2 Ingredient Onion Oil

Onion oil is a flavor bomb that makes Passover in our home.  It’s a super simple recipe to make with just two ingredients.  While I typically make it twice a year (once at Passover and once at Rosh Hashanah), it’s a great addition to your cooking all year round.

The day my mom made onion oil was the day we knew Passover was coming.  The smell of cooking onions wafting through the house is like a big warm hug from the kitchen.  I’m a big fan of grilled onions and French fried onions, so it’s no surprise I love it so much!

Use the onion oil as you use my super popular garlic butter or my lemon butter sauce.  It can be used for roasting veggies, to fry potato latkes or fried matzo, or as a substitute in any savory recipe that calls for vegetable oil.  The opportunities are endless, so have fun with it.

Ingredients

• Vegetable Oil: Any vegetable oil you like will work.  Peanut and olive oil will work as well, but have a stronger flavor than a neutral vegetable oil.
• Yellow Onions: The standard yellow onion is what you want to use here, white onions will work in a pinch, but stay away from purple onions.

Tip on slicing onions

When you need to slice onions thinly, the best tool to reach for is your mandoline.  If you are anything like me and sometimes move too quickly in the kitchen because 4 other people need you at the exact moment you start cooking, cutting precisely with a knife can be a little dicey. 

Instead, grab your mandoline, use the cutting guard and/or your cutting glove and calmly slice the onions to the precise thickness you want.  And if you get interrupted, no biggie. Go tend to the spilled milk and come back when you can. 

Make the onion oil

Slice your onions on a mandoline and then add them to your sauté pan.  Carefully pour the oil over the onions, then turn the heat on to medium heat.  Once you start to hear the onions sizzling turn the heat down to medium low and let the onions cook in the oil until they are all soft and just golden brown.

Be sure to watch that the onions don't burn. Turn off the heat and let the onion oil cool down.

Then using a small funnel transfer the flavored oil into a quart sized mason jar or back into the oil container.  Label and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

Favorite uses for the onion oil

While this infused oil adds pops of flavor throughout Passover in recipes like potato kugel and farfel muffins, it’s also a great addition to any of these recipes.

• Everything Roasted Veggies
• Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potatoes
• Potato Bourekas
• Charred Corn
• Carmelized Onion Tart

Variations

• Add herbs: Ginger and rosemary both pair well with the onions or could be made as their own flavored oils.
• Add spices: Add chili flakes or peppercorns to make a spicy infused oil.
• Make a confit: Instead of cooking sliced onions on the stove, put small cippolini onions in the oil in small roasting dish and cook at 400℉ for about 20 minutes or until the onions are soft.

Storage tips

This onion oil will last about a month in the fridge.  I do not recommend storing it on the counter as there is a chance that onions can go bad.  If the oil thickens up or gets solid, simply leave it on the counter for a few minutes before you use it.

More Passover Recipes to Love

📖 Recipe

2 Ingredient Onion Oil

Marni Katz

This homemade onion oil is the secret to elevating everyday meals. With just a few ingredients and a little time, you can create an infused oil packed with rich flavor that’s super versatile.. Drizzle it over roasted veggies, stir it into soups, or use it as the base for stir-fries to add an irresistible depth to your cooking.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Side

Cuisine American, jewish

Servings 16 servings

Calories 8 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 oz vegetable oil
• 3 yellow onions sliced

Instructions

 

• Slice your onions on a mandoline and then add them to your saute pan.  Carefully pour the oil over the onions, then turn the heat on to medium heat. 
• Once you start to hear the onions sizzling turn the heat down to medium low and let the onions cook in the oil until they are all soft and just golden brown.
• Turn off the heat and let the onion oil cool down.
• Then using a small funnel transfer the flavored oil into a quart sized mason jar or back into the oil container.  Label and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

Notes

Change the Quantity: While many recipes need to be followed exactly, this isn’t one of them.  The method is what's important. If I need to serve a crowd, I’ll use as much oil as I can fit in my large saute pan and double the number of onions. It’s a VERY forgiving recipe.

Slicing the onions:  I suggest using a mandoline and a cutting glove so you can quickly get thin slices.  A sharp knife and steady hand will also do the trick.

Storage tip: Store the onion oil in the fridge for up to a month.  I use a quart sized mason jar.

Nutrition

Calories: 8kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.02gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.004gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.003gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 30mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 0.4IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.04mg

Keyword 2 ingredient recipe, Infused Oil

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