5 Ingredients or Fewer

Melted Onions

by:
October  5, 2020
4.5
8 Ratings
Melted Onions
Photo by Linda Pugliese
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 4 to 6 as a side
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

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 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 teaspoons freshly ground freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons ghee 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.
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Popular on Food52

18 Reviews

dkiehl2003@gmail.com
[email protected] March 3, 2024
I may be blind but where is the temp?
 
bobbi
bobbi September 25, 2023
Has anyone made these ahead in the freezer? I think this would be great for Thanksgiving
 
Jewell
Jewell August 11, 2023
Served with pintos and cornbread
 
FrugalCat
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.
Paula J. March 15, 2021
Do you peel the onions?
 
Jennifer S.
Jennifer S. March 15, 2021
Yes :)
 
kathy
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
kimetnico December 10, 2020
I'm embarrassed to say how many of these I ate!! They were so delicious and so easy.
 
Jennifer S.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Victoria N. October 7, 2020
These look really yummy. What do you serve them with?
 
Amy M.
Amy M. October 19, 2020
I served them with grilled steak and broccoli!
 
Amy M.
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.
Victoria N. October 7, 2020
I would use butter or a cooking spray, for sure.