• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Good Cheap Eats
  • About
    • Welcome to the Good Cheap Eats Kitchen
    • Media
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Me
  • Members Only
    • Login
    • Club Homepage
    • Club Resource Library
    • Downloads
    • Live Club Events
  • Recipe Index
  • Recent Posts
  • SHOP
    • Purchases
    • Cookbooks
    • Planner
    • The Good Cheap Eats Club
    • Meal Plans
    • Holiday Helps
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Summer Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Join the Club
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • All Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Join the Club
    • Cookbooks
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Kitchen Tips » Freezer Cooking

    Can You Freeze Onions? Here’s the Easy Way to Do It

    Published: Oct 11, 2023 · Modified: Oct 11, 2023 by Jessica Fisher

    FacebookTweetPinPrint
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Onions add flavor, fiber, and nutrients to your dishes and serve as a grocery staple in cooking worldwide. Cheap and readily available, they’re a mainstay in the kitchen, but can you freeze onions? 

    You bet! Freezing onions is an excellent way to extend their shelf life. Keeping a stash on hand means you can easily add them to a Fajita Omelet or Hot Italian Beef Sandwich. You’ll save precious minutes and more than a few tears by chopping onions to freeze or freezing leftover onions, both to use later. 

    three yellow onions on black table top. this …

    Want to save this post?

    Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!

    Save Recipe

    Table of Contents
    • Why Do This
    • Types of Onions
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs
    • What Else to Freeze
    • How to Freeze Onions

    When you cook at home, you can expect to cut onions. It’s just par for the course. But, no use crying over slicing onions. Freeze extra for later! Not only will you avoid the onion odor on a regular basis, but you’ll shorten the prep time of your favorite recipes when you have a few plastic bags of diced onions in the freezer.

    Freezing vegetables and fruits is a great way to stock your kitchen and save time and money. You can chop or slice many onions at once, get the job done in one go, and stash them in the freezer for later.  Caramelized onions for our Goat Cheese Pizza will come together quickly when you’ve already got a bag of thin slices in the freezer. 

    Why Do This

    It helps you avoid food waste. If you use a lot of onions in cooking, why not freeze some to use later and buy yourself some time? Wasting food is akin to wasting money. You can prevent onions from going bad by freezing them for later.

    It could save you money.  Oftentimes, it’s cheaper to buy a bigger bag of onions than singletons. Freeze the extras you can’t use right away and pay less all the way around. This is one of the easiest ways that freezer cooking saves money.

    It can be more convenient. Frozen chopped or sliced onions are more convenient than whole onions as they are recipe-ready. You can easily add flavor, fiber, and nutrients to your delicious recipes when the onions are all ready to go. 

    Types of Onions

    There are a few different kinds of onions: green onions (fresh) and dry onions.

    • Green onions or scallions are sold fresh and should be stored in the refrigerator. Use them within a few days or freeze for later.
    • Dry onions include many different varieties, including yellow onions, white onions, and red onions (also called Italian onions) are often served raw, grilled, or lightly cooked. Another type of dry onions are pearl onions, about the size of a marble, or boiling onions that are about 1-inch in diameter.

    You can freeze green onions as well as red, yellow, and white onions. However, keep in mind that they will lose their crispness after thawing so you may need to limit their future use to cooked rather than raw dishes.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Here’s the best way to freeze onions in three simple steps:

    1. Slice or chop the onions.

    onion on cutting board cut into slices with skins on table nearby.
    chopped onions on cutting board next to knife.

    Chopped onions are pretty universal for a lot of recipes while sliced onions are great in Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions and Fajita Veggies.

    Think about what you use most often and chop or slice onions accordingly.

    Pro tip: to avoid onion tears, it’s a good idea to use a very sharp knife, refrigerate the onions prior to chopping, and use eye protection as it’s the gases from the cut onion that makes you cry.

    You can use a food processor to make this easier, but use the pulse function for best results. The onions can go from rough chop to puree really quickly.

    2. Freeze the onions.

    sliced onions spread on silpat mat on quarter sheet pan.
    frozen sliced onions on quarter sheet pan with labeled ziptop freezer bag.

