I am having a serious moment with caramelized onions. Ask me why and I will answer honestly that I have no clue. In fact, for all of my childhood as well as most of my adult life, I have specifically avoided caramelized onions at all costs. If I was out at a restaurant and saw that they were on a menu item that I was otherwise interested in, I would order the dish and request no onions. I’ve absolutely loved French onion soup for the past decade. However, I typically eat the cheese, bread, and broth and leave the onions for the trash. It wasn’t until very recently that I started to consume them more and more. I’ve chalked it up to the fact that all my life, restaurants just haven’t been doing it right at all. They’ve really been messing up their caramelized onion game, and it’s up to me to correct it.

Now I know they aren’t much to look at. And they sure as heck take forever to make. BUT after making at least one batch of these little babies every single week for the past month or so, I can tell you that they are absolutely worth it. I enjoy making this recipe because they are delicious on their own but they are also incredibly versatile. This week I re-purposed mine into two other recipes that will be coming your way this week as well. Look at that. You came here for some onions and you’ll leave with something to look forward to this week. I aim to please, after all. And that’s not all. This recipe is paleo as written, but it is very easily Whole30 compliant as well by simply omitting the coconut sugar from the recipe. I hope you make them and I hope you love them as much as I do!

thehungryhungryhiker

Caramelized Onions

A basic recipe for caramelized onions that is paleo as written and is easily customized to comply with Whole30 as well
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 white onions, large sliced very thin
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar omit for Whole30
  • splash broth or water helpful if onions start to stick

Equipment

  • Large skillet (I used nonstick)

Method
 

  1. Start by peeling your onions and slicing them into very thin, long strips. A mandoline slicer works great for this! Be sure to separate the layers so that each piece of onion is just one onion layer.
  2. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the ghee and melt.
  3. When the ghee has melted, begin to add the onions. In three to four batches, place a handful of onions in the skillet and stir to coat with the ghee. Wait one to two minutes before repeating with the next handful. Repeat this process until all of the onions have been added into the pan and coated with ghee.
  4. Add the salt and coconut sugar (if using) and stir to combine and coat completely. Stir once every five to ten minutes until onions have reduced and start to turn a deeper shade of brown. They might start to crisp slightly on the ends. If the onions start to stick to the pan, add in a splash of water or chicken or vegetable broth and stir. However, if you use a nonstick skillet your onions should not stick. It can take up to 45 minutes for the onions to caramelize but it is worth every bit!