Ah, Slow Cooker Onions — sweet, tender, and packed with flavor! Perfect as a side dish, topping for burgers, steaks, or sandwiches, or even as a base for soups and sauces. Using a slow cooker brings out their natural sweetness without constant stirring. 🥘🧅
🥄 Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
Serves: 4–6
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 4–6 hours
Ingredients
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4–5 large onions (yellow, white, or sweet), thinly sliced
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2 tbsp butter or olive oil
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1 tsp salt
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1–2 tsp sugar (optional, helps caramelization)
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½ tsp black pepper (optional)
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Optional: 1–2 tsp balsamic vinegar or red wine for depth of flavor
Instructions
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Prepare onions:
Peel and thinly slice onions into rings or half-moons. -
Add to slow cooker:
Place onions in the slow cooker. Add butter (or oil), salt, sugar, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. -
Cook low and slow:
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Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours, stirring occasionally if possible.
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For deeper color and flavor, cook up to 8 hours.
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Optional finishing touch:
Stir in balsamic vinegar or red wine in the last 30 minutes of cooking for a richer, tangy flavor. -
Serve:
Sweet, golden onions are ready to top burgers, steaks, sandwiches, pizzas, or mixed into pasta and soups.
💡 Tips
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Use slow heat; high heat can make onions dry or unevenly caramelized.
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Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week; they freeze well for up to 3 months.
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Add garlic cloves or fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary) for extra flavor.
If you want, I can also give a “extra creamy slow cooker onion” version where the onions become soft, almost jam-like, perfect for spreading on toast or sandwiches. Do you want me to do that?
