Use it up · Herbs and aromatics

Onions

Have extra onions? Here’s how to choose, store and prep onions, plus 122 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Pick firm, dry onions with papery skins and no sprouts or soft spots. Yellow onions are all-purpose; red are mild raw.

🧊 Storing it

Pantry: 2 to 4 weeks in a cool, dry, airy place
Fridge: Cut: covered, a few days
Freezer: Chopped onion freezes well for cooking

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System and Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Cut in half through the root, peel, then slice or dice with the flat side down. Cook slowly to sweeten.

🥣 Make it from scratch

Homemade staples that use onions:

Chicken stock Beef stock Vegetable stock Fresh tomato salsa

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: onions. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Yellow onion. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	40 kcal	2%
Protein	1.1 g	2%
Total fat	0.1 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.0 g	0%
Total carbohydrate	9.3 g	3%
Dietary fiber	1.7 g	6%
Total sugars	4.2 g
Sodium	4.0 mg	0%
Calcium	23 mg	2%
Iron	0.2 mg	1%
Potassium	146 mg	3%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 170000 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

122 recipes, the ones that use the most onions first.

With a smaller amount

Classic Cheeseburgers22 min · serves 4 · dinner, lunch ⚡ quick🧒 kid-friendly

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

More herbs and aromatics

Green onions Garlic Fresh ginger Shallots and leeks Cilantro Parsley Basil Dill Rosemary and thyme Mint All ingredients →

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.