Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions, cooked on high for 5 hours. Just mix yellow onions, butter, sugar and salt in a crockpot and come back to delicious buttery sweet caramelized onions! Freeze in ice cube trays to keep them for months. Save this recipe if you are growing onions in your garden!

closeup of spoon serving caramelized onions. - 1

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions

What’s not to love about sweet caramelized onions made in the slow cooker? They are so delicious and can be added to practically any meal. Even better, they are so easy to make! It’s as simple as chopping onions into slices, throwing them in the crockpot with butter, sugar and salt, closing the lid… and you’re done!

We grow lots of onions in our garden so this is one of our favorite ways to preserve them. After they are cooked in the crockpot, we transfer to ice cube trays and freeze.

Caramelized onions take 5-6 hours on HIGH in the crockpot. This recipe makes approximately 2-3 cups of caramelized onions.

Need them quicker? Try my Quick Caramelized Red Onions . Looking for more yellow onion recipes? Check out my Onion Sandwich , Fried Corn and Onions , Homemade Onion Powder and Bangers and Mash with Beef Onion Gravy . For red onions, check out my Red Onion Jam and Red Onion Chutney!

caramelized onions in ice cube trays. - 2

Best onions for caramelizing

Yellow onions tend to be sweeter so they’re best for caramelizing. We grow “candy” yellow onions in the garden which have a rich sweet flavor.

Ingredients

  • Yellow onions , 3 pounds, peeled and sliced. You can adjust this recipe if you have more or less onions.
  • Butter , melted
  • Salt
  • Sugar
yellow onions on table.  - 3

How To Make Caramelized Onions in the Crockpot

This recipe calls for 3 pounds of sliced onions. I use my 6 quart Slow Cooker and the onions take up about 75% of the space when they begin. Peeling and slicing 3 pounds of onions is tough business so if you have sensitive eyes like me I suggest wearing sunglasses while doing this and opening a window if you live in an apartment.

Add all of the ingredients into a large slow cooker and stir so the butter coats the onions.

buttery onion slices in slow cooker. - 4

Cook on HIGH until the onions are soft. For me this usually takes 5 hours.

closeup of cooked caramelized onions in slow cooker. - 5

Serve with your favorite dish or freeze the onions for later (directions below). So easy, right?

spoon lifting caramelized onions up. - 6

Freezing Caramelized Onions

Freezing caramelized onions is our main way to preserve them. Allow to cool and then place in ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen, pop them out and then throw them in a freezer bag to freeze.

When ready to use them, grab a couple cubes out of the bag and defrost in the microwave.

Caramelized onions will last 6-8 months in the freezer.

caramelized onions in ice cube tray. - 7

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Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions, cooked on high for 5 hours.  Just mix yellow onions, butter, sugar and salt in a crockpot and come back to delicious buttery sweet caramelized onions! Freeze in ice cube trays to keep them for months.  Save this recipe if you are growing onions in your garden! - 8
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Ingredients

  • ▢ 3 pounds yellow onions peeled and sliced
  • ▢ 1/2 cup melted butter
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  • Add everything into a large slow cooker and stir so the butter coats the onions completely.
  • Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until onions become soft and caramelized. My slow cooker usually takes 5 hours.
  • Serve with your favorite dish, store in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze to preserve. To freeze, allow to cool and then place in ice cube trays and freeze. When frozen, pop them out of tray and place in freezer bags to freeze. Defrost as you need them. Frozen caramelized onions can last 6-8 months.

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions (with Yellow Onions!) - 9

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions (with Yellow Onions!)

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds yellow onions peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  • Add everything into a large slow cooker and stir so the butter coats the onions completely.
  • Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until onions become soft and caramelized. My slow cooker usually takes 5 hours.
  • Serve with your favorite dish, store in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze to preserve. To freeze, allow to cool and then place in ice cube trays and freeze. When frozen, pop them out of tray and place in freezer bags to freeze. Defrost as you need them. Frozen caramelized onions can last 6-8 months.

Notes

Nutrition

Recipe Created by Pamela Reed for brooklynfarmgirl.com