Want the perfect caramelized onions? You got to take it low and slow!!!! I will show you just how you do that and you will see and taste that your patience will be rewarded.

A cast iron pan that is full of perfectly caramelized onions.

Want to make the perfect caramelized onions? You need three things:

Time
A little heat (not to little or not too much)
A cast iron pan

Time becomes the onions need time to break down and get soft all the way through. If you try to rush this you end up with onions that yes are browned outside but aren't soft throughout.

The cast iron pan is great because it heats up and stay hot. The onions will cook more evenly.

What Type of Onion?

Sure you can caramelize any onion but you want an onion that is sweet, so I always opt for whatever sweet onion I can find in the grocery store. When in season that is always going to be Vidalia onions because they also don't bring tears to my eyes.

What Size to Cut the Onions?

The size and shape you cut your onions depends on what you are using them for in the end. If I am doing them for burgers or anything that I want to top them with I will cut them into slices like this:

Sliced onions sitting on a electric griddle. — Yes these onions were cooked on an electric griddle, not a cast iron pan. It's a great option for cooking them at the same time as a burger. The shape is great in a cast iron pan too.

Here is more things you could use this cut of onion for:

Pizza
Sandwiches
Long Pasta (spaghetti or fettucine)
On top of Casseroles

But if I am looking to incorporate them into a dish where I don't want big bites I cut them like this:

Diced up onions that are cooking in a cast iron pan.

Here is a list of things I would use these for:

Mashed Potatoes
Tarts or quiches
Soup or stew
Short pasta (bowties, elbows, ziti, etc)
Mixed into Casseroles
Dips

What Oil Can You Use?

You are going to need some oil for cooking the onions. If you don't they won't brown evenly and they will dry out.

The good thing about the low and slow method is that you aren't heating the oil up as hot. So you don't have to worry about the smoke point of the oil. Any oil you have on hand you can use. I like a straight up olive oil. It doesn't need to be anything fancy.

Low & Slow Cast Iron Caramelized Onions

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Cook Time: 1 30

Servings:

Author: Eric Samuelson

Ingredients

2 large onions your choice of type
2-3 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Instructions

Dice your onion if you are planning to use them mixed into recipes. Slice your onions if you are planning to use them on a burger or something you want large onions for.
Add the oil and onions to the cast iron pan. Add salt to taste. You are cooking the onions for a long time so not need to wait for the pan to heat up.
Cook over medium heat for 60-90 minutes. The amount of time it will take depends on the moisture content of the onion. You could even go lower if your stove top runs hot. You want them to just be barely cooking so that the onions break down slowly and gets brown.
Stirring the onions every once in a while. If they seem too dry, add a little more oil.
Once the onions look completely solid brown, they are done. They should be the same color brown all the way around.
Use immediately in a recipe or store in the fridge for 5 days or freeze for 6 months.

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