These easy pickled red onions are a delight for the tastebuds! Slightly sweet and very tangy, with a subtle crunch, these zippy onions are a simple way to add flavor, texture, and a pop of color to salads, soups, wraps, and more.
While you can swap the red onions for white, sweet, or yellow onions, the beautiful pink tones come from red onions that develop as the sliced onion sits in the pickling liquid. Red onions are also sharper than other onion varieties, so you will have a more mellow pickled onion recipe if you opt for those other varieties instead. Try these pickled red onions on avocado toast, nachos, or taco salad!
4 Key Ingredients
These are the key ingredients you need to get started. You can find the full list of ingredients in the pickled onion recipe.
Red onion — you need raw red onions for this easy recipe. Look for onions that feel firm without any soft spots or mildew on the onion skins.
Salt and sugar — granulated sugar adds a hint of sweetness and balances the acidity of the vinegar. Along with salt, these simple ingredients round out the flavor of this pickled onion recipe.
Vinegar — vinegar is the key to tangy flavor in quick pickled red onions! I used distilled white vinegar this time, but see the FAQs for other types of vinegar you can use.
Optional seasonings — to add extra flavor to the pickled red onions, you can add peeled and smashed garlic cloves, whole black peppercorns, or a bay leaf. This is an excellent way to customize the flavor of your pickled onions, but they are completely optional!
Pickled Red Onions Recipe
Equipment
- Small pot
- Mandoline (optional)
Ingredients
For the Pickled Onions:
- 1 medium red onion (300g)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup vinegar (240mL), distilled white, red wine, or apple cider
Optional Seasonings:
- 1 garlic clove peeled and smashed
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Thinly slice the red onion into circles or thin slices. Place in a quart-sized glass mason jar (or divide amongst two pint-sized jars).
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, vinegar, and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the salt and sugar. If using any optional seasonings, stir them in.
- Pour over the onions and let cool to room temperature for about 1 hour. You can use the onions immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. (They have the best flavor if they sit overnight, but you can also use them immediately after they cool.)
Notes
- Check the onions before you start. You want to make sure your onions do not have any soft spots, mold, or mildew. Sometimes, when onions are stored for a long time, they can develop mildew in the layers of the skin. Check the onion before and after peeling it.
- Add citrus. You can replace up to ¼ cup of the vinegar with fresh lime or lemon juice or add a strip or two of citrus zest to the jar.
- Customize this pickled onion recipe to your taste using pickling spices and/or cumin, fennel, or mustard seeds. I like to insert a sprig of fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or dill. You can also add a small dried chili or a dash of red pepper flakes for heat.
- Use a different sweetener: Feel free to use maple syrup or honey instead of granulated sugar.
Nutrition
How To Make Pickled Onions
1. Cut the red onion into thin rounds or thin slices.
2. Place the sliced onions in a quart-sized glass mason jar or two pint-sized jars. Set aside for now.
3. Combine the sugar, salt, vinegar, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve. If using any seasonings, add them in at this point.
4. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onion slices in the jar and let them cool to room temperature for about 1 hour. Pickled red onions have the best flavor if they chill overnight in the refrigerator, but you can serve them just after they cool.
Ways To Slice Onions For Pickling
You can cut the onion into thin slices or rounds, depending on your preference. Slightly thicker slices will stay a bit crunchier over time but will need more time to soak in the vinegar solution to absorb the flavor.
To cut the onion into half-moon slices: Halve it with a sharp knife, peel it, and set it cut side down on a cutting board. Place your sharp knife on the end of the onion opposite from the root end but parallel to it, and slice straight down. Continue slicing until you reach the root end, which you can then discard. See my How To Cut An Onion post for more details!
You can also use a mandoline. Quarter the onion, remove the small center bits (reserve them for another use or thinly slice by hand), and carefully slice the onion quarters lengthwise along the mandoline into thin slices.
To cut the onion into rounds: With the root end intact, peel and then trim off the tip of the onion opposite the root end. Carefully slice the onion into thin rounds using a sharp knife.
To use a mandoline, prep the whole onion the same way, and place it cut end down on the mandoline. Then, slice it.
Give The Onions Time In The Brine
While you can eat the onions after they’ve cooled down, it’s best to refrigerate them overnight. This softens the onions and mellows out their pungent flavor while also allowing them to absorb the flavors of the brine. They’re ready to enjoy when they’re bright pink.
How To Use Pickled Onions
- Topping for Mexican dishes: Scoop some onto salmon tacos, taco soup, fish tacos, air fryer nachos, or burrito bowls for bright flavor and a slight crunch.
- Add to salads: Toss this quick pickled red onion recipe on my cucumber salad or curried chicken salad.
- Burger or wrap topping: Add quick-pickled onions to turkey burgers or smash burgers. Or load them into a falafel-stuffed pita made with my homemade falafel and pita bread.
- Add to breakfast tacos or breakfast burritos.
How To Make Quick Pickled Onions
For quick-pickled red onions that are ready in under 30 minutes, cook the onions slightly! This speeds up the pickling and softens the onions.
- To start, slice the onions as desired and set them aside (don’t place them into the jar).
- Heat the vinegar brine, and once the sugar and salt have dissolved, add the sliced onions to the pot.
- Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to soften the onions slightly.
- Pour the whole mixture into the mason jar and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. You can add 1 to 2 ice cubes to speed up the cooling process!
Should I Drain The Onions Once They Are Pickled?
No, you should store this pickled onion recipe in the brine. You can pull out the onions with a fork when using them. If you plan to use the whole jar of pickled onions at one time, you can drain off the brine.
How To Store
Pickled red onions will keep in a tightly sealed mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Tips For Making Pickled Red Onions
- Check the onions before you start. You want to make sure your onions do not have any soft spots, mold, or mildew. Sometimes, when onions are stored for a long time, they can develop mildew in the layers of the skin. Check the onion before and after peeling it.
- Add citrus. You can replace up to ¼ cup of the vinegar with fresh lime or lemon juice or add a strip or two of citrus zest to the jar.
- Customize this pickled onion recipe to your taste using pickling spices and/or cumin, fennel, or mustard seeds. I like to insert a sprig of fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or dill. You can also add a small dried chili or a dash of red pepper flakes for heat.
- Use a different sweetener: Feel free to use maple syrup or honey instead of granulated sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any bulb onion or dry onion (meaning ones with paper skin that can be stored in the pantry) will work for this recipe. White onions, yellow onions, sweet onions, and shallots are ideal for pickling! Do not use green onions in this recipe.
I tend to lean towards distilled white vinegar as it has a more “neutral” flavor, but you can also use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or rice vinegar. Avoid regular balsamic vinegar, but white balsamic would work.
Once you’ve eaten all the pickled onions, you can use the leftover brine to make salad dressings or to add a little bit of zingy flavor to rice, beans, or other dishes. I don’t recommend adding fresh onions to the leftover pickling liquid. It’s a better idea to make a new batch of this pickled onion recipe from scratch.
If you’ve tried this pickled red onions recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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