• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • meet the team
  • blogger resources
  • Contact Me
My Account
Member Dashboard
40 Aprons Premium (Ad Free!)

40 Aprons

Delicious, Healthy-ish Meals for the Whole Family

  • All Recipes
  • Most Popular
    • Cheryl’s Favorite Recipes
    • 30-Minute Recipes
    • Creamy Soups
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Casseroles
    • One-Dish Wonders
  • Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • Crockpot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Sous Vide
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Cooking Basics
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dips & Salsas
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Meal Prep
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican & Latin
    • Southern
Home Blog Course Side Dishes

Sautéed Onions

Sam Guarnieri
Sam Guarnieri Posted: 07/21/21 Updated: 12/13/21
Leave a Comment
Jump to Recipe
DF Dairy Free GF Gluten Free K Keto LC Low Carb P Paleo V Vegan VG Vegetarian

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions
Pin graphic for sauteed onions

These sautéed onions are quick and easy to make! They’re deeply flavorful, slightly sweet, and perfectly tender. Add these sautéed onions to a sandwich, salad, or simply enjoy them as a side dish!

sauteed onions in a skillet with a wooden spoon

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • They’re incredibly versatile and can be added to virtually anything! I love throwing some sautéed onions over my salads for a flavorful bite, or even adding them to a sandwich. Though my all-time favorite way to enjoy them are stuffed in a grilled cheese – YUM!
  • They come together in just 15 minutes! Unlike caramelized onions which can take upwards of 45 minutes to make, these sautéed onions cook up quickly. Simply sauté in butter and oil for 10 minutes, then add salt and sauté for an additional 5 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness.
  • Thanks to the sautéing process, they maintain their shape and delightful crunch! Sautéed onions are the perfect balance between soft and crispy.

Key Ingredients

Onions – The type of onion you use in this recipe is entirely up to you! I prefer yellow onions for their naturally sweet flavor that becomes all the more apparent when sautéed. However, white onions or even red onions would taste delicious using this method. To prepare your onions for this recipe, start by slicing off the ends them removing the papery skin. Then, slice the onions down the center and lay the cut side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice each onion half into 1/4-inch half moon slices.

Butter – Just a tablespoon of butter adds quite a bit of flavor and richness to this simple recipe! You have the option of omitting the butter, though I highly recommend you don’t. And if you’d like to make this recipe vegan or dairy-free, use a tablespoon of vegan butter instead!

Chef’s Tips

  • Keep an eye on your onions while they cook! If the temperature is set too high, they could burn quickly. Therefore, check on the onions every few minutes, stirring each time. If they seem to be browning too much, simply lower the temperature a bit.
  • If you’d like even sweeter sautéed onions, you can add a tablespoon of sugar if you’d like. I find that when these onions are cooked, they release enough natural sugar making them sweet enough for my taste. However, if you prefer a sweet side dish closer to caramelized onions, sprinkle in a tablespoon of sugar along with the salt in the last step.
  • You can either store sautéed onions in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months! To reheat, simply pop in the microwave until warm throughout.
close up image of sauteed onions with fresh thyme

More Delicious Simple Side Dish Recipes

  • Cheese Grits
  • Whole30 Bacon Garlic Green Beans
  • Grilled Eggplant Recipe
  • Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
  • 20 Gluten Free Side Dishes

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

sauteed onions in a skillet with a wooden spoon

Sautéed Onions

Prep:0 minutes minutes
Cook:15 minutes minutes
Total:15 minutes minutes
These sautéed onions are quick and easy to make! They're deeply flavorful, slightly sweet, and perfectly tender. Add these sautéed onions to a sandwich, salad, or simply enjoy them as a side dish!
Print Save Saved! Click Here to Remove Ads
6

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 onions sliced, see Notes
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • Large skillet

Instructions 

  • Heat olive oil and butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.
    Sauteed-Onions-1
  • Add in the onions, toss to coat in the butter and oil then leave to cook for 10 minutes, stirring every minute or two.
  • Sprinkle in the salt and cook for another 5 minutes or until desired doneness.
    Sauteed-Onions-3

Notes

  • Make it Vegan: Use one tablespoon of vegan butter instead of regular butter to make these sautéed onions vegan-friendly!
  • Onions: I prefer yellow onions for this recipe, though you can use any type of onion you’d like.
 
Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving out of 6. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
 
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 6. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1serving, Calories: 59kcal, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 213mg, Potassium: 81mg, Total Carbs: 5g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Net Carbs: 4g, Vitamin A: 59IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Sam Guarnieri

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @40aprons on social and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!

Rate Recipe Tag Me on Instagram
Sam Guarnieri

Meet Sam Guarnieri

Sam is a travel, food, and fitness enthusiast from the New York metro area who loves creating new and inventive recipes. Her love of food goes all the way back to her early childhood, cooking alongside her mom and Nonna – the two best cooks she knows! She's a big believer that good-for-you food can still explode with flavor and (most importantly) be easy to make. When she's not in the kitchen, Sam can usually be found planning her next vacation, spending time outdoors, or bingeing the latest Netflix docu-series.

Read more...

You may also like...

  • Sauteed mushrooms in a cast iron skillet
    Sauteed Mushrooms
  • Sauteed broccoli on a white plate
    Sauteed Broccoli
  • sauteed cabbage in a bowl with serving spoons on the side
    Simple Sauteed Cabbage

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

What’s Popular?

A casserole dish, angled on a table, filled with banana stuffed french toast casserole topped with strawberries.

Tonga Toast French Toast Casserole

Overhead view of a cast-iron skillet filled with cream cheese sausage dip surrounded by tortilla chip scoops.

3-Ingredient Sausage Dip (Stovetop or Crockpot)

Top-down view of a large bowl, lined with parchment paper, holding several orange-sauced buffalo chicken wings.

Boneless Chicken Wings

Overhead view of one bowl and one partial bowl of cajun chicken pasta soup on a wooden table.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Soup

In Season

Zoomed out photo of two mimosas glasses holding apple cider mimosas rimmed with brown sugar cinnamon sitting in front of a bowl of apples.

Apple Cider Mimosas

Two slices of Whole30 meatloaf plated with green beans and mashed potatoes on a grey-blue plate with silverware on a table.

Whole30 Meatloaf

Close-up, angled view of soft and fluffy air fryer pizza on a white plate.

Air Fryer Pizza

close up image of king ranch casserole being lifted out of the baking dish

Cheesy King Ranch Casserole

As seen on:

More Goodies + NO Ads!

Become a 40 Aprons Premium Member!

All the 40 Aprons content you love - now even better.

  • Member-Exclusive Recipes
  • Meal Plans & Grocery Lists
  • eBooks
  • NO ADS!
Join now

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

Disclaimers

Contact

© 2023 40 Aprons
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
490 shares