    You can package the onions right away after slicing, but if you do so, you’ll need to package them in small portions that you’ll use all at once later. They’ll freeze in one mass, so you’ll have to thaw the whole package. You can freeze them in smaller bags or even ice cube trays or Souper Cubes.

    If you freeze the chopped or sliced onions individually (also called open freeze), you can use just a few at a time, whenever you want. To do so, place them in a single layer on a lined tray or baking sheet in the freezer.

    Once they’re frozen solid, you can package them up in airtight freezer bags, being sure not to let them thaw before you get them back in the freezer. 

    3. Package the onions.

    sliced onions in a plastic freezer-safe container with labeled green lid.
    sliced onions in labeled ziptop freezer bag.

    Package the onions in an airtight container with a lid or in ziptop, freezer bags. Whatever container you choose, be sure to label the date and the contents so you can use them up within the next couple months.

    If you want to freeze small onions, like pearl onions, you can freeze them whole, but to avoid freezer burn, blanch them in a boiling pot of water, skin and all, for two minutes. Submerge them in cold water, pat dry, peel, and freeze.

    What about cooked onions? Can you freeze cooked onions? Yes! Save even more time by sauteing onions to freeze for later. Cool them completely, package in small portions, and chill in the fridge prior to freezing.

    To use frozen onions

    When you’re ready to cook, there’s no need to thaw the onions. Just pull out the amount that you want, quickly returning the package to the freezer, and add them to your recipe.

    FAQs

    Are frozen onions as good as fresh?

    If you’re going to cook the onions, they are just as good from frozen as they are fresh. If you want raw onions for a sandwich or salad, you’re better off using fresh onions. Frozen onions lose some of their crispness.

    Can you freeze onions in ice cube trays?

    After chopping the onions you can portion them into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop them out of the trays and store in a ziptop freezer bag. Keep in mind that the “cubes” won’t stay perfectly in tact since onions aren’t liquid, but they should form nice clumps.

    Can you freeze onions and celery?

    There are a variety of vegetables that you can freeze without cooking, including onions, celery, peppers, jalapeños, and mushrooms. It’s recommended that you store them separately as they cook at different rates and would share odors and flavors if stored together.

    What Else to Freeze

    • soups in plastic freezer containers
      20+ Best Freezer Soup Recipes
    • close up of bite of chicken enchilada on fork on plate of enchiladas.
      20+ Postpartum Freezer Meals the Whole Family Will Love
    • three freezer burritos wrapped in blue checked paper on black table.
      Freezer Lunch Meal Prep
    • five pound boxes of butter laid out on a black table.
      Can You Freeze Butter?
    white spoon and fork on a teal plate logo.

    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    frozen sliced onions in a ziptop freezer bag.

    How to Freeze Onions

    Learn how to freeze jalapeños so that you can stock up on a great sale or save what you have for another time. It's a great way to save time and money and give your recipes a kick
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 45kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $0.50

    Equipment

    • cutting board
    • parchment paper
    • heavy duty sheet pan
    • single-serve airtight containers
    • ziptop freezer bags

    Ingredients

    • 16 oz onions
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Peel the onions and chop or slice according to your preferences.
    • Package in recipe-size portions in ziptop freezer bags or freezer-friendly containers.
    • Alternatively, to freeze them loose, place them on a lined sheet pan and freeze until firm. Once solid, transfer the frozen onions to packaging and return to the freezer.
    • To use: add to recipe from frozen.

    Notes

    Frozen onions will be safe indefinitely if kept at below zero degrees, but after ten months, their quality will start to diminish. Since home freezers are not as consistent and reliable as commercial freezers, try to use your frozen onions within a couple months.
    Use onions in sautés, stir-fries, soups, chilis, and stews. They are also good in sauces and gravies, and go well with roast meat dishes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.
    « The Easy Way to Cook a Chuck Roast in the Slow Cooker
    60+ Easy Budget-Friendly Recipes for Two on a Budget »
    FacebookTweetPinPrint

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sharon Zeidman

      April 24, 2024 at 7:33 am

      5 stars
      Great information. I’ve been freezing bell peppers for years but not onions or celery! Thank you!!?

