Creamed Pearl Onions

You might remember your grandmother making a pearl onion recipe for the holidays—she may have even had a special bowl just for serving them. These creamed pearl onions will bring back all of those delicious memories.

Little onions are bathed in a rich, cheesy cream sauce and baked until meltingly tender. The best part about this pearl onion recipe is that you have the option of assembling the dish ahead of time. All you have to do before serving is bake them. What an easy, hands-off way to get a luxe side dish while you prep a roast chicken or slow-cook a pot roast. If you love the idea and flavor of creamed onions but don’t want to peel pearl onions (or use frozen ones), try our creamed onion recipe that uses regular sliced onions.

Ingredients for Creamed Pearl Onions

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• Pearl onions: These onions aren’t particularly sweet, but they cook up soft and savory in a rich cream sauce.
• Butter and flour: Butter and flour are the beginning of your roux. When broth and cream are added, it bubbles into a thick sauce.
• Chicken broth and cream: Half-and-half paired with chicken broth makes a sauce that is creamy and flavorful. You can use store-bought or homemade chicken broth, or a vegetable broth.
• Fresh parsley: Just a bit of minced fresh parsley adds some freshness and brightens up this luxurious recipe.
• Parmesan cheese: Some grated cheese is added to the sauce for an instant hit of umami. You can use another flavorful cheese such as gruyere or Comté in its place.
• Pimiento strips (optional): Top with vibrant red pimiento pepper strips if you’d like some additional color.

Directions

Step 1: Peel the pearl onions

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Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add the onions and cook until soft, six to seven minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Peel and set aside.

Step 2: Make the creamy sauce

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Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and seasonings until smooth. Drizzle in the cream, then broth, while continually whisking. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes, until thick. Add the parsley, cheese, and onions.

Step 3: Store overnight (if making ahead), then bake

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Add the onions and sauce to an ungreased 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Take the onions out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes, stir and top with pimientos (if using). Bake uncovered for 10 minutes until bubbly and warm.

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Creamed Pearl Onion Variations

• Sweeten it up: Pearl onions are not a sweet variety. If you prefer your onions on the sweeter side, stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar when adding the cheese and parsley.
• Herbaceous and bodacious: This pearl onion recipe is conservative with seasoning, using just salt, pepper, and parsley. You have a lot of other choices, as onions pair well with a variety of flavors. Try adding fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage (add rosemary sprigs and sage leaves whole and remove after baking). Onions and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg are also delicious together.
• Better with bacon: We love these creamed onions as they are, but if you really want to take them over the top, skip the butter and cook two strips of bacon until crispy in the saucepan. Set aside the bacon to drain and crumble when cool. Add flour to the bacon drippings to make the roux. Sprinkle the bacon over onions when you add the pimientos, during the last 10 minutes of baking.

How to Store Creamed Pearl Onions

Store leftover creamed pearl onions covered in the refrigerator for four to five days.

How do you reheat creamed pearl onions?

Because this pearl onion recipe is so saucy, it’s worth taking the time to gently reheat the dish in a saucepan. If the sauce has gotten too thick, add a little cream, milk, or broth to loosen it up.

Tips for Creamed Pearl Onions

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Can you use frozen pearl onions?

If you want to skip the first step, simply stir frozen pearl onions into the sauce in the second step. Frozen and fresh pearl onions taste similar (although people have their preferences), but the texture is different. The fresh onions will hold their plump, round structure throughout baking while frozen onions will be smaller and more wrinkled.

Do you have to refrigerate creamed pearl onions before cooking them?

If you don’t want to make this pearl onion recipe ahead of time, you don’t have to store them in the fridge before baking. Simply pop them into the oven and follow the instructions for baking.

What are some tips for peeling pearl onions?

Peeling pearl onions is a task that takes time, but it is not difficult. The simplest way to ensure easy peeling is to cut the ends off with a sharp chef’s knife. Then score a shallow “X” into one end. Add to boiling water, cook for the recommended amount of time, and run under cold water. At this point, simply slip off the skins.