender. This easy cooking method is super-flexible—there’s no best type of onion to sauté or ideal-size pieces.
Which oil should I use to saute onions?
Opt for olive oil if you’re going to infuse garlic and pepper into your sauté, coconut oil if you’re going to sauté veggies, sesame oil for a nutty flavor, or grapeseed oil for healthier, low-temperature sautéing (via Thrillist ). But maybe you prefer butter? While butter will add rich flavor to onions, it’s prone to burning.