To think you cook onions first and then add the rest?

[Ribrabrob]

Boring thread alert but I’m curious

Whenever I cook any meal that contains onions, I always always cook the onions first and then add the meat if it’s a bologneiss, chilli etc (I’m vegetarian but use Quorn which I do the same with). Especially in a meal such as a curry - the onions are key for flavour.

I thought this normal and it’s how I was taught at school, but I’ve been watching lots of cooking videos on TikTok and it seems to me a lot of people aren’t adding onion first and will add them later on a dish. For example cooking mince, adding garlic and then later adding the onion. I just find this strange. I just think there’s nothing worse than a crunchy onion in a chilli for example.

Aibu to think onions should be cooked first? Aibu to think it enhances the taste of a dish and that not properly cooked onion in a bologneise will just ruin it? What do you do?

I do the same as you, but I did once get told I was wrong for doing it that way.

Yes I agree, I also keep seeing recipes that say add the garlic at the same time, the garlic would be burnt and horrible way before the onions are nice and soft - madness!

YANBU

I always do onions first. Don't want the taste of onion overpowering the rest of the flavours, got to make sure it's well cooked

Onions
Spices
Brown meat in above
Add extras
Simmer

Agreed! I always start with onions otherwise you risk them being on the crunchy side which I don't love as much as a soft onion.

Yes always cook the onion down first, I love cooking them in butter.

Yup onions first. Garlic later as cooks quicker.
I also always brown the meat as thats what my mum taught me but I have to admit I dont know what difference it makes.

Yep I agree with you. Also, softened fried onions have a much nicer taste and texture than onions that have essentially boiled in any liquid you’ve added to you me chili/bolognese/whatever.

Onions
Garlic (turn the heat down at this point)
Frozen mince - peel off the paper under a tap, drop the block in frozen and keep turning and scraping off the cooked layer. This stops the onions burning, sears the meat without over cooking and stops you getting thick tough lumps of mince.
Other spices/tomato puree.

Everything else.
Liquid.

Simmer.

Thats the base for all mince/onions based meals.

Some things take longer to cook than others. Onions and spices, garlic, peppers then mushrooms. Onions go in first!

100% agree!! Crunchy onions are the worst!

Yep.. onions in first, maybe peppers at the same time in eg chilli, then mince etc. Garlic usually goes in for the last minute of cooking the onions.

My DH does them like you but I prefer a bit of crunch

I brown the meat first and set aside then remove some of the fat from the pan. Then onions still soft, add garlic and then rest of the meal.

Never onions at the same time though. That leads to indigestion

For bolognese I do onion, carrot and celery together. For chilli I do onions and diced fresh chilli, curries always onion first.

Wouldn't dream of adding the later.

I do the same, more or less in the order described by PP above, depending on how I'm feeling. I was once vehemently told by a friend that this is dangerous and meat should be cooked first, otherwise it won't cook through and I risked poisoning us all.

I thought she was nuts and TBH we're not really friends any more because she's similarly dogmatic and melodramatic about other things.

There might be something to it if you crowd the pan and then serve immediately, but it'd make no difference if you cook the onions down or browning meat first and then let the mince/chicken breast chunks simmer in a sauce for 30 minutes.

I've always cooked the meat first and now am thinking I have been wrong all these years....

I tend to cook the mince first for a couple of mins then chuck in the garlic and onion.

@blackteaplease

I brown the meat first and set aside then remove some of the fat from the pan. Then onions still soft, add garlic and then rest of the meal.

Never onions at the same time though. That leads to indigestion

I do this too. I think if you add the meat after the onions etc, it doesn't get properly browned and I look to cook the onions in the fat from the meat.

I put the onions first :)

I only cook the onions first if I am not putting everything in the slow cooker.

If I'm cooking bolognese I fry the onion/carrot/celery in one pan until it's nice and soft and brown the meat in a separate pan till it's really brown and almost crispy then mix them together.

Depends. If you're using something like chorizo then that gets cooked first so the onion can be fried in the delicious oil....

YANBU. Onions always take ages to cook. During which time you can chop all the veg.

YANBU, who wants yucky boiled onion!

Yes, always.