Sometimes, the simplest ingredients come together to make something truly magical, and that’s exactly the case with this caramelized onion jam. Slow-cooked with warm spices, tangy rice wine vinegar, and a touch of soy sauce, these onions turn meltingly soft and deeply flavorful—sweet, savory, and just a little bit smoky. It’s hard to improve upon caramelized onions, but these are next level. This is the kind of condiment that instantly upgrades whatever you put it on. Spoon it over grilled meats or fried eggs, pile it onto a rice bowl, upgrade your avocado toast, swirl it into noodles, or sneak it into a sandwich for an extra layer of rich, jammy goodness. And the best part? It keeps beautifully in the fridge, ready to elevate your meals with minimal effort. Let’s get into it!

This recipe is a little different from a classic caramelized onion, where low and slow cooking caramelizes the sugars in the onions which you repeatedly fold back into the jammy onions. I would say this is a cousin of caramelized onion or maybe the happy baby between caramelized onion and onion chutney. Onion relatives aside, this Onion Jam is soft but still retains a little bite (the vinegar keeps it from become a mush) and it has a tangy savoriness that’s perfect for adding some oomph to basic foods. And while it’s not a speedy recipe, it’s mostly hands-off. Just have to let the alchemy of time plus heat work its magic.

For this onion jam, the process is made even better with the addition of warm spices like cumin and coriander, plus a hit of acidity from rice wine vinegar. The soy sauce and brown sugar take it over the top, creating a perfectly balanced blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. Unlike traditional French-style caramelized onions, which rely on their natural sugars for browning, this version has that little extra help, making it even more luscious.

I start making my onion jam by trimming and prepping the onions.

I peel them, trim the ends, and cut in half. Then I slice them:

Now that I have a nice pile of onion strips it’s time to cook them. This is the time to pull out your heaviest dutch oven type pot. A heavy bottom will help to cook the onions evenly and slowly. I add the oil and bloom the cumin and coriander seeds; this helps to release the fragrance and creates a nice toasty flavor.

As soon as they start to get really fragrant I add the onion slices.

Then I add the salt and pepper:

Next I add the rice vinegar, bring to a simmer and cover the pot and let the onions begin cooking down. I give it a good stir now and then again to make sure they are getting evenly cooked.

After about 15 minutes, I take off the lid and add the brown sugar and soy sauce.

Then I put the lid back on and cook for about an hour. I check every so often to see how golden the onions are getting. They are a nice golden brown here but I like to cook them down until almost all of the liquid has cooked off.

And give them a good stir:

When the onions are syrupy and a deep brown they are done:

This is such a useful condiment to have on hand. Use it to add some oomph to soup, dollop on top of burgers for that fancy restaurant quality, add with shredded cheese to an omelet…I can’t wait to hear how you use them, and don’t forget to tag us in your photos– we love hearing from you!

Onion Jam

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• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 75 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 1/2 cups 1x

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Ingredients

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• 2 Large Yellow onions
• 4 Tablespoons neutral oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Trim the onions, peel them and cut them into quarters. Next, slice them into ¼ inch pieces.
2. Add the oil, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds to a heavy medium sized pot. Turn the heat to medium low and cook the spices for a couple of minutes, pushing them around with a wooden spoon, until fragrant. 
3. Add the onions, rice wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Bring the pot to a simmer over high heat and then lower the heat to medium, cover with a lid and let simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
4. Uncover and add the sugar and soy sauce. Stir the onions, lower the heat to medium low and cover with a lid. Cook for about an hour until the onions are soft and syrupy. 
5. Use onion jam immediately or store in the fridge until ready to use. You can use these as a condiment for grilled meats, a topping for rice bowls or noodles, or as a great sandwich addition.

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Notes

*This onion jam stores very well in the fridge. Be sure to use a clean utensil when scooping it out and keep it in an airtight container. This jam keeps for a couple of weeks.

Keywords: onion jam, condiments, jammy,

It’s time we settled the old Hellman’s vs Miracle Whip debate once and for all; Japanese mayo is the best mayo hands down. Richer, thicker, and with more yolky goodness than its American counterparts, it is essential to this Roasted Sesame Dressing. (And this Potato Salad too!) Japanese mayo has a mild, sweet tang from rice vinegar, and its thickness makes it a perfect addition to dips (try it with Fried Chicken)  and dressings.  You can find it in the international aisle of well stocked grocery stores, or in Asian markets and online. Kewpie brand is the original but there are a bunch of knock offs that taste identical.

Once you have the world’s best mayo, you can make a batch of this Roasted Sesame Dressing and use it enhance everything from simple salads, coleslaw, or use it as a dip for veggies. All kidding aside though, you don’t have to go out and buy another mayonnaise. This dressing has so much flavor that using what you have in the fridge is just fine.

Making Roasted Sesame Dressing

This roasted dressing is what I would equate to Japan’s version of Ranch dressing. It’s everywhere and every salad dressing/sauce brand has their own version. It’s creamy, deeply sesame flavored, and goes with so many more things besides salad. Like ranch, you can use it as a dip for all kinds of fried goodies, top it on some grilled veggies, or use it to baste simple roast chicken. And it has so much more flavor! Move over ranch, a new player is here.

Whipping up this dressing couldn’t be more simple. It gets its depth of flavor from freshly roasted sesame seeds, and pantry essentials like rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.  I start by toasting the sesame seeds, even if they are already roasted. (If you can get your hands on raw unhulled sesame seeds, it’s even better.) Nothing beats the flavor and fragrance of freshly toasted seeds. This takes just a few minutes.

Roasted Sesame Dressing keeps well for a week. Just keep it in the fridge and give it a stir before you drizzle in on salads, veggies, even sandwiches.

Try this easy dressing and let me know what you think. Rate and comment on the recipe and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Roasted Sesame Dressing

★★★★★ 4.2 from 13 reviews

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 12 minutes
• Yield: makes 1 cup 1x
• Category: condiment
• Cuisine: Japanese

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Ingredients

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• ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds 
• ⅓ cup japanese mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce*
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 large clove garlic finely minced

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Instructions

1. Place the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat.
2. Lightly toast them for 3-5 minutes until they are a golden color and fragrant.
3. Place them in a mortar and grind them coarsely. (Alternatively, you can also place the sesame seeds in a heavy duty plastic zip top bag, squeeze out all of the air, and crush the seeds by using a rolling pin until you have the right ground texture.)
4. Brush the sesame seeds out of the mortar and into a bowl.
5. Add the mayonnaise, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Mix well.
6. Refrigerate until ready to use. Roasted Sesame Dressing keeps well for a week. Stir before using.

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Notes

*to make this gluten free be sure to use a GF soy sauce

*use a vegan mayonnaise to make a vegan friendly version

*if you can find unhulled sesame seeds, you are such a lucky person and I envy you! Toast the sesame seeds exactly the same way but for several minutes longer until they are a medium golden color. They should be very fragrant. Turn the heat down a little if you see the sesame seeds getting too dark.

Keywords: dressing, salads, healthy, japanese, summer, sesame