A Muffin Tin Is All You Need For TikTok's Delectable Melted Onions

Melted onions make for a delicious appetizer or side dish and can easily feed a crowd. They are slightly sweet, with a caramelized exterior that tastes just as good as it looks. You can bake them directly in a pan or on a sheet, but they might stick to each other or lose their shape. A better option is to use a muffin tin, as has gone viral on TikTok.

@sweet.audra.brown

Melted Onions! This is the easiest side dish you'll ever make! Even those who arent fussy about onions like these. Melted Inions are sweet and buttery. So good as a side dish to any meal. #onions #sidedish #vegetarian #vegetables #ham #turkey #lamb #beef #fyp #dinner #holiday #cooking #trending

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Basically, you'll fill each muffin cup with a half onion, add your seasonings of choice, and bake the whole thing until golden brown. The onions will soften and achieve a buttery texture, positively melting in your mouth. Plus, you can easily pop them out of the muffin tin without ruining their texture.

Once they are fully cooked, you can use them in French onion soup, onion tarts, sandwiches, or intricate appetizers. They're also perfect as a side dish for grilled steak or chicken and taste amazing when served with creamy risotto or as a complement to mashed potatoes.

First, you'll cut the onions in half. After that, place the onion halves in the cups of a muffin pan, with the cut side facing up. Brown only uses salt and pepper, but it's perfectly fine to add dried herbs and spices like rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, garlic, sage, or turmeric. Think about how you'll serve the onions, and then choose the seasonings.

Next, bake the dish for about 20 minutes. Take it out of the oven, brush the onions with butter or cooking oil, and bake them for another 40 minutes or so. Brush them with oil or butter once more toward the end of the cooking process. Finally, remove the melted onions from the oven and transfer them to a large plate. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

For best results, choose similarly-sized onions so they all cook evenly. This will also contribute to their visual appeal. It's also a good idea to grease the muffin tin with a bit of oil before cooking to prevent the onions from sticking to it. If you don't plan to serve them immediately, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. 

There are endless ways to customize the recipe to your taste, as plenty noted in the comments of TikTok. "Cut a bouillon cube in half and put it in the center! Thank me later," wrote a TikTok user. Another one suggested topping the onions with bacon and blue cheese. Someone added, "I sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on them, and it caramelizes. Yummy, yummy!" Other users said they add garlic, parmesan, or Worcestershire sauce before roasting the onions.

This is your chance to get really creative. Baste your onions with a touch of spicy mustard, or marinate your onions in a little vinaigrette before baking. For a more substantial side, add a lattice of puff pastry before the last 10 minutes of baking for a quick take on an upside onion tart.

All in all, this is the kind of recipe you could make on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's ideal for family dinners or parties, and it goes well with just about any type of meat or fish. You can also serve the melted onions with roasted veggies like carrots, potatoes, or Brussels sprouts for a burst of flavor.