Why are my caramelized onions not turning brown?

The more fat in the pan, the more the onions will fry rather than soften. It takes time, probably a solid 45 minutes, for the onions’ sugars to caramelize. If your heat is too high, the onions will burn. Heat your pan over medium-low, then add your onions.

Do onions turn brown when caramelized?

Caramelized onions should be far darker than golden in color. → Follow this tip: Cook times will vary depending on the number of onions you’re cooking and the type of onion (its sugar content and age), but plan to cook caramelized onions for 40 to 50 minutes (at least) until they have a dark-brown, rich color.

What’s the best way to cut onions for caramelization?

1. Slicing Them Too Thinly Thinly sliced onions will burn faster and stick to the bottom of your pan. Aim to slice your onions 1/8″ thick—their heft will prevent them from drying out. 2. Using Just Butter You definitely want the flavor of butter in your onions—but butter has the tendency to burn.

Why do onions turn brown when caramelized with butter?

While butter imparts a fantastic flavor in your caramelized onions, it also has a very low smoke point, which means that it can scorch or burn over heat. This can make the onions take on a toasty-looking brown hue and give a false indication of doneness.

How long does it take to cook caramelized onions?

Heat oil in the pan over medium heat; add the onions and stir to coat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally from the bottom every 5 minutes. Once onions begin to brown, reduce heat. Continue cooking 20-30 minutes, stirring every 2-5 minutes until onions are golden-brown, adding more oil if needed.

Can a yellow onion be caramelized with sugar?

Ordinary yellow onions have some–but not as much–sugar in them and you can certainly caramelize them as well. Continue to 5 of 7 below. By this time the onions will have softened and cooked down to a fraction of their previous size, as the water in them has slowly cooked away. They’ll also have a slightly sticky consistency.