Grilled Onions

Onions and meat are a delicious pair, but the taste of raw onions on anything but a burger can be a little too sharp. These grilled onions are a terrific alternative, as cooking sweet onions over indirect heat makes the taste even more mellow. This is a flexible recipe that you can use for basic white or yellow onions too.

The cooked onions are tender and savory, with a little seasoning and butter giving the natural flavor of the onions a real boost. This recipe even works in the oven if you don’t want to open up the grill.

Ingredients for Grilled Onions

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• Sweet onions: This recipe calls for sweet onions, which can be Vidalias, Walla Wallas or Mauis. If you have only white or yellow non-sweet onions, you can definitely still use them to make these grilled onions in foil. Just be aware that the cooked onions will taste comparatively sharp, although they’ll still have a much mellower taste than they would raw.
• Beef bouillon granules: Sprinkling some bouillon granules over the onions gives them extra flavor.
• Fresh or dried thyme: Either fresh or dried thyme will do—just remember that you’ll need to use less dried thyme, as the flavor is more concentrated.
• Butter: This will add a great buttery taste to the onions as well as help them soften as they cook.
• White wine or beef broth (optional): If you prefer, you can add a little wine or broth for more flavor. However, this is an optional step.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the grill and the onions

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Prepare your grill for indirect medium heat. Peel the onions, but don’t cut off the root ends. Cut a small slice from the top end of each onion. Cut or carve a 1-inch hole in the center of each onion. Then cut each onion into quarters, but don’t cut all the way through; leave the bottom 1/2 inch intact.

Step 2: Prep the foil wrapping

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Place each onion on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil, about 12 inches square.

Step 3: Season the onions

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Sprinkle the bouillon, thyme, salt and pepper into the hollowed-out centers, then top that with butter. If desired, drizzle the wine or beef broth over the top. Fold each foil square around the onion, sealing tightly.

Step 4: Grill the onions

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Grill the onions, covered, over indirect heat until they’re tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Open the hot foil carefully to let the steam escape.

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Grilled Onion Variations

• Use olive oil instead of butter: If you want to make these without any dairy products, add a little olive oil instead of the butter pats before sealing the foil packets.
• Grill over direct heat: If you prefer grilling these over direct heat, cut the onions into wedges and brush them with olive oil instead of coating them with butter. Place them on a grilling grid (you can also poke holes in the bottom of a disposable foil pan to mimic a grilling grid), then place the grid on the grill rack and grill the onions, covered, for three to four minutes per cut side.

How to Store Grilled Onions

Pack leftover grilled onions in an airtight container after they’ve cooled, and store them in the refrigerator for up to two days. Remember that the onions are perishable, so you’ll want to put them away within two hours of coming off the grill.

Can you freeze grilled onions?

If you want to freeze the onions, it’s best if you chop them up first. Trying to freeze a whole round onion (even one that’s been partially cut, like these) may take too long—the center may not freeze very well and thawing would almost certainly take much too long. Sliced or chopped grilled onions freeze well, however. Spread the pieces out on a baking sheet and freeze them for 30 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pieces to a freezer bag, and squeeze out as much air as you can. Store them in the freezer for up to three months.

Grilled Onion Tips

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Can you bake these in an oven instead of grilling them?

Yes! Bake the onions in a 350°F oven for 30 to 45 minutes instead of grilling them over indirect heat. Don’t place the foil packets directly on the oven rack, however; place them in a baking dish instead. That way, if the butter or wine/broth leaks out of the foil, it won’t make a mess in your oven.

Do you really need to wrap the onions in tin foil?

In this recipe for foil-packet whole Vidalias, yes. The foil creates a little pocket that helps trap heat and moisture as the onion cooks. That heat and moisture helps the onion cook more evenly over the indirect heat on the grill. You don’t want the outer layers of the onion cooking before the inner layers, nor do you want those outer layers overcooking as you try to ensure that the inner layers have sufficient time to cook. It would be different if you were grilling wedges or sliced onions—slices or wedges are thin enough that the entire pieces will cook at the same time, so you can grill those without foil.

What’s the best way to serve grilled onions?

A grilled onion fresh off the heat is great as a side dish (give it a few minutes to cool down, of course). You can also slice them up to serve on burgers or chop them to use as a garnish for meat dishes. Grilled onions are delicious with pork and beef, especially steaks, sausages and the aforementioned burgers. If you have leftover grilled onions stored in the refrigerator, dice those and add them to frittatas or scrambled eggs. You can also chop them and reheat them on the stove over low heat, then add them to a mixed vegetable side dish.