Add A Cup Of This Unexpected Liquid For Better Caramelized Onions

Caramelized onions are a culinary miracle that adds a fantastic flavor to a variety of dishes. This gooey gold adds a sweet punch to burgers, grilled cheeses, soups, and more, and can be made overnight to avoid the long wait it takes for caramelization. If you're anything like us, even thinking about French onion soup is getting your mouth watering, but before you head to the stovetop, consider adding this to your onions: Coca-Cola.

Yep, you heard that right. Adding Coca-Cola, or really any dark soda, helps the onions caramelize faster as they soak up the sugar from the sweet drink, similar to adding brown sugar. You also get the added bonus of Coke's flavor, creating a sweet and savory mixture with a hint of that famously unknown Coca-Cola recipe's taste. Just add a cup of Coca-Cola once the onions are translucent and cook until almost all of the liquid is gone, which should take 15 to 20 minutes. The result is a very versatile, very delicious topping that goes well with just about anything.

If dumping a soda into your onions sounds strange, there's actually a method to the madness. Coca-Cola's flavor can be used for more than just onions. There are some amazing Coca-Cola hacks you can try, like using it as a marinade or brine, cooking chicken, and even baking a cake. The Cocoa Coca-Cola Cake (try saying that five times fast) might sound weird at first, but the world's most popular soda marries well with chocolate. It's also not the weirdest use of Coca-Cola either considering it's actually been deep fried before, and let's not forget about the polarizing viral trend of Coke & Spaghetti.

So if you have a leftover can lying around, don't throw it out: There are plenty of ways to use Coke, including making these magical caramelized confections. Just make sure to brush up on the scientifically proven best method for caramelized onions and read up on some tips to nail your caramelized onions every time. Then you're ready to go!