Caramelized Onions in the Instant Pot (2024)

No more hours spent hovering over the stove; use a pressure cooker to speed up the process for making sweet, buttery, Caramelized Onions in the Instant Pot.

While I know there are some Instant Pot aficionados who are determined to make EVERYTHING in the multi-purpose cooker; that’s not me. Personally I find it works best for me when it can actually make something delicious and save some time and have results that are much like those I would expect if cooking from a standard recipe, like these Caramelized Onions in the Instant Pot.

Which is probably why you will never see a cheesecake on these pages that uses an electric pressure cookers. I like a crispy, solid crust, not a steamed one, you know?

Still I’m always excited when I do try something new and the results are as stellar as they were with this little venture.

Preparing caramelized onions in an electric pressure cooker (i.e. often the Instant Pot brand), results in the same deliciousness in a fraction of the time it would take to do them on the stove-top.

Of course I realize now this might be dangerous; love, love, love these things. I swear if they are handy I can find a reason every day to use a spoonful or two. Eggs for breakfasts? Check. Sandwich for lunch? Another check? On beef, pork, or chicken for dinner? Check, check, check…I”ll even use them in a salad!

And since I made these I’ve used them in two different recipes I’ll be including on this blog; one a re-creation of a burger I had at Ted’s Montana Grill, another in an easy French Onion Galette, both absolutely divine.

The first one coming up soon will be this French Onion Veggie Burger with Roasted Garlic Aioli and Caramelized Onions.

I LOVE the burgers at Ted’s Montana Grill and have been craving a great burger…but you know, what with a virus and well, the fact that that I’m trying to almost eliminate red meat from my diet, I devised this most delicious alternative to their Avalon Burger.

Cutting back on the bun and making a plant based burger allowed me some indulgence on the toppings and these two were the perfect choice. Still, I didn’t used to make Caramelized Onions very often, they are easy but time consuming and the slicing. Ugh, hate the slicing.

In order to make the effort worthwhile, I like to make a lot of them, and it takes a good long while to slice two pounds of onions and to cook them long enough to melt into something sweet and delicious.

First I used the other tool I wish I had bought 40 years ago, this small kitchen size slicer. It makes such easy work of the one part of the job I have always hated…slicing those onions! I sort of bought this on a whim, and with some encouragement from a friend, and I’ve never regretted it.

If I never used it for anything but onions it would be worth it, but I use it for so much more. Zucchini, cucumber, meatloaf, apples, oranges…I use it all the time. I had planned to store it but instead moved other kitchen items into cabinets, this baby is out all the time!

Of course the real brainiac moment was when I thought…why not the Instant Pot?

This is almost too easy. The sliced onions are combined with butter, salt, and pepper, and pressure cooked on High for 2-5 minutes.

To clarify…that doesn’t mean it only takes a couple of minutes though; the unit has to reach high pressure which can take from 10-15 minutes for these onions. But still, I normally saute them on the stove-top for 2+ hours!

After cooking at High Pressure, the pressure valve is released to let out steam and the cooking stops; for the quick version, it’s just a couple of minutes of final sauteing and you’re done and they can be used at this point…but I like to add some additional steps.

I’ve made a delicious French Onion Soup for ages, literally decades. The original recipe came from a local department store cafe in my hometown of St. Louis. It’s always delicious and seriously you can make it using these onions and be very happy.

But I did discover an additional step when I last made French Onion Soup that I think is worth a bit more time. I call it the Ultimate French Onion Soup and the biggest difference is a tip I got from Cook’s Illustrated.

After the onions have been sautéed for a few minutes and turn a nice golden brown color, I add a quarter cup of water to them, cook it down until the water evaporates and a crust forms on the pan, then do that a second time being sure to scrap the bottom.

The final step and the one that makes the biggest difference is to add a half cup of sherry and continue sauteing until the liquid has evaporated.

This can take from 15-20 additional minutes so in crunch time, it’s not required…but if you want a deeper, richer flavor…try it sometime; they are amazing!

Fun fact too…you can freeze caramelized onions. I did and the other day I defrosted some and made this delicious French Onion Galette.

While I will often make a pie crust from scratch, this baby was in the oven only minutes after I was inspired with the help of a Pillsbury Crust and my already made onions. This dish is great for an appetizer, or a light meal if combined with a salad. Either way…indescribably yummy!

When I’m asked what I think is the best reason for an Instant Pot, I’ll often cite that I use it regularly as a rice cooker, it makes beautiful hard boiled eggs, it’s the only way I make pulled pork, and now…I can share that it makes the easiest and quickest Caramelized Onions. Those reasons alone are enough for me!

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