The Hands-Off Method That Makes Caramelized Onions Easy To Prep In Bulk

Caramelized onions are a versatile ingredient that adds deep umami flavor to any dish. Unlike their raw counterpart, which adds a pungent zing. While both are delicious, caramelized onions can take considerable time and effort. Instead of standing over your stove for hours, the perfect hands-off method can be achieved using a tool that has many great applications: a slow-cooker.

Simply add onions to your slow cooker, and let them sweat for 8 to 10 hours. No need to constantly watch or babysit, a stir here and there whenever you find yourself in your kitchen will suffice. This method also allows you to cook a large amount of onions down into a sweet, jam-like ingredient that can be used to top burgers, make French onion soup, provide flavor to an umami-packed dip, or even to eat by the spoonful. Just like when making caramel, you can always add a splash of water in the beginning for a more even brown color and to prevent it from burning. Caramelized onions also freeze extraordinarily well, which makes them a great ingredient to prep in advance.

Browning is the key to making our foods delicious. But what actually happens to create these complex flavors? The answer is caramelization which naturally occurs when sugars are heated, creating irresistible flavors in dishes like banana's foster, crème brulee, and of course, caramelized onions. These distinct buttery, toasty, and sometimes nutty flavors are what we know as caramel. The key to the caramelization process is to cook slowly to prevent your dish from burning and control the flavor profile.

As onions undergo this process, their sugars break down and react with oxygen, transforming them into savory and tender, melt-in-your-mouth onions. But, take it too far, and they'll produce an off or bitter taste, so avoid these mistakes when caramelizing your onions. While the slow-cooker method might be best for onions in bulk or when you might not have enough patience or time to watch, if you're interested in learning more about the caramelization process, try this foolproof recipe to watch them transform right before your eyes.