Melted Onions Recipe on Food52 (2024)

5 Ingredients or Fewer

by: Lindsay Maitland Hunt

October5,2020

5

7 Ratings

  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 4 to 6 as a side

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

I love how onions become meltingly tender and sweet after a long roast in the oven, but it’s not such an elegant look to plop roasted onions on a platter. Here the petals stay together in a pretty rosette, thanks to a muffin pan. If you don’t have one, use a small rimmed baking sheet or an ovenproof dish and pack the onions tightly together.

To store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Tip: If the stem is the North Pole, you’re cutting through the onion’s equator.

Excerpted from HELP YOURSELF © 2020 by Lindsay Maitland Hunt. Photography © 2020 by Linda Pugliese. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.Lindsay Maitland Hunt

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 6 medium onions (each 3 inches in diameter / 2 1/2 pounds total), halved crosswise through the center (not the root and stem), ends trimmed by 1/4 inch
  • 1/2 teaspoonkosher salt
  • 3 teaspoonsfreshly ground freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoonsghee or unsalted butter, melted, or your preferred cooking oil
Directions
  1. Heat your oven to 425°F with a rack in the top position.
  2. Place the onion halves cut-side up in the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin. Sprinkle the onions with the salt and pepper.
  3. Roast for 20 minutes, until the onions have softened slightly and sunk into the cups. Brush with the ghee and return to the oven. Bake until extremely soft and golden brown, about 40 minutes more.

Tags:

  • American
  • Onion
  • 5 Ingredients or Fewer
  • Thanksgiving
  • Holiday
  • Vegetarian
  • Side

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Popular on Food52

17 Reviews

bobbi September 25, 2023

Has anyone made these ahead in the freezer? I think this would be great for Thanksgiving

Jewell August 11, 2023

Served with pintos and cornbread

FrugalCat April 11, 2022

I made these when I was already roasting a sheet pan dinner. I have a silicone muffin pan. There was no ghee to be found in my fridge, so I used butter flavored popcorn oil. The onions came out great- we ate a couple with dinner and I saved the other 4 to use in cooking new dishes- it's good to have cooked onions in reserve.

Paula J. March 15, 2021

Do you peel the onions?

Yes :)

kathy December 20, 2020

The first time I made these, I used the muffin tins but I had to discard some of the onion in order to get them to fit. Subsequent times, I've just placed them cut side up on parchment lined half sheet pan. Latest onions were really large so I should have cooked them ½ hour longer. I love onions and really like this recipe. Be sure to use ghee ... I get it at Trader Joe.

kimetnico December 10, 2020

I'm embarrassed to say how many of these I ate!! They were so delicious and so easy.

Jennifer S. November 15, 2020

So delicious! We followed the recipe as it is, and my husband can’t stop eating these beauties (they sure are pretty).

Cee G. October 24, 2020

I skeptically sacrificed three onions and some real butter but made other veggie sides just in case. Tops blackened a little bit so I was even more doubtful. We ate all six onion halves! Fantastic alone and also mingled with mashed potatoes. And there was a request to add it to the meal rotation.

Ann M. October 23, 2020

I followed this recipe exactly. After the 1st 20 minutes I applied the butter and put them back in the oven. After 15 minutes the kitchen was filled with smoke and all of the onions were completely blackened on the bottom. If I ever try this againAfter applying the butter I would turn the oven downTo probably 300

Ann M. October 23, 2020

300 or less not to mention that my tin is comletely ruined. No amount of soaking and srubbing will remove the burnt on onion. Muffins can bever be made in this tin again..it is trash

kayvee March 13, 2022

Sorry you had that experience but appreciate the head's up! I haven't tried them yet. I'll use my silicone muffin liners when I do.

Carrie S. October 11, 2020

This were super easy, and look great! I only used 3 onions cut in half and filled the other empty holes with whole garlics and a sweet potato cut in half to multi task the recipe, worked well. Serving these as a side with smoked brisket, YUM!

Victoria N. October 7, 2020

These look really yummy. What do you serve them with?

Amy M. October 19, 2020

I served them with grilled steak and broccoli!

Amy M. October 5, 2020

These look amazing! I’m wondering if the wells should be oiled / sprayed so they don’t stick?

Victoria N. October 7, 2020

I would use butter or a cooking spray, for sure.

Melted Onions Recipe on Food52 (2024)

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