31 Onion Recipes Worth Shedding Tears Over

Onions are a cornerstone of our cooking—but how often are they actually the star? There’s a world of onions out there—red, white, Vidalia, pearl, and so many more—and when given the attention they deserve, these pantry staples can show off their broad range of flavors. From bracingly sharp when raw to silky-sweet when slowly cooked, these 31 recipes put onions on a well-deserved pedestal. Whether they’re frizzled crisp and scattered over a crunchy peanut-coated cabbage slaw or blitzed and melted into a rich, creamy curry, these dishes are worth getting onion breath over.
1/31Tomato-Roasted Onions With So Much Paprika
Onions can be a startling delight when they’re served as the main event. Here, a hot sear produces a glorious collection of complex flavors, and the gentle roast that follows renders the onions fully spoonable, soft like butter on a hot day.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley2/31Frizzled-Onion Cabbage Salad
Slicing your onions as uniformly as possible ensures that they will fry evenly. A mandoline is great for this. Remove the onions from the oil when they’re still a shade or two lighter than you want them. They’ll continue to cook off the heat.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley3/31Creamy Coconut Curry Meatballs
This coconut curry sauce is incredibly versatile. Try cooking canned chickpeas, cubes of seared tofu, or browned 1" pieces of skinless, boneless chicken thighs in it instead of the meatballs.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley4/31French Onion Tart
Everyone has a hack for caramelizing onions. The fact remains: Onions only properly caramelize when most of the water in them has evaporated. Pre-salting the onions and starting them in a covered pot helps draw out their liquid much quicker than any other method.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne, prop styling by Christina Allen5/31Gluten-Free Focaccia With Rosemary and Onion
Onions turn frizzled and sweet atop this golden, crispy, shockingly gluten-free focaccia. This wheat-free focaccia bakes up with an open, chewy crumb, a crispy crust awash in olive oil, and trademark dimples.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni6/31Creamed Onions Alla Vodka
Frozen onions are the easy, store-bought trick to this luscious, luxuriously saucy side. Serve with some crusty bread to sop it all up.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Heather Greene7/31Jammy Onion and Miso Pasta
When your fridge and pantry are looking especially bare, or you’re so decision-fatigued you just can’t decide what’s for dinner, this is the recipe to keep in your back pocket. It’s exceedingly fast and exceptionally flavorful.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Tim Ferro8/31Pearl Onion and Sweet Pepper Skillet
With a bag of frozen pearl onions (so cute, no peeling required!) and a bag of mini sweet peppers, you’re well on your way to dinner.
Photograph by Jenny Huang, food styling by Tyna Hoang, prop styling by Sophie Strangio9/31Oniony Brothy Beans
Cozy beans are just what you need to kickstart fall. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all the saucy bits.
Photo by Heidi's Bridge10/31Slow-Roasted Onion Dip
Like the one you make with the packet of soup mix, but with no weird chemicals and 1,000 percent tastier.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susan Spungen11/31Triple-Threat Onion Galette
Not just a clever name, this savory tart combines three alliums (scallions, garlic, and onion) for maximum flavor and crispy-jammy texture. The key to the flaky crust is to move fast! Rolling and folding the dough while the butter is still cold creates distinct layers of butter and flour that will steam apart during baking, making the crust light and flaky.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio12/31Chicken-Lentil Soup With Jammy Onions
This soup coaxes big flavors from a short ingredient list.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Plate by Meilen Ceramics13/31Cod With Soy-Caramelized Onions and Potatoes
Adding ginger and soy sauce to caramelized onions gives a bit of zingy punch and intrigue, creating a multidimensional meal that comes together in just one skillet.
Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Anna Billingskog14/31French Onion Dip
There’s no shortcut when it comes to caramelizing the onions—be patient.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks15/31Samosa Tart With Caramelized Onions and Fontina
When you're not up for deep frying, bake a samosa's spiced potato filling into a buttery, flaky bed of puff pastry instead.
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Yekaterina Boystova16/31French Onion Beef Noodle Soup
This super-savory dish draws inspiration from Taiwanese beef noodle soup, then gilds the lily with a Dutch oven’s worth of sweet, slow-simmered onions.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boystova17/31Squash With Yogurt Sauce and Frizzled Onions
For this vegetarian main, crispy-sweet red onions roast alongside the squash for a finishing dose of flavor and texture.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski18/31Radish and White Onion Slaw
A simple slaw that pairs well with meaty summer mains.
Ted Cavanaugh19/31Brown Butter–Fried Onion Rings
Creamy, rich fat tames even the wildest fire—looking at you, raw onion—and makes any allium more tasty.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jillian Knox, prop styling Sophie Peoples20/31Vidalia Onion Pissaladière Pizzas
This twist on a pissaladière features sweet Vidalia onions, olives, and anchovies on a store-bought pizza dough base for added ease.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski21/31Red Cabbage and Onion Slaw
An understated slaw that gives us what we want: crunch and bright acidity.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou22/31French-ish Onion Soup
Onions, garlic, oil, wine, and salt are all it takes to make a rich vegan broth that still evokes the classic version.
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Frances Boswell, prop styling by Sophie Strangio23/31Spring Vegetable Bhajia
Crispy, fried bhajia are a popular snack across India, and chef Preeti Mistry’s version makes the most of spring produce.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li24/31Egg Korma With Frizzled Onions
Whole jammy eggs are seared in ghee until blistered and crispy, then smothered in a gently spiced coconut sauce.
Photographs by Emma Fishman25/31Creamy French Onion Dip
The love child of French onion soup and French onion dip. Need we say more?
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco and Tom Cunanan, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime26/31Cucumber and Onion Salad
Cool, crunchy, and a bit sweet, this salad is meant to quench the fire from all the other dishes on the table.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown27/31Quick-Pickled Red Onions
Make a batch of these easy pickled onions, then use them all week long on everything you eat.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura28/31Winter Squash and Onion Flatbread
Letting the dough proof in the fridge will extend the rising process, resulting in a more tender and flavorful crust.
Alex Lau29/31Olive Oil–Confit Chicken With Cipolline Onions
What happens when you cook with a lot of oil? Magic. Because oil conducts heat much more efficiently than air, foods that are confited in it, like these chicken thighs, come out incredibly moist and infused with the oil’s flavor.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca30/31Caramelized Onions
Master this basic technique and use these jammy, sweet onions in absolutely everything.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones31/31Lemony Lentils and Rice With Caramelized Onions
This recipe is inspired by mujadara, a simple combination of lentils, rice, and onions that exists in various forms across the Middle East. It's comforting but not too rich, and it's fresh and vegetarian without relying on many perishable ingredients. In other words, it's the perfect meal for the nights in between holiday parties.