This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions with Bacon have tender cooked pearl onions in a sweet and tangy balsamic glaze plus smokey bits of bacon throughout. This side dish is delicious!
Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions with Bacon
If you asked my husband Jack to name one of his all-time favorite ingredients, onions – and especially pearl onions — would be very close to the top of the list.
These Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions with Bacon are as gorgeous to look at as they are enjoyable to eat! They make an impressive side dish for any meal – especially around the holidays or for a special dinner party.
Tender cooked pearl onions are tossed in a sweet and tangy glaze made with balsamic vinegar, butter, and sugar until coated and glistening. Then hickory-smoked chopped bacon and fresh Italian parsley is sprinkled over the top for garnish.
Why you’ll love Balsamic Pearl Glazed Onions with Bacon
- This show-stopper side dish goes so well with Easter ham, Thanksgiving turkey, a roast chicken dinner, Christmas prime rib, or a grilled steak.
- The sweet, caramelized onions with the tangy balsamic glaze and smoky bacon is simply delicious.
- You can do much of the preparation ahead of time – or use frozen pearl onions to save time – making this side dish easy to serve with any meal.
Should I Buy Fresh or Frozen Pearl Onions for This Recipe?
You can usually find fresh pearl onions in the produce section of the supermarket – typically sold in small mesh bags. Or you can sometimes find frozen pearl onions in the freezer case. Either variety will work for this recipe, but there are some pros and cons for each:
- Frozen pearl onions are easy to use but, being factory-processed, you might find that many of the pearl onions still have some skin left on. Once thawed, the frozen onions also break down faster and don’t hold up as well to cooking because they’ve already been blanched prior to freezing. They also lack the same fresh onion taste that you’ll get from using fresh pearl onions. For this recipe, the thawed onions can go right into the sauté pan after thawing.
- Fresh pearl onions on the other hand, are somewhat tedious to peel, but they have far superior taste and texture in the final dish. If you are using fresh, plan for about an hour to clean and prep them for this recipe. Also note that you’ll need to blanch them prior to glazing. We used fresh pearl onions when making this recipe – we think the extra time to peel them is worth the taste, texture, and appearance of the final dish. See below for the Easiest Way to Peel Fresh Pearl Onions.
Note that the cooking times listed in this recipe assume you are using fresh pearl onions. Frozen blanched and thawed pearl onions may sauté in fewer than ten minutes.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pearl Onions – As noted above, you can use fresh or frozen for this recipe. If using fresh, buy approximately 40 ounces (our supermarket sells them in 10-ounce mesh bags, and we bought 4 bags). After cleaning, you end up with around two pounds (32 ounces). If buying frozen, you’ll want to buy two pounds.
- Bacon – Three strips of any hickory-smoked bacon is needed for this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Granulated Sugar
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Parsley – Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley is chopped and added as garnish.
Special Tools Needed
- Medium Pot or Large Saucepan
- Large Bowl filled with Ice Water
- Cutting Board and Paring Knife – To trim onions.
- Larger Knife – To chop the fresh parsley.
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Large Skillet or Sauté Pan
- Spider Strainer or Slotted Spoon with Mesh Strainer
- Colander
- Silicone Spatula
How do I make Balsamic Pearl Glazed Onions with Bacon?
- Peel the fresh pearl onions – see detailed steps below.
- Blanch the peeled onions in boiling water (in a covered pan) for five minutes. Drain into a colander.
- Chop bacon and sauté until crisp. Remove bacon bits to a bowl to use as a garnish later in the recipe.
- Spoon out all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat.
- Add butter to the remaining bacon fat and once melted, add the cleaned, blanched, and drained onions (or if using frozen, thaw and add them here). Sauté over high heat for two minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for eight minutes, stirring and tossing often.
- Serve with the chopped cooked bacon and chopped fresh parsley over the serving bowl.
The Easiest Way to Peel Fresh Pearl Onions
After some trial and error over the years, we found that this method is the easiest way to peel fresh pearl onions:
- Plunge them into boiling water with peels and roots still attached.
- Once the water is back to boiling, set a timer for three minutes.
- After three minutes, use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to scoop out the onions and plunge into ice water. Note – we did our 40-ounces of onions in three batches and waited for the water to come back boiling before adding the next batch of onions.
- Drain the pan of onions and ice water into a colander.
- Then, one onion at a time, trim off the root end and gently squeeze the other end to pop the onion out.
- Last Few Tips: You can trim the stem end off after peeling if needed. Some of the onions may also need the side split with a paring knife if the onion does not pop right out. And others still may need the outer papery skin peeled off after slitting the side. When we prepared our fresh onions, about three quarters popped out easily and the rest had to be split and hand peeled. With 40 ounces to start, we finished with 32 ounces cleaned (two pounds) which took us a little over an hour to prep. You can do this step ahead of time or ask someone to help to make this task go a little quicker.
- This method also works when making our Pearl Onions in Cream Sauce, or our Creamed Peas and Pearl Onions recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions ahead of time? Yes, but since most of the work is in peeling, you could blanch and peel the onions in advance, and cook the bacon. When ready to serve, continue as instructed in the recipe.
- How do I store leftovers? Store refrigerated in a covered container for up to three days.
- How do I reheat leftovers? Reheat in a sauté pan or reheat individual portions in the microwave.
- Can I freeze? No, once cooked, they will turn soggy if frozen and thawed.
You might like these other Onion Recipes:
Click here for more delicious Side Dish Recipes!
See the RecipesWe love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions with Bacon
Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions with Bacon have tender cooked pearl onions in a sweet and tangy balsamic glaze plus smokey bits of bacon throughout. This side dish is delicious!
Ingredients
4 10-ounce bags fresh pearl onions (or 32 ounces frozen)
3 strips bacon, diced small
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot or large saucepan with water to a boil (not salted). Once boiling, add about a third of the onions with skin and root intact.
- When the water reaches a boil again, time for exactly three minutes.
- Have a large bowl of ice water standing by.
- After three minutes, use a spider strainer or slotted spoon and remove the onions to the ice water. Let the water come back to a boil and continue with the second and last third of the onions, using the same large bowl of ice water. You may need to add more ice between batches. Pour into a colander to drain.
- After all the onions have been drained, use a paring knife, and start trimming the onions. Trim off the root end and gently squeeze the other end to pop the onion out. (See more tips in the post above.)
- Bring the same original pot back to a boil with a cup of fresh water. Add the peeled and trimmed onions, cover, and once boiling, time five minutes. Drain again into the colander.
- Add the chopped bacon to a large skillet and cook to crisp over medium heat. Remove the cooked bacon to a small bowl and drain off all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat.
- Turn heat to high and add the butter. Once melted, add the blanched drained onions and sauté for two minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper and sauté for eight minutes, tossing and turning with a silicone spatula.
- Pour into a serving bowl and top with the chopped cooked bacon and the chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Lots of work but worth it! They are addictive! Want to make again soon!
Thank you Jan!