Grilled Onions Hack | How to Make Sautéed Onions
Make perfect sauteed onions every single time with my amazing grilled onion hack! The perfect addition to so many meals, this post will teach you how to sauté onions with a quick and easy method. Plus, a secret ingredient!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
It still blows my mind that onions, such a strong-tasting vegetable, can cook down into something so sweet and caramelized. The flavor is completely transformed, and you end up with tender, delicious onions! Sauteed onions are so versatile and delicious, and they go with just about everything!
I love onions grilled for burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, breakfast, and even on my salads, but they have to be cooked just right. The first few times I made them, it was a complete disaster. As in, the smoke detector went off, and I was left with a pan full of charred remnants of what used to be an onion.
So, to help you avoid the same mistakes, here is exactly how I make my sauteed onions recipe, grilled perfectly in my cast iron pan, every single time!
Ingredient Notes
All you need are four simple ingredients to make these caramelized onions:
- Onions: You can use Vidalia onions (sweet), yellow onions, or red onions. Take your pick! The type of onion won’t change the process, just the flavor you’re going for.
The rest of the ingredients are salt and butter, and my absolutely amazing hack is a little water. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it’s the best hack and makes the caramelization process absolutely perfect!
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Slice the onions like in the photo above (about 3/8″ thick). You can cut the onion in different ways, but I prefer them like this.
- Heat your cast iron skillet (or large skillet) over medium heat. Reduce to low heat if needed throughout this process.
- Add the onion slices and butter, and sprinkle in the kosher salt. Then cook, stirring frequently, so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Here is my secret to cooking onions: As soon as the sliced onions start to look a little dry, add a few tablespoons of water. This will prevent the onions from drying out and keep them juicy and cooking at an even temperature. The water will evaporate as it cooks, leaving you with perfectly juicy onions. I usually add water twice during the cooking process.
- Continue to saute onions uncovered until they are soft and golden brown—about 30 minutes.
- Serve as an easy side dish, as a part of an entree, or any meal that calls for perfect sauteed onions. They are multi-purpose and so delicious!
My Amazing Grilled Onion Hack
WATER! As soon as the onions start to look a little dry, add a few tablespoons of water. This will prevent the onions from drying out and will keep them juicy and cooking at an even temperature.
The water will evaporate as you are cooking the onions, leaving you with perfectly juicy onions grilled to absolute perfection. As you saute the onions, their natural sugars release into a beautiful, caramelized, sweet flavor.
Which Onions Are Best for Grilling?
This simple recipe works with yellow onions, white onions, red onions, sweet onions, and more! Basically, whatever flavor profile you’re looking for, choose that onion and grill it! No matter what, they’ll taste amazing!
- Red Onion: great for steak, burgers, sandwiches, and salads!
- Yellow Onion: milder in flavor, great with burgers, stir fry, fajitas, casseroles, and other Mexican-inspired dishes.
- Sweet Onion/Vidalia Onion: a mild flavor with a hint of sweetness, great with pizza, pasta, and sauces.
Ways to Serve Grilled Onions
Some people eat sauteed onions by themselves with a pinch of salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Grilled onions are also great for any of your favorite dishes such as:
patty melt
casseroles
dips
sauces
chicken
pizza
pasta
soups
tacos
Expert Tips
- Dairy Free/Vegan: If you need these sauteed onions to be dairy free, you can use coconut oil or olive oil for grilling onions in place of butter or ghee.
- Whole30: Use ghee or coconut oil to keep these Whole30 friendly.
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months. You can enjoy them cold out of the fridge or reheat them in the microwave or skillet.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Onions are super low in carbs and make for a great, flavorful addition to any keto-friendly meal. Sauteed onions grilled with butter makes the fat content higher, helping you reach your daily macros!
Yes! They can be frozen for at least 6 months. You can enjoy them thawed and cold out of the fridge, or reheated in the microwave or skillet.
Use ghee or coconut oil to keep your onions grilled with Whole30-friendly ingredients.
More Helpful Kitchen Hacks
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Grilled Onions Hack | How to Make Sautéed Onions
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter or ghee
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- water
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat your cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add the butter, onions and kosher salt. Cook stirring every few minutes.
- As soon as the onions start to look a little dry, add in a few tablespoons of water. This will both prevent the onions from drying out and keep them juicy and cooking at an even temperature. The water will evaporate as it cooks, leaving you with perfectly juicy onions. I usually add water twice during the cooking process.
- Continue to grill the onions uncovered until they are soft and golden brown. About 30 minutes.
- Serve warm or cold.
- See the Recipe Notes below for more tips, FAQ's and recipe substitutions.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Dairy Free/Vegan: If you need these sauteed onions to be dairy free, you can use coconut oil or olive oil for grilling onions in place of butter or ghee.
- Whole30: Use ghee or coconut oil to keep these Whole30 friendly.
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months. You can enjoy them cold out of the fridge or reheat them in the microwave or skillet.
31 Comments on “Grilled Onions Hack | How to Make Sautéed Onions”
For me these were a game changer. Once I tried this recipe I never looked back. The onions turn out perfectly every time. Thank you so much.
I LOVE this! Totally made my day. Thank you Sybil!
Natalie can you make ahead of time and reheat?
Yes you can make the grilled onions in advance and reheat them John. They will keep in the fridge for 10 days. You can either reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet. I sure hope this answers your question and you like them!
Wow! I just made this recipe using a large white onion. The taste was out of this world. I can’t wait to try it with a yellow onion. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you James!
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I love caramelized onions! This is such an awesome tutorial Natalie and yours look perfect and so tasty:)
Just catching up on blog life. Whew! It’s been awhile. :)
Caramelized onions are the perfect addition to a lot of recipes. Love the flavor! Great idea to do a post just about them! Simple and delicious!
Thank you for this great tutorial, Natalie! Love caramelized onions and yours look so sweet and buttery.
C
Awesome step by step tutorial. :)
LOVE grilled and caramelized onions. I’ll gladly eat them out of the pan :)
Thanks for this detailed tutorial! I love carmelized onions, they are so fantastic on burgers!
Oh Yum! I love caramelized onions. We make them at least once a week but I’ve never had a real method, so sometimes they’re great and sometimes they’re…well you know how that goes! I’m definitely going to try this out!!
Great instructions Natalie, I love caramelized onions and only tried making them once, it wasn’t pretty.
Have I ever explained my love for onions? Oh so good. I wish I could smell them now.
Have a beautiful Wednesday!
One of my very favorite things on earth… I could eat them on anything. Great tip about the butter!
I’m convinced! I usually caramelise mine for 20 minutes, but this 90 minute grilling method looks insane! I am in love with the sweet taste onions get after being cooked down, I just did it on Monday. I’m going to try this out – thanks Natalie!
Thanks for this useful little snippet, Natalie! I didn’t know that the onions needed 90 mins … I bet they are so beautifully sweet after all that buttery pan treatment!
What a great technique and thing to know! Slow cooked, grilled, carmalized onions are so worth the time! Glad you showed the best method to make them. They really are that addition to any dish that makes it something more! I think sometimes people try and speed up the process of something that is meant to cook slow, which is definitely these onions. Thanks for sharing ;)
And then you pretty much just eat them like jam over anything. Haha. I’m a weirdo like that. LOVE LOVE LOVE caramelized onions.
I love caramelized onions! This is an awesome tutorial, Natalie. I will definitely be trying this next time I make caramelized onions! — They’re so good piled high on hamburgers— Yum!
A great tutorial!