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Why shallots > onions

Why shallots > onions

+ 'marry me' cream sauce recipes, reader risotto, & more

Ethan Chlebowski, Keith McBrayer & Jess McIntosh
January 25, 2026

Good morning. Last week, Ethan released a main channel video on 12 simple ideas that actually improve your home cooking.

One of those ideas was using shallots over onions, which we cover more in depth below.

INGREDIENT DEEP DIVE 🍳

Shallots

What are they?

Shallots are a small, bulb-shaped member of the allium family—right alongside onions, garlic, and leeks. They look like miniature elongated red onions, although sometimes they peel into multiple cloves like garlic.

They are widely available year-round in nearly every grocery store, usually right next to the onions and garlic.

Contrary to popular belief, shallots are not “milder onions”—in our testing, we found they actually bring a more potent onion punch thanks to their higher concentrations of sugars and aromatics.

What’s their flavor?

Taste: Mildly sweet, especially when cooked

Aroma: Sulfurous

Texture: Crisp when raw; silky and jammy when softened or caramelized; crunchy if fried

Physical: Pungent and sharp when raw

Why should you buy some?

If you like onions, start substituting in shallots to see how they level up the flavor. They take up almost no space, last for weeks in a cool, dry spot, and can be used raw, cooked, or fried.

Their lower water content makes them great for frying into a crisp topping. Like garlic, they brown much more quickly than onions, so sauteing times are much faster (although your have to be more careful of burning)..
Mince for dressings, slice for stir-fries, fry into crispy toppings, or slow-cook for a jammy base to sauces.
Because they’re small, you can grab exactly the amount you need—no half-onion drying out in the fridge.

Because shallots concentrate more onion flavor in a smaller package, you can get away with less dicing than if you use onions.

What else can you make with it?

A shallot vinaigrette for salads or roasted vegetables to experience it’s raw pungency
Crispy fried shallots to top rice bowls, noodles, or soups
Minced shallot as the base of pan sauces for steak, chicken, or fish
Quick-pickled shallots to add tangy crunch to tacos or grain bowls
Instead of the classic Oklahoma Onion Burger, try making an Oklahoma Shallot Burger

Pick up a couple and see how often you reach for them—you’ll wonder how you cooked without them.

RECIPE RECS ✅

Try shallots out in these recipes

Check out our collection of different ways to use shallots and other alliums here:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

“Marry me” recipes remain relevant

Will “marry me” recipes stand the test of time?

“Marry Me” chicken (and its many spin-offs — salmon, pasta, steak, even beans & chickpeas) keeps circulating because the formula works: a well-seasoned protein plus a deeply flavorful cream sauce that tastes like far more effort than it actually requires.

Here’s what makes it work:

Browning the protein source builds a lot of flavor fast (thanks to the Maillard reaction). All those browned bits become the base of the sauce when you deglaze with the liquid components.
The sauce is rich but not overwhelming. Cream makes up the body, sun-dried tomatoes add color and savory sweetness, garlic and chili give a little punch, and a hit of acid (usually a squeeze of lemon) keeps things bright.
Texture is a big part of the appeal: the sauce clings to everything (whether that’s pasta, chickpeas, or just the protein), so every bite feels unctuous and satisfying.

It’s a good process to keep in mind for any weeknight meal → season & sear a protein, deglaze the fond & add aromatic/creamy/flavorful ingredients, simmer and reduce to form & sauce.

Comfort food (and home cooking) doesn’t need to be complicated— just think about simple techniques that build flavor and pay attention to texture & balance (in this case, a creamy sauce balanced by bold seasoning + acidity).