Bourbon and Brown Sugar Caramelized Onions
Bourbon and brown sugar caramelized onions have a rich, creamy flavor and buttery texture. They are delicious on just about everything!
You don’t have to be an onion lover to appreciate caramelized onions. Slowly sautéing the onions brings out their natural sugars. Eventually they become soft and jammy and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be eating these brown sugar onions straight from the pan.
Best type of onion to use
A variety of onions can be used, but for the perfect caramelized onions, sweet onions, such a Vidalia or Walla Walla onions, are best because of their naturally sweet flavor. However, if you can’t find either of those varieties locally, yellow onions are my second choice. Red onions or white onions can also be used, but keep in mind that they have a stronger flavor and will give your caramelized onions a slighty different taste.
Best type of bourbon to use
Bourbon adds a sweet, smokey flavor that really rounds out the caramelization process. But save the expensive stuff for sipping and opt for a mid-shelf bourbon instead. I recommend Evan Williams, Jim Beam, Four Roses or Knob Creek.
Ingredients and tools you will need
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 large onions – this may seem like alot, but the onions will cook down considerably.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- Griddle or large cast iron skillet – If you have an outdoor griddle like a Blackstone, these bourbon caramelized onions will cook up nicely. But, a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven will also get the job done.
Slicing the onions
- First, cut the onions in half from root to tip.
- Lay one of the halves flat side down on a cutting board and slice off the tip, but leave the root end in tact.
- Peel off and discard the skin.
- Cut the onions parallel to the tip into 1/4 to 3/4-inch crescents. We want the onion slices to be on the thicker side so they hold up and don’t shrivel and burn during the cooking process.
- Pull the onion layers apart and set aside until you’re ready to start.
How to make brown sugar caramelized onions
While creating the perfect pan of caramelized onions isn’t hard, you can’t rush things. They like to take things slow. That means you can’t turn up to heat too high in an effort to speed things up — you’ll just end up scorching the whole pan. Keep the heat low for best results. Luckily, onions aren’t terribly high maintenance. You don’t have to spend every waking minute coddling and nurturing them. Just give them a good stir every few minutes and they can pretty much take it from there.
- Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium heat. If using a griddle, pour the oil over the hot surface and use a metal spatula to spread it around.
- Add the onions and stir to coat them in the oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat. Saute the onions for 10 minutes.
- Add the salt to the sauteed onions. Stir to coat. Saute for 10 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar. Stir to coat. Saute for 10 minutes.
- Add the butter. Stir to coat. Saute for … that’s right … 10 minutes.
- By this time the onions should start to look soft and there may be some browned “gunky” stuff on the bottom of the pan. Pour the bourbon over the onions and scrap all up all the browned bits on bottom of the pan. Saute for another 10 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked off and the onions are a deep golden brown.
Storage, freezing and reheating instructions
Storage. Allow the onions to cool to room temperature. Then transfer the onions to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. Consume the onions within five days.
Freezing. Transfer the onions to a freezer bag, squeeze out the air and seal. You can also spoon one tablespoon portions of onions into ice cube trays. Freeze the trays, then pop them out of the ice cube trays and place the onion cubes into freezer bags. Store them in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw before using. Please know that the texture of the onions may be a little softer once they are thawed. There may also be some extra liquid.
Reheating. Caramelized onions can be reheated in the microwave for 30-second to one minute intervals, depending on the quantity. Stir the onions after a minute and continue to reheat as needed until they are heated through. You can also heat a skillet over medium heat and quickly pan fry them for a few minutes until heated through.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The alcohol in the bourbon cooks out, so there is no danger of getting buzz. But if you would rather moti the bourbon, it can be replaced with apple juice or even water.
The onions can be caramelized up to five days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
No, you can not make caramelized onions in a slow cooker. You can cook the onions to the point that they will be soft and they will still taste good, but they will not have the same deep, rich brown caramel color that’s achieved from cooking the onions in a skillet. Also, prepare for your house to smell like onions. If you still want to give the slow cooker method a try, add the onions, salt and butter to the bottom of a slow cooker. Cook on low for eight hours. Stir in the brown sugar and bourbon. If there is a lot of excess liquid at this point, leave the lid of the slow cooker ajar to allow the liquid to evaporate. Cook for another two hours.
I have not been successful in adapting this recipe for the Instant Pot. It has been my experience that the onions don’t cook evenly.
Absolutely! Since these take a little time, I frequently make a double batch and freeze the leftovers using the instruction given above.
I don’t recommend it. The onions are too soft to hold up to the canning process. I recommend freezing instead.
Use caramelized onions for
We like to use caramelized onions on hot dogs, patty melts, Swiss burgers, in French onion soup or French onion dip. You could also try them in these recipes:
Bourbon and Brown Sugar Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 large yellow onions halved, peeled and sliced into rings
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup bourbon
Makes about 2 cups
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat in the oil. Reduce heat to medium low. Saute for 10 minutes.
- Add the salt, stir to coat. Saute for 10 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar. Stir to coat. Saute for 10 minutes.
- Add the butter. Stir to coat. Saute for 10 minutes.
- Pour the bourbon over the onions and scrap up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Saute for another 10 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked off.
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Hi Kathy, yes! You can absolutely freeze these. An ice cube tray works great.
Do you think that the caramelized onions could be frozen in small portions?
Hi, I would not recommend it. The alcohol burns off as it cooks. And I think the onions will be too soft to hold up to canning.
Looking forward to using this recipe.
I am thinking of gifting this and wonder if it can be bottled/preserved since it contains alcohol?
Thanks
Hi! They should keep for up to five days.
Hello, how long can you keep them in the fridge?