These Sautéed Onions are an easy way to upgrade nearly any dish.
Let’s take a moment to give onions their due praise. When sautéed just right, onions transform from sharp and tear-inducing to soft, sweet, and flavorful. Having some on hand is the ultimate hack in sprucing up just about every savory recipe in your rotation.
This couldn’t be simpler to do. Using a hot pan and the sweet onion variety of your choosing (my favorites are Vidalia, Maui, and Walla Walla), you’ll cook the onion down until just soft, then hit it with a glug of balsamic vinegar for tang, depth, and more sweetness. It’s a wonderfully complex flavor for such a simple recipe.
Whenever I make a batch of sautéed onions, they find their way into everything I eat for the next few days. I put a spoonful over my scrambled eggs, slather them into a grilled cheese, stir them into pasta, or pile them onto a burger. They add an extra boost of flavor to everything without being totally overpowering, the perfect finish to a restaurant-quality meal.
The difference between sautéed and caramelized
You make sautéed onions by turning the heat up to medium-high and cooking them until they are just tender and translucent. When it comes to Caramelized Onions, that’s a different ballgame. For caramelized, you’ll cook low and slow until the onions turn a rich, dark brown color. The flavor of caramelized onions is deeper and sweeter. Adding balsamic vinegar to sautéed onions is a bit of a cheat here. It helps you achieve a similar caramelized flavor, just in a much quicker fashion.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep your sautéed onions in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave for a few seconds. You can also freeze them in small portions for up to 3 months—just thaw before reheating.
Serving suggestions
Welcome to the world of possibilities. You can put your sautéed onions on whatever your heart desires. Need some inspiration? The onions go great on any sandwich, but I especially love them on Roast Pork Sandwiches. Don’t forget burgers: This recipe for The Best Hamburger Ever is the perfect vessel for sautéed onions. Finally, if you’re more of a pizza lover, try piling them on top of this Flatbread White Broccoli Pizza.
Sautéed Onion Recipe (15 Mins)
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet onions peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel and slice your onions
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Then add the sliced onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring until they start to turn translucent.
- Add the balsamic vinegar. Turn the heat down to medium-low and sauté, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes or until the onions are transparent and a little browned on the edges. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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