Name: Instant Pot Caramelized Onions
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 6 cups onions, sliced ({~4 large onions}); 1 tsp sea salt; 1/4 tsp baking soda ({optional})

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These Instant Pot Caramelized Onions add a ton of flavor to any dish. This easy caramelized onion recipe in your pressure cooker cuts the cooking time in half compared with traditional cooking methods.

a glass jar of caramelized onions topped with two small sprigs of fresh thyme.

We’re making this caramelized onion recipe in the Instant Pot in half the time of the normal way. Go put on some fancy pants because you’re about to rule the kitchen with your awesomeness.

“Why not just caramelize onions on the stove” I’m sure you’re asking yourself right now. Well, for a few reasons.

One: the Instant Pot heats consistently so you’re unlikely to get hot/cold spots. Even and consistent cooking is the goal here. Two: caramelizing onions can make your house smell like a boys’ middle school locker room. With the Instant Pot, you can move the cooking process outside if you’d like.

Ingredients

a bowl of onions, butter, salt, baking soda, and thyme on a grey board.

This recipe uses just four simple ingredients:

Onions (shocked?!) – I like a mix of white, yellow, purple/red, sweet, or even shallots. You do you!
Unsalted butter
Sea salt
Baking soda – optional but highly efficient at cutting down the total cooking time.

How to make Instant Pot Caramelized Onions

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

Start by cutting the onions into consistent slices. Don’t make your slices razor-thin as they will break down and become too mushy to be appetizing.

You’ll want enough heft to keep them looking like onions when all is said and done.

Sustainability Tip

Save the scraps of the onions in a freezer bag with other veggie scraps like carrot peels, celery bits, and discarded pieces of fresh herbs.

When you have enough scraps saved, you can make up a batch of Chicken Bone Broth or Turkey Bone Broth. You can even can chicken broth! All the cool kids do.

Press Saute on the Instant Pot and allow it to heat up until the display shows “HOT”. Add the butter to the Instant Pot insert and allow it to melt.

Add the onions, salt, and baking soda, and give everything a good stir. Then, like a toddler having a meltdown in public, go ahead and ignore it for 2-3 minutes.

After that, stir the onions semi-occasionally for 15-25 minutes or until the onions are browned to your preference.

5 photos showing the process of caramelizing onions in a pressure cooker.

Pro tip: I have never had success using the pressure cooker function on the Instant Pot while caramelizing onions. All of my attempts turned to mush. I recommend only using saute mode and never actually pressure-cooking your onions.

Knowing when caramelized onions are done cooking will all come down to personal preference for deciding the “doneness” of your onions and the color of the onions you use.

If you using white or yellow onions, your finished product should be a golden brown; like the color of drawn butter. When using red/purple onions they’ll look like a smoky purply brown.

How to Store and REheat

Storing leftovers: You can keep your caramelized onions in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Reheating leftovers: Microwave the onions for 20-30 seconds or, reheat in a shallow pan on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Freezing leftovers: Allow the onions to fully cool before freezing. Store for up to 3 months. I freeze mine in 2 Tbsp Souper Cubes or 4 oz canning jars.

To thaw frozen onions: thaw for a few hours on the countertop or overnight in the fridge. Then follow the reheating instructions above.

How to Use Caramelized Onions

Try them as a garnish on our Baked Brie With Garlic or as the ready-to-go base on our Instant Pot French Onion Soup or Onion Pizza.

They’re also incredible piled high on top of Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, Dry Brine Chicken, or Air Fryer French Onion Pork Chops.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

If you have issues with onions making you cry (I totally do), you could wear swim goggles, onion goggles, or even cut them outside in fresh air. But I find the simplest way to prevent the constant watery onion eyes is to put the onions in the fridge for 1 hour before cutting. This method has never failed me.
You can add fresh herbs during the caramelizing process if desired. Thyme is a classic pairing.
The pressure cooker caramelized onion method works best with at least 4-6 cups of sliced onions. I found a smaller amount led to burning issues. There is some safety in numbers with this one!
Unsalted butter or ghee works best. My first attempt used salted butter and it was scorch city!
The baking soda can add a bitter aftertaste if you use too much. I don’t recommend exceeding 1/4 tsp.
Onions cook down a lot when you caramelize them. I recommend cooking a bit more than you think you’ll need. The 6 cups of raw onions used in this recipe yield about 1.5 cups of caramelized onions.
I have never had success using the pressure cooker function while caramelizing onions. All of my attempts turned to mush. I recommend only using saute mode and never actually pressure-cooking your onions.

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