Textual Chef Textual Chef

Caramelized Onion Toast

Deeply caramelized onions with garlic and thyme piled onto toasted sourdough and finished with melted cheese; the slow-cooked toast that took over Instagram Reels in July 2026.

50 minMediumServes 4480 cal/serving

AmericanAppetizerStovetop and OvenVegetarian

Ingredients

  • 2 lb yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 8 slices sourdough bread, sliced
  • 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

  2. 2

    Add the 2 lb thinly sliced yellow onions and a pinch of 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 35 minutes until deeply golden brown and jammy, lowering the heat if they start to catch.

  3. 3

    Stir in the 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tsp fresh thyme and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

  4. 4

    Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 tsp balsamic vinegar. Season with 1/4 tsp black pepper to taste.

  5. 5

    Preheat the broiler. Arrange the 8 slices sliced sourdough bread on a baking sheet and toast lightly under the broiler, about 1 minute per side.

  6. 6

    Top each toast with the caramelized onions and a layer of 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese.

  7. 7

    Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve warm.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is a plain-text cooking reference of 2,055 recipes, free to read and cook from, with no account and no paywall. In the app, this entry scales itself: half, standard, or double batch, every quantity recomputed inside the step that uses it. No ads, no life stories, no photos of somebody else's dinner.

Cook this free in the appWhen you want the kitchen tools (meal planner, shopping list, pantry), that subscription opens with 30 days free.