No, cooked onions are not spicy. While raw onions have a pungent, sharp flavor due to the release of certain compounds like sulfenic acids, the cooking process transforms this flavor profile.
The Transformation of Onion Flavor During Cooking
As stated in the provided research ("J Agric. Food Chem."), cooking onions mellows their flavor, resulting in a sweet, savory, even meaty sensation. The pungent compounds responsible for the raw onion's sharpness are altered or broken down during the cooking process. This change is a key reason why onions are a popular ingredient in so many cuisines.
Several recipes mentioned in the provided links use cooked onions but add other ingredients to create a spicy dish. For example, the "Spicy Sweet Caramelized Onions" recipe and the "Spicy Vodka Pasta" recipe utilize onions as base ingredients, but the spiciness comes from added ingredients such as chili powder or hot sauce, not from the onions themselves. Similarly, "Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken and Onions" uses the onions in conjunction with red pepper jelly to produce a spicy dish.
Examples of how cooked onions are used in non-spicy dishes include:
- Caramelized onions on burgers or sandwiches
- Sautéed onions in stir-fries
- Slow-cooked onions in stews and soups
The Reddit posts confirm that onions are not inherently spicy; the perception of spiciness arises when onions are combined with other spicy ingredients.
