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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Discover a classic creamed onion recipe: made even better with a flavorful twist that packs extra onion flavour into every bite! Rich, comforting, and easy to make, this might become your new favourite side dish.
For more great onion recipes, why not make this Instant Pot French Onion Soup? Or learn How To Make Cajun Onions? Serve these creamed onions with some crusty French bread or Classic Homemade Garlic Bread and your favourite meat dish.
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is incredibly easy to make and delivers a rich, delicious flavour in every bite.
- Total Time: This recipe will take you about 25 minutes from start to finish.
- Variations: The traditional touch of nutmeg enhances the onion’s natural sweetness but adds little flavour to the liquid itself. For a brighter, slightly spicy twist, try substituting paprika. For more heat, add chopped chilies. Just be sure to remove the seeds. You can also try stirring in some grated Parmesan to add a rich, savoury depth to the flavour of this dish.
- Tools For This Recipe: For this recipe, you will need a medium-sized stockpot, a medium saucepan, and an immersion blender.
What You’ll Need For Ingredients
Pearl Onions: You can use fresh or frozen pearl onions for this recipe, as they are sometimes difficult to find in stores. Karlynn’s Tip: If you’re using fresh ones, try boiling them whole with the skins on for a few minutes and then transferring them to an ice bath. This will help them pop right out of the skin, making it easier than peeling.
Chicken Stock: Simmering the onions in the chicken stock helps to produce a deep, mellow flavour. You can swap chicken stock for vegetable stock to make this a vegetarian-friendly version.
Butter, Half-and-Half Cream, All-Purpose Flour: The use of a simple roux, which is flour cooked in fat and browned, is just enough to help thicken the sauce that accompanies these creamed onions.
Salt & Pepper, Ground Nutmeg: This recipe uses a sprinkling of nutmeg, along with plenty of salt and pepper, to flavour the sauce and onions. While nutmeg is certainly traditional, it actually doesn’t do much to flavour the liquid other than to help bring out the natural flavours of the onions.
How To Make Creamed Onions
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Place the pearl onions in a medium-sized stockpot and add enough chicken stock to cover them. Boil until tender and then drain, saving 3/4 cup of the chicken stock.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour has browned.
- Gradually whisk in the cream, then add the reserved broth. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add 1/2 to 1 cup of the cooked onions, then puree until smooth. Add the remaining onions and cook over medium heat until they are heated through.
- Stir in the nutmeg, then season again with salt and pepper if desired. Place the mixture in a bowl and garnish with fresh parsley to serve.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Creamed Onions
- Thicken It Up: Pureeing the onions into the sauce not only thickens it, but also adds extra onion flavour to amp up the cream sauce! If you find your creamed onions are a bit too thin, consider making a cornstarch slurry, pour it in after mixing and let it sit for a minute to thicken.
- Serving Ideas: Serve these delicious creamed onions over top of some of The BEST Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Mushroom Rice. Try making some fresh bread or Buttermilk Biscuits to dip in the sauce and add a protein like Buttery Herb & Garlic Roast Turkey Breast.
- If you don’t have half-and-half cream or would like a lower fat alternative, try whatever milk you have at home. You could also give coconut milk or coconut cream a try for a slightly different flavour profile.
Storage Instructions
These creamed onions are best enjoyed fresh and are so rich and flavourful, you may not have any leftovers! But if you do have some, here’s how you can store them.
Refrigerator: Allow them to come to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. You can store these in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a pan over medium heat and stir periodically until warmed through.
Freezer: Creamed onions can be frozen for up to 2-4 months. Ensure the mixture cools to room temperature and store it in an airtight container before use. To reheat, do so over medium heat, stirring frequently and adding a bit more cream or stock to adjust the consistency if your sauce has broken and separated.
More Delicious Side Dish Recipes
- Candied Carrots are the perfect sweet side dish for any meal! The sweet, slightly spicy glaze makes these simply irresistible!
- Roasted Green Beans is a fast and simple recipe that is the perfect way to add some greens to your meal!
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries are a great choice if you want something a little different.
There you go. A simple and flavourful side dish to impress your family and friends. Give these creamed onions a try and let me know how they turn out. I always love hearing about your cooking adventures!
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
The Best Creamed Onions
Ingredients
- 5 cups pearl onions, peeled
- 2-3 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¾ cup half-and-half cream
- ¼ teaspoon, freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place the pearl onions into a medium-sized stockpot and add enough chicken stock to cover. Boil until tender, 8-10 minutes.
- Drain, saving 3/4 cup of the chicken stock to use later in the sauce.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the flour has browned and starts to smell nutty.
- Gradually whisk in the cream, then add the reserved broth, whisking to keep the sauce smooth.
- Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add in 1/2 to 1 cup of the cooked onions, then take an immersion blender and quickly puree until smooth.
- Add in the rest of the onions and cook, on medium heat, until they are heated through.
- Stir in the nutmeg, season again with salt and pepper if desired, then place in a bowl and garnish with fresh parsley to serve.
Notes
- Pureeing the onions into the sauce not only thickens it, but also adds extra onion flavor to amp up the cream sauce!
- Try a sprinkle of paprika on top if you’re not a nutmeg fan
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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