Want to add a pop of tangy, rich, super savory flavor to your life? Well then, these apple cider vinegar caramelized onions are just what you need! 
Hi, my name is Michelle and I'm addicted to caramelized onions. Whenever I eat out I always skim the menu for anything that has the words "caramelized" and "onion" perfectly placed side by side. 99.99% of the time, if I see a menu item that has caramelized onions in it, I order it. Gotta get that awesomenss in my mouth. Caramelized onion = perfection. At home, I rarely cook normal caramelized onions. I absolutely love a little sourness/tangyness in anything I eat, which means a big splash of vinegar makes it into almost all of my meals. So, when I cook up some rich, full flavored caramelized onions, I add a ton of apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan. The tangy flavor the vinegar adds just makes these apple cider vinegar caramelized onions pop when you bite into them. YUM!
These apple cider vinegar caramelized onions are not difficult to make...they just take a little time, like most good things in life 🙂 Start cooking them while you are doing other prep work in the kitchen (or watching a marathon of New Girl) and just check on them every 5-10 minutes or so, just to make sure the beautiful caramelization is taking place properly and no burning is happening in your pan. And, they are super versatile. The number one thing I use them for is a super delicious grilled cheese, but throw them on some crackers with ricotta for an easy holiday appetizer, place them over creamy garlic mashed potatoes, they'd be great in my avocado cilantro Greek yogurt dip, or just eat them with a fork. No judging here 😉 Now, if you've never cooked caramelized onions before, no worries. Here are a couple tips to help you out my friends:
- Don't use a nonstick skillet. You actually do want the onions to stick a bit to the pan, which will create some delicious browned bits which hold a ton of flavor.
- When you add the vinegar to the pan, and scraping those browned onion pieces off the pan, you are deglazing the pan. Basically reincorporating those brown bits back into the whole dish and bringing that flavor party to all of the onions.
- If you notice that your onions are getting a little too dark a little too fast (burning), just turn down the temp to medium-low or even low!
- If you are more of a visual person, The Kitchn has a great cooking lesson called How To Caramelize Onions. Great step-by-step photos to help you out!
Apple Cider Vinegar Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium brown onions sliced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil.
- Add sliced onions and stir to coat in that delicious melted fat.
- Let the onions cook, giving them a stir every 5-10 minutes to ensure even caramelization. At about 20 minutes into cooking, you should notice some brown bits forming/sticking to the pan.
- When this happens, add 1 tablespoon vinegar to the pan while scraping the brown bits with a wooden spatula (you are degazing the pan when you do this). Continue to deglaze the pan as needed with the remaining vinegar.
- Cook the onions until they are a deep brown and very soft, about 50 minutes total. Salt those amazing onions and eat up!
Notes
If you run out of vinegar and still need to deglaze the pan, just use water.
If your onions start to burn, just turn down the heat to medium-low or low.
sheri hanson says
if i wanted to can these would they need to be pressure canned or is there enough acid to water bath
Michelle Ferrand says
Hi Sheri! I don't do any canning myself, so I can't give you a definitive answer. Would you pressure can something with a low acid content? If yes, I would go that direction since there isn't a ton of acid in these onions. Sorry I couldn't be more help!
Abby Benjamin says
This recipe is so versatile. I love these onions on top of a pulled pork sandwich for a hint of acid. They are also a delicious compliment to a cheese board. Can't wait to make another batch.
Michelle Ferrand says
I'm so glad you liked them and OMG on a cheeseboard would be SO GOOD!
Carol Borchardt says
We need rehab together then! I'm also a caramelized onion fanatic and I love the tangy twist of adding apple cider vinegar. YUMMMMM!
Michelle Ferrand says
Hahaha! YES Carol, lets make sure to go together 😉
Kathy says
I love caramelized onions so look forward to trying this with the apple cider vinegar. The photos are great!
Michelle Ferrand says
Thanks so much Kathy! Let me know how you like them 🙂