Red Onion Marmalade

Name: Red Onion Marmalade
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 120 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: red onion — 1 kg; vegetable oil — 50 ml; sugar — 100 g; honey — 50 g; red wine vinegar — 50 ml; ground coriander — 1/2 tsp; fresh thyme sprigs — 2 pcs; dry red wine

120 minutes

Medium

If you're not yet familiar with the magic of onion marmalade, I highly recommend giving it a try. This sweet and savory condiment is an excellent partner for roasted meats like duck and chicken, a sophisticated addition to appetizers, and an absolute must-have for any cheese board.

To achieve the best flavor, use sweet red or white salad onions. Regular, pungent onions will leave their sharp taste in the marmalade no matter how much wine you add.

Once prepared, your onion marmalade will last for a couple of months in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.

Sauces & Seasonings European cuisine French cuisine

02.08.2025

Ingredients :

Base

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

Onions. For the best result, I highly recommend using sweet red onions – they have a milder flavor than regular yellow onions. Some people use sweet white onions, which also taste great, but the final color of the marmalade won’t be as rich and will depend more on the color of your wine.
Wine. Use a dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. There’s no need to buy an expensive bottle, but be sure to choose one that you would enjoy drinking.
Honey. This adds a wonderful, distinct honey flavor to the marmalade. I suggest using a light honey like linden or wildflower. Avoid strong varieties like buckwheat or chestnut, as they can be too overpowering. If you don’t care for honey, you can simply replace it with an equal amount of sugar.
Vinegar. It adds a distinctive flavor and sourness that balances the sweetness. The recipe calls for red wine vinegar, but white wine or apple cider vinegar can be used instead. For a special touch, try balsamic vinegar.
Sugar. Marmalade needs sugar! Plain white granulated sugar is all you need here.
Thyme. You can use either fresh or dried thyme, but fresh is definitely my preference for a brighter flavor.

Let’s start cooking!

Slice the onion into thin rings or half-rings.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion.

Sauté the onion in the oil, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until it looks like this:

It should be soft and translucent, but not caramelized. There should be no golden brown bits.

Add the sugar, honey, coriander, thyme, wine, and vinegar.

Stir and simmer uncovered on the lowest heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1.5 hours.

The onions should become soft and the mixture should have the consistency of jam.

Cool the marmalade and use as desired. You can also roll it into sterilized jars and store it.

It goes very well on a cheese board. 😉 There are a couple more recommendations for use in the recipe notes.

Enjoy!

This Red Onion Marmalade recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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