How to Caramelize Onions in the Crockpot

One of life's biggest pains in the ass is chopping, sweating, and browning onions. The flavor really adds an important element to virtually anything that requires onions. So, we chop and hope for an easier alternative.

I had done some research and found that it is possible to cook, brown, and caramelize onions in the crockpot. When I tried it, the results were excellent! In fact, spending one day babysitting my onions yielded many days worth of tasty, awesome, flavorful brown onions.

Here's all you need: a 5-pound bag of plain old yellow or white onions, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and your trusty crockpot. 

Simply peel and chop all of your onions in the desired shape. (Rings for French onion soup, big blobs for stews, or minced if you like an all-purpose easy onion shape.). Put them all into your crockpot and drizzle your olive oil onto the onions. You don't need much! I typically use somewhere between 1 and 2 tablespoons.

Stir them up to coat with the oil, cover, and put your crockpot on "high" for a good long time (about 10 to 12 hours). Halfway through, you can stir them up a little.  Once the onions are done, I cool them overnight before portioning and freezing them. The onions yield a lot of juice, which is great to substitute for water in any savory recipe. About half a cup of "onion sludge"  can be used in place of an onion in your favorite recipe. 

Yes, five pounds of onions take a long time to cook this way.  But at least you can go about your day without having to keep your eyes glued to a skillet!  By the way... Your house will smell murderously delicious and savory while these are cooking away! Be sure to have a good dinner plan to distract you from the seductive aroma!