      Reply
    2. Nikki

      March 08, 2023 at 11:43 am

      5 stars
      This is great. I did not know that you could freeze onions at home, but then it occurred to me that I have seen them included in pre-mixed stir fry veggies in the freezer section so it makes sense! But, have you ever had a problem with them making the freezer smelly? I would love to know. Thanks!
      Nikki

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 08, 2023 at 1:07 pm

        I’ve not had an issue if it’s packed airtight.

        Reply
    3. Susan Clark

      July 19, 2021 at 2:49 pm

      Oh, I also freeze mirepoix which is 1/3 cup each small dice onion, celery and carrots in individual containers. Perfect started for soups and stews.

      Reply
    4. Susan Clark

      July 19, 2021 at 2:36 pm

      I freeze onions, all kinds of pepper, stone fruit and berries all the time with great results. I did discover that my onions have a strong onion flavor when in the freezer ugh! Thought they would flavor all frozen foods. But they did not. So I doubt bag onions when I freeze them which eliminates the onion aroma in the freezer. Works great.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

    More about me

    collage of media outlets where good cheap eats has been featured.
    teal graphic with the words, do you know what's for dinner tonight.

    Mexican Food Recipes

    • close up of crockpot enchiladas on a blue plate with fork and salad.
      Easy Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
    • close up of freezer burrito cut in half in paper-lined basket.
      Easy Freezer Burrito Recipe with Chicken, Beans, & Cheese
    • overhead shot of bowl of salsa verde beef.
      Shredded Salsa Verde Beef (5-Ingredient Recipe)
    • side view of buffalo chicken quesadillas with filling coming out of sides.
      Easy Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas Recipe
    • jar of jalapeño salsa with sliced chiles on top and bunch of cilantro and whole on table beside.
      Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe [VIDEO]
    • spoon of chicken taco soup over the bowl of soup.
      Chicken Taco Soup

    Reader Favorites

    • asian marinated chicken breast sliced on a plate with rice and veg.
      5-Minute Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • close-up of cream of celery soup in a jar with celery leaves behind.
      Homemade Cream of Celery Soup Recipe
    • small glass pitcher of milk on black background.
      20+ Easy Milk Recipes to Use Up the Leftover Gallon
    • with a fork fluffing the baked rice in the pan with steam rising.
      Baked Rice: How to Cook Rice in the Oven
    • green onions added to meal prep salads.
      Meal Prep Salads for Easy Lunches You’ll Want to Eat
    • best pulled pork in a freezer container to freeze.
      Best Pulled Pork Recipe
    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

    More about me

    collage of media outlets where good cheap eats has been featured.
    teal graphic with the words, do you know what's for dinner tonight.

    Mexican Food Recipes

    • chicken enchilada bake on plate with side dishes.
      60+ Budget-Friendly Mexican Dinner Ideas
    • close up of chips in black bowl.
      3 Ways to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips
    • the finished plate of loaded nachos.
      Nacho Bar
    • cooked taco meat in oval dish with taco toppings nearby.
      Easy Homemade Taco Meat
    • overhead shot of jalapeno cream cheese dip with sliced jalapeños on top and a spoon twirled in the cheese.
      Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
    • closeup of Spanish brown rice in white bowl.
      Spanish Brown Rice (Mexican Brown Rice)

    Reader Favorites

    • asian marinated chicken breast sliced on a plate with rice and veg.
      5-Minute Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • close-up of cream of celery soup in a jar with celery leaves behind.
      Homemade Cream of Celery Soup Recipe
    • small glass pitcher of milk on black background.
      20+ Easy Milk Recipes to Use Up the Leftover Gallon
    • with a fork fluffing the baked rice in the pan with steam rising.
      Baked Rice: How to Cook Rice in the Oven
    • green onions added to meal prep salads.
      Meal Prep Salads for Easy Lunches You’ll Want to Eat
    • best pulled pork in a freezer container to freeze.
      Best Pulled Pork Recipe

    Footer

    back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Shipping Policy
    • Return Policy
    • Digital Shop

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Good Cheap Eats