Caramelized Onions and Swiss Chard Recipe - Don't Waste the Crumbs (2024)

FAQs

Why did my caramelized onions turn to mush? ›

When you add baking soda, the onions start to turn to mush as they caramelize. Delicious mush. But something closer to jam.

Tip: use apple cider vinegar for white and yellow onions and balsamic vinegar for red onions. Tip: the vinegar serves to deglaze the pan, adds acidity, and brings this recipe together by boosting the tangy and savory flavors of the caramelized onions. If the onions stick to the pan, that's fine.

Our Test Kitchen likes to use butter when caramelizing onions, as it offers the richest flavor. If you avoid dairy or don't have butter, you can caramelize onions in other fat such as margarine or olive oil. Add the onion slices. It's okay if they overlap a bit here because they'll shrink as they cook down.

Brown sugar is simply cane sugar with molasses added to it. Therefore, you are adding even MORE sugar, and more brown color, to your onions. Thus the caramelization is so much better and faster! If you don't have brown sugar, feel free to use regular cane sugar or even panela when caramelising onions.

Stirring the onions and scraping down the sides of the pan often to ensure no strand darkens faster than another is key. A heatproof rubber spatula is the tool for this job; it's stiff enough to scrape the bottom of the pan and flexible enough to clean the sides.

When you add baking soda during cooking it changes the pH which increases the Maillard reaction causing the onions to brown more quickly. The higher pH also causes the onions to soften more quickly, which we cover below when we discuss the texture.

After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions, and if you want, you can add some sugar to help with the caramelization process. (I add only about a teaspoon of sugar for 5 onions, you can add more.) One trick to keeping the onions from drying out as they cook is to add a little water to the pan.

For most of the cooking process, the heat should be low or medium-low to prevent the onions from burning before they have a chance to soften and caramelize.

You can caramelize your onion in a little bit of olive oil or plant butter, whatever rocks your taste buds but olive oil is better!

This Apple Cider Vinegar Pickled Onions recipe transforms regular red onions into a sweet, tangy, and zesty side and topping all in one jar. Prep a batch and pull them out for burgers, sandwiches, salads, and so much more. They're absolutely delicious!

Why are my caramelized onions crispy? ›

Caramelized onions are an easy way to add richness and depth of flavor to any dish but if you don't take it low and slow then you're often left with burnt crispy onions.

But how much do you use? Depending on the consistency you want your onions, you can use more or less fat. Just cover the bottom of your pan for jammy, soft caramelized onions, or add a little more for more structured, slightly charred caramelized onions.

Step 1In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until starting to soften. Step 2Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until deep golden and a jam like consistency, 45 to 60 minutes.

Cranking up the heat too high.

Caramelizing onions is not an instant gratification process; they take a while to cook. It may be tempting to crank up the heat to speed the process along, but that's the worst thing you can do; it only puts you more at risk for burning your onions.

Salting caramelized onions is like the icing on the cake. They must have salt but don't make the mistake of salting the onions too early. Instead, salt them at the very end of the recipe. Salt makes the onions release moisture which can slow down the caramelization.

Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally. Depending on how strong your stovetop burner is you may need to reduce the heat to medium or medium low to prevent the onions from burning or drying out.

When you add baking soda during cooking it changes the pH which increases the Maillard reaction causing the onions to brown more quickly. The higher pH also causes the onions to soften more quickly, which we cover below when we discuss the texture.

Not cooking the onions long enough.

→ Follow this tip: Cook times will vary depending on the number of onions you're cooking and the type of onion (its sugar content and age), but plan to cook caramelized onions for 40 to 50 minutes (at least) until they have a dark-brown, rich color.