Golden Oven-Roasted Caramelized Onions

1. Prep and Preheat

Position the oven rack to the lower-middle level and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. With a light coating of vegetable oil spray, prepare the interior of a Dutch oven.

2. Melt and Mix

Place the Dutch oven over medium-low heat on the stove. Melt the butter, then stir in the onions and 1 teaspoon of salt until well combined. Cover the Dutch oven.

3. Initial Roast

Transfer the covered Dutch oven to the preheated oven. Let the onions roast for 1 hour. At this point, they should be moist and have slightly reduced in volume.

4. Stir and Continue

Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Quickly stir the onions, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot. Partially cover the pot and return it to the oven.

5. Final Caramelization

Continue roasting the onions until they turn a deep golden brown. This will take approximately 1½ to 1¾ hours. Every 30 minutes, stir the onions and scrape the pot to ensure even caramelization.

6. Season and Serve

Once removed from the oven for the final time, stir the onions well to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Your caramelized onions are ready to be served warm or at room temperature.