Red, white, Spanish, sweet, the list of onions goes on and on, but do you know the right way to use them? Most people don’t and many recipes don’t help either by simply calling for a generic ‘diced onion.’ This helpful video describes what the differences are and how they’ll affect the flavor of your food. Some are better raw while others need to spend some time in the oven or skillet.
Here’s a quick breakdown of each onion type according to the YouTube description provided by the author Chef Buck:
Yellow Onions:
Strongest flavor
Great for soups, stews, roasting, and sauces
Best for long cooking times.
Most popular onion (more than 80% of onions grown are yellow onions…so often economically the best buy)
High in sulphur and sugar content, so best for caramelizing
Also called brown onionsSweet Onions:
Strong flavor
Great for roasting dishes, frying (onion rings!)
Are generally named for the region they are grown.
Examples include the Vidalia, the Walla Walla, and Bermuda onions.
They are high in sugar, but contain less sulphur than yellow onions.
Good for caramelizing and cooking.
They have a high water content and a relatively shorter shelf-life.
To extend the onion, wrap in a paper towel and store in the refrigeratorRed Onions:
Milder flavor
Best onion for raw applications
Excellent for slicing thin and adding to salads or sandwiches
Great for pickling
Best for Grilling
Lower sugar and sulphur makes them poor for caramelizingWhite Onions:
Strong flavor
Great for cooking, and raw uses
Thinner onion layers, crisp
Favored onion for salsas, chutneys, guacamole, and most Latin recipes
Best pizza topping