I cannot eat a cheeseburger without caramelized or grilled onions. In my opinion, the meal is just not complete without their flavorful sweetness. I love them that much. So it’s safe to say I take my onions very seriously. There are several variations to prep the onions. The simplest version is cooking them in olive oil with salt & pepper. You can add balsamic vinegar for extra depth behind the sweet onion. They can be cooked long & slow to create almost a creamy jam texture, or you can flame them on the grill to get that crispy crunch. This particular recipe is for a special occasion onion. Top them on your burger, steak, hotdog, bratwurst, pizza, a brie cheese crostini… the options are endless!

Ingredients

• 1 Large Sweet or Yellow Onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp Kentucky Bourbon
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

Half the onion through the root end, and then place the flat sides down and root towards you on a cutting board. Slice lengthwise, aiming for about 1/4″ thick strips. Add butter and drizzle olive oil into a medium sized pan over medium heat and add the sliced onions. Sear the onions for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with the salt and add the brown sugar, mixing well. Continue to cook the onions, mixing as needed to avoid burning. As the onions start to turn translucent and caramelize, about 10-15 minutes, add the bourbon – be careful though for flare-up! Continue cooking until all the liquid has burned off and the onions are perfectly caramelized.